| |
| |
| |
| |
A variable is a container that holds information. The container itself is always the same, but the contents can change. By changing the value of a variable as the SWF file plays, you can record and save information about what the user has done, record values that change as the SWF file plays, or evaluate whether a condition is true or false.
It's a good idea always to assign a variable a known value the first time you define the variable. This is known as initializing a variable and is often done in the first frame of the SWF file. Initializing a variable helps you track and compare the variable's value as the SWF file plays.
Variables can hold any type of data (see About data types). The type of data a variable contains affects how the variable's value changes when it is assigned in a script.
Typical types of information that you can store in a variable include a URL, a user's name, the result of a mathematical operation, the number of times an event occurred, or whether a button has been clicked. Each SWF file and movie clip instance has a set of variables, with each variable having a value independent of variables in other SWF files or movie clips.
To test the value of a variable, use the trace() action to send the value to the Output panel. For example, trace(hoursWorked) sends the value of the variable hoursWorked to the Output panel in test mode. You can also check and set the variable values in the Debugger in test mode. For more information, see Using the trace statement and Displaying and modifying variables.
| |
| |
| |
| |