Check syntax and test your application

As you learned earlier in this lesson, ActionScript depends on correct syntax to execute properly. Flash offers a variety of ways for you to test your syntax.

1. To check the syntax, do one of the following:
   • Click the options menu in the upper right corner of the Actions panel title bar and select Check Syntax.
   • Click the Check Syntax button along the top of the Actions panel.

   If the syntax is correct, a message appears stating that the script contains no errors.

   If the syntax is incorrect, a message appears stating the script contains errors; the Output panel opens and displays information about the error.

2. Click OK to close the syntax message.
3. After you've verified that your ActionScript does not contain syntax errors, save the document and select Control > Test Movie.

   When the SWF file appears, the animation should not appear in the Global Positioning System screen, because its initial visible property is set to false. When you click and release the top green button, you call the function that sets the movie clip's visible property to true. Does the animation play then? Finally, click the red Off button to see if the visible property for the animation is again false.

   You can test your SWF content throughout authoring to confirm that it plays as expected.