Most common Flash Questions (AS3 FAQ)

When you help out beginners as much as possible each day, you tend to hear the same questions again and again (and again, and again).

Ignoring the fact that when I was little, I used to think FAQ was a bad word (not joking), I have here compiled a few links for threads with the most frequently asked questions in the Kirupa.com ActionScript 3.0 Forums.


TypeError: Error #1009: Cannot access a property or method of a null object reference.
Hands down, with no doubt possible in anyone's mind the absolute #1 error. There are 2 possible causes:

• Error #1009 when preloading another SWF:
  http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showpost...10&postcount=2
  http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=330677
  http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2500293
  http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=333092
• Error #1009 in general:
  http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showpost...21&postcount=2

Duplicating a MovieClip (or at least creating a new version of whatever you pass in)
http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showpost...80&postcount=3
http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=333120
http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=334933 - Didn't realize the "constructor" property was so vulnerable. Nice discussion.


The difference between instance name and library name
http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=333041


The Dictionary Class (Passing in custom variables to Events)
Personally, I really like using it since it allows you to pass in other variables to events such as telling which URLs go to which buttons, so you can use one function for the onClick event.
http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2484903
http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=331118
http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2501990 - Some sample usage


Wow! How can I learn to be a great coder like you?
First of all, I'm good with Logic, but sadly I often use Flash instead, which is often similar, just uglier and meaner.
http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showpost...51&postcount=6 - Some great reading
http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showpost...85&postcount=2 - The Flash and PHP Bible


The advantage of using static properties and functions
I need to dig out an old MSN messenger discussion on this as well. It's on my rediculously long todo list.
http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=334492


The strange way frames work in Flash
http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=325891 - How frames really work. Might need some updating as this was posted early on when I was first learning Flash.
http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=325884 - This guy still owes me a beer


There are plenty more, I just want to avoid digging through all 600+ of my forum posts for the gold nuggets. If anyone finds any more (by me, or anyone else for that matter) comment.