AS3 | How to use var for name? - actionscript-3

Question

My code is:
for (var i:int=1; i <= 12; i++) {
MovieClip(getChildByName('mouse' + '_' + i)).addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, chooseTool);
}
function chooseTool(e:MouseEvent):void {
Mouse.hide();
var cursor:MovieClip = new "here is e.target.name"();
addChild(cursor);
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_MOVE, follow);
}
function follow(e:MouseEvent):void {
cursor.x=mouseX;
cursor.y=mouseY;
}
How to use "e.target.name" for name ?
Should become something like:
1) Click on button with name mouse_4
2) Function chooseTool create new MovieClip with name mouse_4();
example: var cursor:MovieClip = new mouse_4();

Answer 1

You can do it by using getDefinitionByName (Adobe documentation: getDefinitionByName)
for (var i:int=1; i <= 12; i++) {
MovieClip(getChildByName('mouse' + '_' + i)).addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, chooseTool);
}
function chooseTool(e:MouseEvent):void {
Mouse.hide();
var o:Object = getDefinitionByName(e.target.name);
// ^ Gets a reference to the class object based on a string
if(o == null) throw new Error("Unable to find class " + e.target.name);
var c:Class = o as Class;
var cursor:MovieClip = new c() as MovieClip;
addChild(cursor);
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_MOVE, follow);
}
function follow(e:MouseEvent):void {
cursor.x=mouseX;
cursor.y=mouseY;
}
But this feels very ill structured way of doing it. Instead I would use a factory method (Factory pattern on Wikipedia)
for (var i:int=1; i <= 12; i++) {
MovieClip(getChildByName('mouse' + '_' + i)).addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, chooseTool);
}
function chooseTool(e:MouseEvent):void {
Mouse.hide();
var cursor:MovieClip = getCursor(e.target);
addChild(cursor);
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_MOVE, follow);
}
function follow(e:MouseEvent):void {
cursor.x=mouseX;
cursor.y=mouseY;
}
function getCursor(target:MovieClip):MovieClip
{
switch(target.name)
{
case "cursor_4":
return new cursor_4();
default:
return new default_mouse();
}
}

Answer 2

You can't do it like that. That is not realy a name would be a new class/type. The solution is to extend the MovieClip and pass that name as a parameter . I do not know what you want to achieve but this is a good way to start.
class MyClip extends MovieClip
{
public var name:String="";
public function MyClip(name:String)
{
super();
this.name=name;
}
}
}
The code will look something like that and you can add all the logic related with this type inside this class.

Answer 3

You can't Instantiate like this new "e.target.name"();
But if you want to take the reference of target,you can try this.
var cursor:MovieClip =e.target as MovieClip;
you cannot modify the name property of cursor.