# MovieClip.hitTest()

#### Availability

Flash Player 5.

#### Usage

    my_mc.hitTest(x, y, shapeFlag)
    my_mc.hitTest(target)

#### Parameters

`x` The x coordinate of the hit area on the Stage.

`y` The y coordinate of the hit area on the Stage.

The x and y coordinates are defined in the global coordinate space.

`target` The target path of the hit area that may intersect or overlap with the instance specified by `my_mc`. The `target` usually represents a button or text-entry field.

`shapeFlag` A Boolean value specifying whether to evaluate the entire shape of the specified instance (`true`), or just the bounding box (`false`). This parameter can be specified only if the hit area is identified using `x` and `y` coordinate parameters.

#### Returns

Nothing.

#### Description

Method; evaluates the instance specified by `my_mc` to see if it overlaps or intersects with the hit area identified by the `target` or `x` and `y` coordinate parameters.

Usage 1: Compares the `x` and `y` coordinates to the shape or bounding box of the specified instance, according to the `shapeFlag` setting. If `shapeFlag` is set to `true`, only the area actually occupied by the instance on the Stage is evaluated, and if `x` and `y` overlap at any point, a value of `true` is returned. This is useful for determining if the movie clip is within a specified hit or hotspot area.

Usage 2: Evaluates the bounding boxes of the `target` and specified instance, and returns `true` if they overlap or intersect at any point.

#### Example

The following example uses `hitTest` with the `_xmouse` and `_ymouse` properties to determine whether the mouse pointer is over the target's bounding box:

    if (hitTest( _root._xmouse, _root._ymouse, false));

The following example uses `hitTest` to determine if the movie clip `ball` overlaps or intersects the movie clip `square`:

    if(_root.ball.hitTest(_root.square)){
    	trace("ball intersects square");
    }

#### See also

`MovieClip.getBounds()`, `MovieClip.globalToLocal()`, `MovieClip.localToGlobal()`