Flash CS3 Documentation

ActionScript 2.0 Language Reference > ActionScript language elements > Operators > () parentheses operator

() parentheses operator

(expression1 [, expression2])
( expression1, expression2 )
function ( parameter1,..., parameterN ) 

Performs a grouping operation on one or more parameters, performs sequential evaluation of expressions, or surrounds one or more parameters and passes them as parameters to a function outside the parentheses.

Usage 1: Controls the order in which the operators execute in the expression. Parentheses override the normal precedence order and cause the expressions within the parentheses to be evaluated first. When parentheses are nested, the contents of the innermost parentheses are evaluated before the contents of the outer ones.

Usage 2: Evaluates a series of expressions, separated by commas, in sequence, and returns the result of the final expression.

Usage 3: Surrounds one or more parameters and passes them as parameters to the function outside the parentheses.

Availability: ActionScript 1.0; Flash Player 4

Operands

expression1 : Object - Numbers, strings, variables, or text.

expression2 : Object - Numbers, strings, variables, or text.

function : Function - The function to be performed on the contents of the parentheses.

parameter1...parameterN : Object - A series of parameters to execute before the results are passed as parameters to the function outside the parentheses.

Example

Usage 1: The following statements show the use of parentheses to control the order in which expressions are executed (the value of each expression appears in the Output panel):

trace((2 + 3)*(4 + 5)); // Output: 45 
trace((2 + 3) * (4 + 5)); // Output: 45trace(2 + (3 * (4 + 5))); // // writes 29 
trace(2 + (3 * (4 + 5))); // Output: 29trace(2+(3*4)+5); // writes 19 
trace(2 + (3 * 4) + 5); // Output: 19 

Usage 2: The following example evaluates the function foo(), and then the function bar(), and returns the result of the expression a + b:

var a:Number = 1; 
var b:Number = 2; 
function foo() { a += b; } 
function bar() { b *= 10; } 
trace((foo(), bar(), a + b)); // outputs 23 

Usage 3: The following example shows the use of parentheses with functions:

var today:Date = new Date(); 
trace(today.getFullYear()); // traces current year 
function traceParameter(param):Void { trace(param); } 
traceParameter(2 * 2); //traces 4 

See also

with statement

Flash CS3