LiveDocs Comments - flash - 9.0 - main - 00000042.html

flash/9.0/main/00000042.html

2009-03-11T06:03:54

hello adobe,
i've found a big problem.

in the defining namespaces-section you say that it is possible to do something like this:

package flash.utils
{
namespace flash_proxy;
}

as you described, this namespace is PRIVATE, but it is not! it is public - so we get an 5006-error which tells me that An ActionScript file can not have more than one externally visible definition.

so ok, i tried this:
package flash.utils
{
private namespace flash_proxy;
}
and got another different error. this time it tells me: ActionScript Error #1013: The private attribute may be used only on class property definitions.

in Essential ActionScript 3, published at O'Reilly, we were told that every variable without a private, public, or whatever is INTERNAL. in another O'Reilly book (think it was design patterns), it's said that in this case the variable is PUBLIC. i don't know what's correct, but the above example does effectively NOT WORK!

what you can do instead is something like that:

package foo
{
public class foobar
{
namespace myNamespace;
}
}

it would be very kind of you, if you corrected your documentation.
regards,
daniel bunte, germany

flash/9.0/main/00000042.html

Joe ... Ward — 2008-08-08T11:01:15

Namespaces and Proxy objects are somewhat advanced and rarely required features. You can get quite far without ever using them. When you do find a use for them, chances are you won't be an ActionScript beginner anymore and will be able to cut though our turgid jargon more easily...

flash/9.0/main/00000042.html

Todays Past — 2008-08-01T11:56:21

huh?

When you went for the "Getting Started with ActionScript..." section to the "ActionScript language and syntax" section your manual style changed dramatically. You went from assuming I knew basically nothing coming in, to using all kinds of jargon, and really changing to using the standard "computer-speak" type guide language. The first couple of pages I waded through and could pick it up after a couple of re-reads but this page is ridiculous.

This page is so jargon filled its hard to suggest a solution. I can come up with only two:

1. Do a search for the word "Namespace" on this page and count the number of occurrences. Re-write this page but using only half the number of occurrences.

2. Forget the "proxy" example. Do something less complicated. You've just given us a basic introduction, then taken us into a very complicated section called "Namespaces," and then just for grins attempted to teach us about proxy, inheritance and a bunch of other stuff simultaneously. The goal was to teach namespaces, so keep your focus and try for something more direct. Teach us about proxy after inheritance and whatever else was send in that paragraph.

PS - I find the constant references to ActionScript 2, Java and C# distracting. I understand the desire to help folks convert, but wonder, just wonder, it wouldn't be better to separate the conversion info into an aside at the end or the beginning of the section. It's way too easy to fall into the trap of assuming all the readers come in with AS2, Java or C# backgrounds and then start talking to them at a level thats far different then the level of a newbie. Up to this point the manual has assumed the reader is a noob, so pick one. Either you're introducing noobs to AS3, or your converting existing AS2, Java and C# guru's.

flash/9.0/main/00000042.html

2008-03-31T05:26:50

I was trying to compile this example code in CS3

package
{
import flash.utils.Proxy;
import flash.utils.flash_proxy;

dynamic class MyProxy extends Proxy
{
flash_proxy override function callProperty(name:*, ...rest):*
{
trace("method call intercepted: " + name);
}
}
}

I received 2 compile errors when I created the class instance and preformed a method call.

1017: The definition of base class Proxy was not found.
1004: Namespace was not found or is not a compile-time constant.

I disabled strict mode compiling and still received the error what am I doing wrong?

flash/9.0/main/00000042.html

tegnegi — 2007-12-06T22:29:53

There is subtle difference between the word definition and declaration, i hope if u cud mention that here to avoid confusion...I guess here they are used interchangeably.