Debugging ActionScript 2.0 Code: Lifting the Blindfold

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:

• debugging_actionscript.zip (ZIP, 650K)

Prerequisite Knowledge

A cursory understanding of ActionScript.