# TextFormat object

The TextFormat object represents character formatting information.

You must use the constructor `new TextFormat()` to create an instance of the TextFormat object before calling its methods.

You can set TextFormat parameters to `null` to indicate that they are undefined. When you apply a TextFormat object to a text field using TextField.setTextFormat(), only its defined properties are applied, as in the following example:

    my_fmt = new TextFormat();
    my_fmt.bold = true;
    my_txt.setTextFormat(my_fmt);

This code first creates an empty TextFormat object with all of its properties undefined, then sets the `bold` property to a defined value.

The code `my_txt.setTextFormat(my_fmt)` only changes the `bold` property of the text field's default text format, because the `bold` property is the only one defined in `my_fmt`. All other aspects of the text field's default text format remain unchanged.

When TextField.getTextFormat() is invoked, a TextFormat object is returned with all of its properties defined; no property is `null`.

## Method summary for the TextFormat object

Method | Description
--- | ---
`TextFormat.getTextExtent ()` | Returns an object with two properties, `width` and `height`, that indicate the size of text in a text field.

## Property summary for the TextFormat object

Property | Description
--- | ---
`TextFormat.align` | Indicates the alignment of a paragraph.
`TextFormat.blockIndent` | Indicates the block indentation, in points.
`TextFormat.bold` | Indicates whether text is boldface.
`TextFormat.bullet` | Indicates whether text is in a bulleted list.
`TextFormat.color` | Indicates the color of text.
`TextFormat.font` | Indicates the font name of the text with a text format.
`TextFormat.indent` | Indicates the indentation from the left margin to the first character in the paragraph.
`TextFormat.italic` | Indicates whether text is italicized.
`TextFormat.leading` | Indicates the amount of leading vertical space between lines.
`TextFormat.leftMargin` | Indicates the left margin of the paragraph, in points.
`TextFormat.rightMargin` | Indicates the right margin of the paragraph, in points.
`TextFormat.size` | Indicates the point size of text.
`TextFormat.tabStops` | Specifies custom tab stops.
`TextFormat.target` | Indicates the window in a browser where a hyperlink is displayed.
`TextFormat.underline` | Indicates whether text is underlined.
`TextFormat.url` | Indicates the URL to which the text links.

## Constructor for the TextFormat object

#### Availability

Flash Player 6.

#### Usage

    new TextFormat([font, [size, [color, [bold, [italic, [underline, [url, [target, [align, [leftMargin, [rightMargin, [indent, [leading]]]]]]]]]]]]])

#### Parameters

`font` The name of a font for text as a string.

`size` An integer that indicates the point size.

`color` The color of text using this text format. A number containing three 8-bit RGB components; for example, 0xFF0000 is red, 0x00FF00 is green.

`bold` A Boolean value that indicates whether the text is boldface.

`italic` A Boolean value that indicates whether the text is italicized.

`underline` A Boolean value that indicates whether the text is underlined.

`url` The URL to which the text in this text format hyperlinks. If `url` is an empty string, the text does not have a hyperlink.

`target` The target window where the hyperlink is displayed. If the target window is an empty string, the text is displayed in the default target window `_self`. If the `url` parameter is set to an empty string or to the value `null`, this property may be get or set but has no effect.

`align` The alignment of the paragraph, represented as a string. If `"left"`, the paragraph is left-aligned. If `"center"`, the paragraph is centered. If `"right"`, the paragraph is right-aligned.

`leftMargin` Indicates the left margin of the paragraph, in points.

`rightMargin` Indicates the right margin of the paragraph, in points.

`indent` An integer that indicates the indentation from the left margin to the first character in the paragraph.

`leading` A number that indicates the amount of leading vertical space between lines.

#### Description

Constructor; creates an instance of the TextFormat object with the specified properties. You can then change the properties of the TextFormat object to change the formatting of text fields.

Any parameter may be set to the value `null` to indicate that it is not defined. All of the parameters are optional; any omitted parameters are treated as `null`.