Comments on: Why Doesn’t _root.gotoAndPlay() Work with Scenes? http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes Luck is the residue of good design. Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:31:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: David Stiller http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-115508 Fri, 28 Dec 2007 00:10:05 +0000 http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-115508 Paul, Glad to hear that! Paul,

Glad to hear that!

]]> by: Paul http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-115215 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:50:00 +0000 http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-115215 Thanks for the discussion. I was struggling to figure this out on my own. Reading these comments saved me a lot of time and aggravation! Thanks for the discussion. I was struggling to figure this out on my own. Reading these comments saved me a lot of time and aggravation!

]]> by: Menzoic http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-53271 Mon, 11 Jun 2007 01:55:50 +0000 http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-53271 unlike what magical unicorn said above, _root shouldn't be avoided, especially when your making a game where a global variabels such as those containing points need to be referenced. unlike what magical unicorn said above, _root shouldn’t be avoided, especially when your making a game where a global variabels such as those containing points need to be referenced.

]]> by: David Stiller http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-45092 Mon, 14 May 2007 01:12:39 +0000 http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-45092 Pablo, Chad ... Glad to help! :) Pablo, Chad …

Glad to help! :)

]]> by: Chad B http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-43347 Mon, 07 May 2007 17:15:33 +0000 http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-43347 Very Helpful, trying to pass a string variable from one keyframe to another so i could use it in gotoAndPlay() was driving me nuts. Very Helpful, trying to pass a string variable from one keyframe to another so i could use it in gotoAndPlay() was driving me nuts.

]]> by: Pablo http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-34309 Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:41:29 +0000 http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-34309 Thanx A lot man!! i was really needing this expl.!!! thanx Again! Thanx A lot man!!
i was really needing this expl.!!!
thanx Again!

]]> by: David Stiller http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-10 Wed, 29 Mar 2006 02:55:34 +0000 http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-10 Ahh, my bad. You're right, I misunderstood ... when I read "It’s better to forego scenes (like _root!)," I took that to mean you were saying <code>_root</code> was a Scene. Ahh, my bad. You’re right, I misunderstood … when I read “It’s better to forego scenes (like _root!),” I took that to mean you were saying _root was a Scene.

]]> by: magical unicorn http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-9 Wed, 29 Mar 2006 02:39:08 +0000 http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-9 Very well aware of what both features are - I think you misunderstood my comment. I meant it's best to avoid both of those - like I say, both lead to bad practices or problems, and both are discouraged (officially, and general community/Flash best practice). And actually, the fact that all scenes are compiled to a single timeline is what causes many of the problems for users (their code, etc) in the first place. And when this occurs, it is very hard for them to figure out why - hence, avoiding scenes whenever possible. There are many existing blog entries on avoiding _root, many of which are an interesting read, indeed. Very well aware of what both features are - I think you misunderstood my comment. I meant it’s best to avoid both of those - like I say, both lead to bad practices or problems, and both are discouraged (officially, and general community/Flash best practice). And actually, the fact that all scenes are compiled to a single timeline is what causes many of the problems for users (their code, etc) in the first place. And when this occurs, it is very hard for them to figure out why - hence, avoiding scenes whenever possible.

There are many existing blog entries on avoiding _root, many of which are an interesting read, indeed.

]]> by: David Stiller http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-8 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 20:08:09 +0000 http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-8 magical unicorn, For sake of clarity, I'll mention that Scenes and _root aren't the same thing. _root is a global property that refers "to the root movie clip Timeline," what people often refer to as the main timeline, and if multiple levels are used (<code>_level1</code>, <code>_level2</code>, etc.), the "root movie clip Timeline is on the level containing the currently executing script. For example, if a script in level 1 evaluates _root, _level1 is returned" (_root property entry, ActionScript 2.0 Language Reference). Scenes, on the other hand, are not represented by objects in ActionScript at all (p. 713, Moock's <em>ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition</em>). When a SWF is compiled, Scenes collapse into a single timeline. All ActionScript knows at that point are frames and frame labels. That said, it's true that <code>_root</code> usage is often discouraged. In fact, the documentation makes mention of this under the "Avoiding absolute targets (_root)" topic of "Learning ActionScript 2.0 in Flash." Personally, I don't so much avoid <code>_root</code> as make sure that <em>when</em> I use it, I do so on purpose and know the reason(s) why. Sounds like the makings of a blog entry. Thanks for the input! magical unicorn,

For sake of clarity, I’ll mention that Scenes and _root aren’t the same thing.

_root is a global property that refers “to the root movie clip Timeline,” what people often refer to as the main timeline, and if multiple levels are used (_level1, _level2, etc.), the “root movie clip Timeline is on the level containing the currently executing script. For example, if a script in level 1 evaluates _root, _level1 is returned” (_root property entry, ActionScript 2.0 Language Reference).

Scenes, on the other hand, are not represented by objects in ActionScript at all (p. 713, Moock’s ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition). When a SWF is compiled, Scenes collapse into a single timeline. All ActionScript knows at that point are frames and frame labels.

That said, it’s true that _root usage is often discouraged. In fact, the documentation makes mention of this under the “Avoiding absolute targets (_root)” topic of “Learning ActionScript 2.0 in Flash.” Personally, I don’t so much avoid _root as make sure that when I use it, I do so on purpose and know the reason(s) why. Sounds like the makings of a blog entry. Thanks for the input!

]]> by: magical unicorn http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-7 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 19:40:23 +0000 http://www.quip.net/blog/2006/flash/actionscript-20/gotoandplay-with-scenes#comment-7 It's better to forego scenes (like _root!) - there are very few cases where they are a good practice, often lead to bad practices or problems as described above, and they have been discouraged for several versions now. Let go of _root, and let go of scenes whenever possible (most of the time), and you'll be a happier in the long run who won't have to keep track of all the gotchas. It’s better to forego scenes (like _root!) - there are very few cases where they are a good practice, often lead to bad practices or problems as described above, and they have been discouraged for several versions now. Let go of _root, and let go of scenes whenever possible (most of the time), and you’ll be a happier in the long run who won’t have to keep track of all the gotchas.

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