call (ExternalInterface.call method) -- Flash CS3

Calls a function exposed by the Flash Player container, passing 0 or more arguments. If the desired function is not available, the call returns null; otherwise it returns the value provided by the function. Recursion is not permitted; a recursive call produces a null response.

If the container is an HTML page, this method invokes a JavaScript function in a <script> element.

If the container is some other ActiveX container, this method broadcasts an event with the specified name, and the container processes the event.

If the container is hosting the Netscape plug-in, you can either write custom support for the new NPRuntime interface or embed an HTML control and embed Flash Player within the HTML control. If you embed an HTML control, you can communicate with Flash Player through a JavaScript interface that talks to the native container application.

Parameters

methodName:String - The name of the function to call in the container. If the function accepts parameters, they must appear following the methodName parameter.

parameter1:Object [optional] - Any parameters to be passed to the function. You can specify zero or more parameters, separating them by commas. The parameters can be of any ActionScript data type. When the call is to a JavaScript function, the ActionScript types are automatically marshalled into JavaScript types. When the call is to some other ActiveX container, the parameters are encoded in the request message.

Returns

Object - The response received from the container. If the call failed (for example if there is no such function in the container, or the interface was not available, or a recursion occurred, or there was a security issue) null is returned.

Example

The following example calls the JavaScript function sayHello() in the HTML page that contains the SWF. The call is made by using the ExternalInterface.call() method.

import flash.external.*;

var greeting:String;
var btn:MovieClip = createButton(100, 30, 0xCCCCCC);
btn.onPress = function() {
    greeting = String(ExternalInterface.call("sayHello", "browser"));
    this.mcTxt.text = greeting; // >> Hi Flash.
}

function createButton(width:Number, height:Number, color:Number):MovieClip {
    var depth:Number = this.getNextHighestDepth();
    var mc:MovieClip = this.createEmptyMovieClip("mc_" + depth, depth);
    var mcFmt:TextFormat;

    mc.beginFill(color);
    mc.lineTo(0, height);
    mc.lineTo(width, height);
    mc.lineTo(width, 0);
    mc.lineTo(0, 0);

    mcFmt = new TextFormat();
    mcFmt.align = "center";
    mcFmt.bold = true;

    mc.createTextField("mcTxt", depth, 0, 0, width, height);
    mc.mcTxt.text = "Call JS Function";
    mc.mcTxt.setTextFormat(mcFmt);

    return mc;
}

For the previous example to work properly, you should be copy and paste the following code into the containing HTML page. Unless the HTML page is hosted on a server, your browser may alert you with a security warning.

<script>
    function sayHello(name) {
        alert(">> Hello " + name + ".");
        return ">> Hi Flash.";
    }
</script>