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Flash Article

 

Debugging ActionScript 2.0 Code: Lifting the Blindfold


David Stiller

David Stiller

quip.net

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Meet the Output panel
  3. Meet the Debugger panel
  4. Debugging SWF files in a browser
Created:
30 May 2006
User Level:
Beginner

Programming can be a bit like navigating blindfolded in a petting zoo. Sure, you may know the general layout (which pens are where, which animals are in each pen) but the fact remains that waddling, hopping, frolicking creatures are about—and they like to wander!

During playback of a SWF file, variables and properties may change over time or in response to user input. Often enough, such changes occur in unexpected ways. A dynamic text field may inexplicably display the wrong information or nothing at all. The cause of this trouble is hidden, of course, because the SWF file is already compiled—so who knows where those variables have waddled, hopped, or frolicked?

Fortunately, Flash provides a number of tools to unearth important information normally under wraps. This article discusses ways to bring this information to light.

Requirements

In order to make the most of this article, you need the following software and files:

Flash 8

Sample files:

Prerequisite Knowledge

A cursory understanding of ActionScript.

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About the author

David is a career multimedia programmer/designer whose portfolio includes NASA, Adobe, and major US automotive and boat manufacturers. He likes anaglyph 3D photography, finely crafted wooden game boards, Library of Congress field recordings, and Turkish coffee. David is self-taught and gets a kick out of sharing "aha!" moments with others through consultation, mentoring, and regular contributions to the Adobe Flash and ActionScript forums. He is a resident author at Community MX, a web development training site geared toward Adobe products. David lives in Virginia with his amazing wife, Dawn, and his beguiling daughter, Meridian.