# General question **URL:** \ **Category:** flash\ **Created:** [October 16, 2002, 9:12am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/general-question/6775 "2002-10-16T09:12:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stanley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Stanley](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Stanley)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 9:12am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/general-question/6775/1 "2002-10-16T09:12:11Z")
Okay I’m stupid… but I still do not fully understand when to use “eval(varname)” and when not to. What does EVAL do? Stanley ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 9:43am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/general-question/6775/2 "2002-10-16T09:43:49Z")
The eval() function is used to access variables, properties, objects, or movie clips. If the expression is a variable or a property, that value is returned. If the expression is an object or movie clip, it’ll tell you and give you a reference to that. Think of it as evaluating the contents of a named object. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 1:30pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/general-question/6775/3 "2002-10-16T13:30:20Z")
… and it is very bad practice… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 1:34pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/general-question/6775/4 "2002-10-16T13:34:18Z")
why do you say it’s bad? i personally never use it, preferring array notation, but never heard that it’s “bad” ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 2:07pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/general-question/6775/5 "2002-10-16T14:07:01Z")
I don’t know, it just feels ugly. It makes everything unclear. 😕 And using eval(something)= was deprecated if I remember correctly. [SIZE=1]was it? I think it was…[/SIZE] ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 2:26pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/general-question/6775/6 "2002-10-16T14:26:00Z")
actually, eval(something)=x is more than just deprecated, it doesn’t work at all in flash mx! you can’t evaluate a variable and assign it something. you’d have to say: mything=eval(something); mything=x; ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 2:37pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/general-question/6775/7 "2002-10-16T14:37:18Z")
i am newbie but about the eval function, i think it is very useful in flash, most because in can concatenate a string to a int ad this is very useful when for example you want to do a search in flash searching words on a .txt file that contais variables… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 2:44pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/general-question/6775/8 "2002-10-16T14:44:27Z")
Bit \>\> So it’s bad :evil: Gabriel \>\> But it has utilities, for sure. But nothing you can’t do with something else. :cowboy: ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 2:55pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/general-question/6775/9 "2002-10-16T14:55:09Z")
i dont think its bad, for some things is the eval function is the best, many problems that i have in flash i resolve it whith the eval, probably we can do the same things in other way, but that way cannot be the most optimized… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 3:03pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/general-question/6775/10 "2002-10-16T15:03:19Z")
i don’t think it’s inherantly “bad”, but it’s true that anything you can do with eval, you can do in another, possibly better way. as i said, i never use it personally.