Flash CS3 Documentation

ActionScript 2.0 Language Reference > ActionScript language elements > Global Functions > trace function

trace function

trace(expression:Object)

You can use Flash Debug Player to capture output from the trace() function and display the result. If any argument in a trace statement includes a data type other than a String, the trace function invokes the associated toString() method for that data type. For example, if the argument is a Boolean value the trace function invokes Boolean.toString() and displays the return value.

Use this statement to record programming notes or to display messages in the Output panel while testing a SWF file. Use the expression parameter to check whether a condition exists, or to display values in the Output panel. The trace() statement is similar to the alert function in JavaScript.

You can use the Omit Trace Actions command in the Publish Settings dialog box to remove trace()actions from the exported SWF file.

Availability: ActionScript 1.0; Flash Player 4

Parameters

expression:Object - An expression to evaluate. When a SWF file is opened in the Flash authoring tool (using the Test Movie command), the value of the expression parameter is displayed in the Output panel.

Example

The following example uses a trace() statement to display in the Output panel the methods and properties of the dynamically created text field called error_txt:

this.createTextField("error_txt", this.getNextHighestDepth(), 0, 0, 100, 22);
for (var i in error_txt) {
trace("error_txt."+i+" = "+error_txt[i]);
}
/*
error_txt.styleSheet = undefined
error_txt.mouseWheelEnabled = true
error_txt.condenseWhite = false
...
error_txt.maxscroll = 1
error_txt.scroll = 1
*/

Flash CS3