Flash CS3 Documentation

Learning ActionScript 2.0 in Adobe Flash > Working with Text and Strings > About text fields > Creating text fields at runtime

Creating text fields at runtime

You can use the createTextField() method of the MovieClip class to create an empty text field on the Stage at runtime. The new text field is attached to the timeline of the movie clip that calls the method.

To dynamically create a text field using ActionScript:

1. Select File > New and then select Flash Document to create a new FLA file.
2. Type the following ActionScript on Frame 1 of the Timeline:

   this.createTextField("test_txt", 10, 0, 0, 300, 100);
   

   This code creates a 300 x 100-pixel text field named test_txt with a location of (0, 0) and a depth (z-order) of 10.

3. To access the methods and properties of the newly created text field, use the instance name specified in the first parameter of the createTextField() method.

   For example, the following code creates a new text field named test_txt, and modifies its properties to make it a multiline, word-wrapping text field that expands to fit inserted text. Then it assigns some text using the text field's text property:

   test_txt.multiline = true;
   test_txt.wordWrap = true;
   test_txt.autoSize = "left";
   test_txt.text = "Create new text fields with the MovieClip.createTextField() method.";
   

4. Select Control > Test Movie to see the text field.

   The text is created at runtime and appears on the Stage.

You can use the TextField.removeTextField() method to remove a text field created with createTextField(). The removeTextField() method does not work on a text field placed by the timeline during authoring.

For more information, see createTextField (MovieClip.createTextField method) and removeTextField (TextField.removeTextField method) in the ActionScript 2.0 Language Reference.

For samples that demonstrate how to work with text fields using ActionScript, see the Flash Samples page at www.adobe.com/go/learn_fl_samples. Download the Samples zip file and navigate to the ActionScript 2.0/TextFields folder to access these samples:

• textfieldsA.fla
• textfieldsB.fla

Flash CS3