# Noobie variable questions
**URL:** https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310
**Category:** Uncategorized
**Created:** [August 13, 2004, 10:31am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310 "2004-08-13T10:31:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@LunarTears](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/LunarTears)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2004, 10:31am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310/1 "2004-08-13T10:31:52Z")
I can’t figure out these variables in whatever timelines ☹
If I had something like
MAIN TIMELINE
mini = 10;
MC TIMELINE
trace(mini);
it displays undefined, right?
so do I ALWAYS have to make it a
trace (\_root.mini);
for it to display 10?
and, what’s the difference between
var sweetness = 10
and
sweetness = 10
?
I read the tutorial and all, but that confused me even more if anything ☹
Aslo, since I’m already asking questions, gotoAndPlay(nextFrame) is the same thing as nextFrame alone, right?
How do I have it play the nextframe in a MC without having to type the number every time?
It’s a hassle to go and change the the numbers after you change the length of your frames.
I guess if you do something like this:
framemove = \_currentframe+1
gotoAndPlay(framemove);
but what other ways are there?
---
### Author:  [@APDesign](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/APDesign)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2004, 10:41am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310/2 "2004-08-13T10:41:03Z")
to answer your first question, yes… you must always use \_root.variable to access the variable if it is on the main timeline and you are in a movies scope. If you do a search on \_parent you can use that instead of \_root also.
The difference between var variable\_name=10 and just variable name=10 is that the var is a “temporary” variable, you use var variable\_name=10 in functions so that once the function is over it deletes the variable.
Hope that helped a bit.
---
### Author:  [@Prophet](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Prophet)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310/3 "2004-08-13T18:08:19Z")
regarding your last question, whats wrong with the following AS:
```auto
play()
```
😉
Prophet.
---
### Author:  [@LunarTears](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/LunarTears)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2004, 8:18am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310/4 "2004-08-14T08:18:00Z")
whoa, that answered a lot. Um… functions… one thing I don’t get about them
function sweetness(candy){
something happens;
}
what is the variable (or number) in the ( )'s? How are they used? I’ve read the tutorials on it, but still need someone to break it down ☹ sorry for the inconvenience.
---
### Author:  [@rysolag](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/rysolag)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2004, 8:38am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310/5 "2004-08-14T08:38:53Z")
the variables in ( )'s are called arguments. when you call the function you can pass variables to that function so the function can use them.
ex.
[AS]
function add(a, b)
{
var result = a + b;
trace(result);
}
add(5, 1); //output is 6
add(1000, 5); //output is 1005
[/AS]
functions can also return variables, heres a variation of the above add() function:
[AS]
function add(a, b)
{
var result = a + b;
return result;
}
var mySum = add(1, 2);
trace(mySum); //output is 3
[/AS]
---
### Author:  [@LunarTears](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/LunarTears)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2004, 12:01pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310/6 "2004-08-14T12:01:40Z")
so I could do have an event change that arguement and have the function work differently?
function count(num){
var counted = num;
trace (num)
}
on(release){
num += 1;
}
like that?
---
### Author:  [@Prophet](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Prophet)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2004, 12:29pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310/7 "2004-08-14T12:29:43Z")
yer… so long as u dont forget to call the function 😉 lol
Prophet.
---
### Author:  [@LunarTears](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/LunarTears)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2004, 3:24pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310/8 "2004-08-14T15:24:29Z")
how do I do that? just type it in?
function count();
?
another question.
if i had a thing like this:
stop();
apple = red;
lime = green;
would it play the whole script first? or would the bottom part be played when it starts playing again?
---
### Author:  [@LunarTears](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/LunarTears)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2004, 3:35pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310/9 "2004-08-14T15:35:17Z")
[QUOTE=LunarTears]how do I do that? just type it in?
function count();
?
---
### Author:  [@rysolag](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/rysolag)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310/10 "2004-08-14T22:28:51Z")
for your stop() question: everything will be executed no matter where the stop function is. it stops the frames from proceeding not the line execution number.
for your function count() question:
[AS]
function count(num)
{
var counted = num;
trace(counted);
}
var test = 1;
count(test); // 1
test++;
count(test); // 2
test++;
count(test); // 3
test += 1000;
count(test); // 1003
[/AS]
---
### Author:  [@LunarTears](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/LunarTears)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 1:18am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310/11 "2004-08-16T01:18:34Z")
i dont understand that script at all ☹ maybe it’s the horrible migrane i’m having… I need a coke ☹
---
### Author:  [@Prophet](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Prophet)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 6:38pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310/12 "2004-08-16T18:38:21Z")
btw to call a function you dont include the word function - it might be on a diff path so it could be
```auto
code()
```
or
```auto
_root.mc1.code()
```
etc etc
Prophet.
---
### Author:  [@LunarTears](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/LunarTears)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2004, 8:54am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310/13 "2004-08-17T08:54:08Z")
ok, i have this here function…
l\_aboutme.onRelease = function(){
aboutme\_anime.play();
}
how do i call to it!?!?!
---
### Author:  [@Prophet](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Prophet)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310/14 "2004-08-17T17:58:03Z")
you cant.
at least not in that format.
you need to give a function a name if you intend to call it more than once…, ie.
```auto
function about(){
aboutme_anime.play()
}
```
then if you want to call it you simply write
```auto
about()
```
if it is on the same directory… ie. if its in a movie clip or the code you are trying to call the function from is in a movieclip you would need a path reference like _\_parent.about()_
if you want to apply it to the button\* l\_aboutme\* you use this (once your function is declared such as above, on the same path):
```auto
l_aboutme.onRelease = function(){
about()
}
```
Prophet.
---
### Author:  [@rysolag](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/rysolag)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310/15 "2004-08-17T20:46:43Z")
or
[AS]
l\_aboutme.onRelease = about;
[/AS]
---
### Author:  [@Prophet](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Prophet)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/noobie-variable-questions/119310/16 "2004-08-17T20:56:12Z")
yer for sum reason i kept tryin _onRelease = about()_ an wondered y it dint work so i just did it the long way lol
Prophet.