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Goto Frame

SWF Action
Action Category: 
Movie
Action Details: 
0
Action Identifier: 
129
Action Structure: 
unsigned short   f_frame_no;
Action Length: 
2 byte(s)
Action Stack: 
n.a.
Action Operation: 
goto(f_frame_no);
Action Flash Version: 
1

The playback continues at the specified frame. Frame numbers start at 0 and go up to to total number of frames - 1.

A frame appears at each new Show Frame tag.

For a goto frame with a dynamic frame number, use the Goto Expression action instead.

Extends

SWF Action
Action Category: 
Objects
Action Details: 
0
Action Identifier: 
105
Action Structure: 
<n.a.>
Action Length: 
0 byte(s)
Action Stack: 
pop 2 (s), push 1 (o)
Action Operation: 
s1 := pop();
s2 := pop();
super_class := s1;
sub_class := s2;
sub_class.prototype := new object;
sub_class.prototype.__proto__ := super_class.prototype;
sub_class.prototype.__constructor__ := super_class;
push(sub_class.prototype);
Action Flash Version: 
7

The Extends action will be used to define a new object extending another object. The declaration in ActionScript is:

class A extends B;

In an SWF action script, you don't exactly declare objects, you actually instantiate them and define their functions. This action creates a new object named s2 which is an extension of the object s1.

Use this action whenever you need to inherit an object without calling its constructor.

SWF Internal Functions

Since Flash version 5, you can use internal functions (really member functions or methods of internal objects.) These functions are always available. These methods are called using the Call Function action with the name of the object and function separated by a period. A few of these internal functions are duplicates of some direct action script instructions. In general, it is preferred to use these internal functions rather than the direct action. However, direct actions are a good way to optimize your ActionScript code.

Similarly, you can access internal constants (really variable ...

Duplicate Sprite

SWF Action
Action Category: 
Movie
Action Details: 
0
Action Identifier: 
36
Action Structure: 
<n.a.>
Action Length: 
0 byte(s)
Action Stack: 
pop 1 (i), pop 2 (s)
Action Operation: 
i1 := pop();
s2 := pop();
s3 := pop();
duplicate_sprite(s3, s2, i1);
Action Flash Version: 
4

s3 is the name of an existing sprite1 which is copied by this action.

The new sprite is given  the name s2 and is placed at depth i1.

  • 1. Remember that a sprite, movie, thread and other terms that I forget, are all the same thing.

Declare Function

SWF Action
Action Category: 
Control
Action Details: 
0
Action Identifier: 
155
Action Structure: 
string    f_name;
unsigned short   f_arg_count;
string   f_arg_name[f_arg_count];
unsigned short   f_function_length;
Action Length: 
-1 byte(s)
Action Stack: 
n.a.
Action Operation: 
create function f_name in the current target movie
Action Flash Version: 
5

Declare a function which later can be called with the Call Function action. The f_function_length1 defines the number of bytes that the function declaration takes. All the actions included in this block are part of the function. A function should terminate with a Return action. The value used by the return statement should be the only value left on the caller stack.

  • 1. Functions are limited to 65535 bytes in length.

Call Method

SWF Action
Action Category: 
Control
Action Details: 
0
Action Identifier: 
82
Action Structure: 
<n.a.>
Action Length: 
0 byte(s)
Action Stack: 
pop 1 (s), pop 1 (o), pop 1 (i), pop i3 (a)
Action Operation: 
s1 := pop();
o2 := pop();
i3 := pop();
for(idx := 4; idx < i3 + 4; ++idx) {
  aidx := pop();
}
if(s1.length) {
  // call method s1
  r := o2.s1(a4, a5, a6...a(i3+3));
}
else {
  // call constructor o2
  r := o2(a4, a5, a6...a(i3+3));
}
push(r);
Action Flash Version: 
5

Pop the name of a method (can be the empty string), pop an object, pop the number of arguments, pop each argument, call the method (function) of the object, push the returned value on the stack.

When the string is empty, the constructor is called. This is used by the system right after a new operator was called and most of the time the return value is simply discarded.

DoABCDefine

Tag Info
Tag Number: 
72
Tag Type: 
Action
Tag Flash Version: 
9
Brief Description: 

New container tag for ActionScripts under SWF 9. Includes only actions. This tag is not defined in the official Flash documentation.

Tag Structure: 
struct swf_doabc {
	swf_tag			f_tag;		/* 72 or 82 */
	if(f_tag == DoABC) {
		unsigned long	f_action_flags;
		string		f_action_name;
	}
	swf_action3		f_action_record[variable];
};

*the version specified here is the version in which the tags appeared—however, actions of higher versions can be used with older version tags and thus this version doesn't indicate the version of all the actions used in this tag

The DoABC and DoABCDefine are available since version 9. These are similar to the old DoAction and DoInitAction, yet the actions use a way different declaration scheme and they include flags and a name. This new scheme helps greatly in simplifying the definitions of ECMAScript classes and accelerate the access to the code tremendously.

Note that the ...

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I also wanted to mentioned the arrival of our new Web 2.0 hosting system. We are still working on it, but very soon you will be able to jump on the bandwagon and get a ...

FileAttributes

Tag Info
Tag Number: 
69
Tag Type: 
Format
Tag Flash Version: 
8
Brief Description: 

Since version 8, this tag is required and needs to be the very first tag in the movie. It is used as a way to better handle security within the Flash Player.

Tag Structure: 
struct swf_fileattributes {
	swf_tag			f_tag;		/* 69 */
	unsigned		f_reserved : 3;
	unsigned		f_has_metadata : 1;
	unsigned		f_allow_abc : 1;	/* since V9.0 */
	unsigned		f_suppress_cross_domain_caching : 1;	/* since V9.0 */
	unsigned		f_swf_relative_urls : 1;	/* since V9.0 */
	unsigned		f_use_network : 1;
	unsigned		f_reserved : 24;
};

The FileAttributes tag is new to version 8. It must be present in all movies version 8 and over. It must be the very first tag in the SWF movie. It should be unique (other instances will be ignored.)

The f_has_metadata flag shall be set to 1 whenever the movie includes a Metadata tag.

The f_allow_abc flag shall be set to 1 to give the player the right to execute DoABC scripts (this is a version 9 flag, in version 8, keep it set to 0.)

The f_suppress_cross_domain_caching must have some effect over the caching of some things... (version 9+)

The f_swf_relative_urls means that URLs specified ...

DefineEditText

Tag Info
Tag Number: 
37
Tag Type: 
Define
Tag Flash Version: 
4
Brief Description: 

An edit text enables the end users to enter text in a Flash window.

Tag Structure: 
struct swf_defineedittext {
	swf_tag			f_tag;		/* 37 */
	unsigned short		f_edit_id;
	swf_rect		f_rect;
	unsigned		f_edit_has_text : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_word_wrap : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_multiline : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_password : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_readonly : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_has_color : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_has_max_length : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_has_font : 1;
	if(version >= 6) {
		unsigned		f_edit_reserved : 1;
		unsigned		f_edit_auto_size : 1;
	}
	else {
		unsigned		f_edit_reserved : 2;
	}
	unsigned		f_edit_has_layout : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_no_select : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_border : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_reserved : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_html : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_use_outlines : 1;
	if(f_edit_has_font) {
		unsigned short		f_edit_font_id_ref;
		unsigned short		f_edit_font_height;
	}
	if(f_edit_has_color) {
		swf_rgba		f_edit_color;
	}
	if(f_edit_has_max_length) {
		unsigned short		f_edit_max_length;
	}
	if(f_edit_has_layout) {
		unsigned char		f_edit_align;
		unsigned short		f_edit_left_margin;
		unsigned short		f_edit_right_margin;
		signed short		f_edit_indent;
		signed short		f_edit_leading;
	}
	string			f_edit_variable_name;
	if(f_edit_has_text) {
		string			f_edit_initial_text;
	}
};

Additional interactivity has been added in V4.0 of the SWF format. This is given by the use of edit boxes offering the end users a way to enter text as if the SWF movie was in fact an interactive form.

The text is defined in a variable (accessible in action scripts). It can be dynamically assigned and retrieved. It is legal to have an empty string as the variable name (not dynamically accessible).

Since version 8, the text drawn by a DefineEditText tag can be tweaked by adding a CSMTextSettings tag.

The f_edit_word_wrap flag will be set to true (1) in order to have words going beyond the ...