Creating Simple ActionScript 2.0 Classes - Page 3

Testing The Class Path:

So before we get into detail about creating classes, lets create a very simple class just to test that Flash is indeed looking for classes in the class path we just added.

Creating a Test Class:

1. In Flash go to File>>New.
2. In the New Document Dialog Select ActionScript File.
   
3. Click OK.
4. Place the following code into the document:
   class TestClass{
   function TestClass(){
   trace ("New Test Class")
   }
   }
5. Save the file in the folder that you added as a class path (in my example C:\asclasses) as TestClass.as.
   
   Note: Make sure that the class name, function name and file name are exactly the same case and all (TestClass), otherwise flash won't be able to find and execute the file.
6. Create a new blank Flash Document.
7. In this new document in frame 1 of the layer that gets created for you, place
   var test = new TestClass();
8. Test the movie.

If everything is set up correctly, you should see "New Test Class" in the output window. If you do not, check the following:

1. Go back to the ActionScript Preferences and make sure that the class path you added is there and points to the correct folder.
2. Make sure that when you created the TestClass.as file that the class name, function name and file name all match exactly.
3. Make sure that you saved the TestClass.as file in the class path folder you created.

So at this point I will assume that you have everything set up. Before we move on do the following:

1. Close the TestClass.as file (and delete it from your class folder on your hard drive in windows explorer if you like as we will do nothing further with it).
2. Remove the ActionScript from frame 1 of the blank Flash document you created (the var test = new TestClass() code).
3. Save the blank Flash document as class_basics.fla.

Now on to creating some simple classes...