AS3 variable protected functions - actionscript-3

I know that I can create a class and then all my variables will be protected. Then I can insert functions inside this class. But to use these functions I would have to create an object of my class. I don't want to. I want only to use the functions, and they must be variable protected, and importable.

If you don't want to instantiate ("create an object") a class to use it's functions you can make your functions static.
public class MyClass {
public static function myFunction(){
trace("yada!");
}
}
// You call it this way
MyClass.myFunction();
What do you mean with "variable protected" and "importable"?

Related

Run a 'constructor' or function, after class fields initialized, in a sane way?

I'd like to use ES6 public class fields:
class Superclass {
constructor() {
// would like to write modular code that applies to all
// subclasses here, or similarly somewhere in Superclass
this.example++; // does NOT WORK (not intialized)
//e.g. doStuffWith(this.fieldTemplates)
}
}
class Subclass extends Superclass {
example = 0
static fieldTemplates = [
Foo,
function() {this.example++},
etc
]
}
Problem:
ES6 public fields are NOT initialized before the constructors, only before the current constructor. For example, when calling super(), any child field will not yet have been defined, like this.example will not yet exist. Static fields will have already been defined. So for example if one were to execute the code function(){this.example++} with .bind as appropriate, called from the superclass constructor, it would fail.
Workaround:
One workaround would be to put all initialization logic after all ES6 public classes have been properly initialized. For example:
class Subclass extends Superclass {
example = 0
lateConstructor = (function(){
this.example++; // works fine
}).bind(this)()
}
What's the solution?
However, this would involve rewriting every single class. I would like something like this by just defining it in the Superclass.constructor, something magic like Object.defineProperty(this, 'lateConstructor', {some magic}) (Object.defineProperty is allegedly internally how es6 static fields are defined, but I see no such explanation how to achieve this programatically in say the mozilla docs; after using Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor to inspect my above immediately-.binded-and-evaluated cludge I'm inclined to believe there is no way to define a property descriptor as a thunk; the definition is probably executed after returning from super(), that is probably immediately evaluated and assigned to the class like let exampleValue = eval(...); Object.defineProperty(..{value:exampleValue})). Alternatively I could do something horrible like do setTimeout(this.lateConstructor,0) in the Superclass.constructor but that would break many things and not compose well.
I could perhaps try to just use a hierarchy of Objects everywhere instead, but is there some way to implement some global logic for all subclasses in the parent class? Besides making everything lazy with getters? Thanks for any insight.
References:
Run additional action after constructor -- (problems: this requires wrapping all subclasses)
Can I create a thunk to run after the constructor?
No, that is not possible.
How to run code after class fields are initialized, in a sane way?
Put the code in the constructor of the class that defines those fields.
Is there some way to implement some global logic for all subclasses in the parent class?
Yes: define a method. The subclass can call it from its constructor.
Just thought of a workaround (that is hierarchically composable). To answer my own question, in a somewhat unfulfilling way (people should feel free to post better solutions):
// The following illustrates a way to ensure all public class fields have been defined and initialized
// prior to running 'constructor' code. This is achieved by never calling new directly, but instead just
// running Someclass.make(...). All constructor code is instead written in an init(...) function.
class Superclass {
init(opts) { // 'constructor'
this.toRun(); // custom constructor logic example
}
static make() { // the magic that makes everything work
var R = new this();
R.init(...arguments);
return R;
}
}
class Subclass extends Superclass {
subclassValue = 0 // custom public class field example
init(toAdd, opts) { // 'constructor'
// custom constructor logic example
this.subclassValue += toAdd; // may use THIS before super.init
super.init(opts);
// may do stuff afterwards
}
toRun() { // custom public class method example
console.log('.subclassValue = ', this.subclassValue);
}
}
Demo:
> var obj = Subclass.make(1, {});
.subclassValue = 1
> console.log(obj);
Subclass {
subclassValue: 1
__proto__: Superclass
}

Delegated properties inside functions

I don't really understand why we can use delegated properties inside functions. We cannot create properties inside functions because inside functions we can only create variables.
How come is possible creating a delegated property inside a function then?
This line of code is a delegated property inside a function and I don't understand why is that possible.
val scoreFragmentArgs by navArgs<ScoreFragmentArgs>()
It has getters and setters and it doesn't make sense to me
Kotlin Delegates are based on storing the delegate object, and delegating getting/setting of the changes to it. So, it is possible to inline getValue calls when accessing to delegated variable.
For example:
import kotlin.properties.ReadOnlyProperty
import kotlin.reflect.KProperty
object Delegate : ReadOnlyProperty<Any?, Int> {
override fun getValue(thisRef: Any?, property: KProperty<*>): Int = 42
}
fun main() {
val foo by Delegate
println(foo)
}
The main method in Java will look like:
static final KProperty[] $$delegatedProperties = new KProperty[]{(KProperty)Reflection.property0(new PropertyReference0Impl(Reflection.getOrCreateKotlinPackage(MainKt.class, "123"), "foo", "<v#0>"))};
public static void main() {
System.out.println(Delegate.INSTANCE.getValue(null, $$delegatedProperties[0]));
}
As you see, accessing the variable is replaced by calling getValue.

Actionscript : Variable not found from another class' function

I tried doing
trace(classname.functionname.variablename);
//or
trace(classname.functionname().variablename);
Didn't work.. any idea, to get from the classname.as the variable, that's inside a function?
Btw i tried making the function static, still didn't work
Any idea?
There's no way, as those variables that are defined inside a function only live as long as the function is executed, and disappear once there's a return or end of function body. In order to get whatever value you want from a function, make a class variable outside the function, assign it the value you want within that function, and address it from elsewhere.
class test {
public static var foo:Number;
function bar():void {
// ... some code
foo=baz*2.54;
// ... more code
}
}
class elsewhere {
...
trace(test.foo);
...
}
the variables created inside a function are only available in the scope of that function.
if the variables are class member variables (declared public on a class);
public class x {
public var varName:String="";
}
you will be able to access them as
classInstanceRef.varName
needless to say you will need to instantiate from that class an instance.
Unless your variable is declared static on the class
public static varName:String="";
and in that case you can access it using
className.varName;

AS3 - extend a function?

I have an Entity class with a destroy() function.
I also have an Enemy class that extends Entity, and I want to add some lines to the destroy() function.
Is there a way to extend functions in ActionScript 3, or is copy and paste the way to go? Thanks.
You need to mark the method with the override keyword, and from there use the same namespace (public, protected, etc) and name that make up the method you want to override in the class you're extending.
The method must also have the same return type and accept the same arguments
Sample override:
override public function destroy():void
{
// add more code
super.destroy();
}
If you exclude the line which reads super.destroy(), the function within the base class will not be run, and only your new code will be used instead.

AS3 - Retype/Cast an inherited variable permanently in a subclass?

Possibly bad practice but I'm not well versed in software design anyway (I'm sure this question would have been asked before but I can't seem to find the right terminology)...Anyhow, it's just another curiosity of mine I'd like to have answered.
So I have worked in a way where I type a base class variable to type Object or Sprite or something similar so that in my subclasses, I can instantiate my custom classes into them and store it. And when I access it, I just cast that variable to ensure I can access the methods.
Take this example, so that you know what I'm talking about:
public class BaseClass
{
protected var the_holder_var:Object;
public function BaseClass()
{
//Whatever abstract implementation here...
}
}
Now, my subclasses of that base class usually use an interface but for simplicity sake, I'll just write it without it.
public class AnExtendedClass extends BaseClass
{
public function AnExtendedClass()
{
//Instantiate my own class into the base class variable
this.the_holder_var = new ACustomClassOfMine();
//Then I can use the 'hackish' getter function below to
//access the var's functions.
this.holder_var.somefunction()
}
private function get holder_var():ACustomClassOfMine
{
return this.the_holder_var as ACustomClassOfMine;
}
}
This works and I'm sure it will make some ppl cringe (I sometimes cringe at it too).
So now, my question, is there a way to recast/retype that base var in my extended subclass?
kinda like this:
public class ExtendedClass extends BaseClass
{
//Not possible I know, but as a reference to see what I'm asking about
//Just want to change the type....
override protected var the_holder_var:ACustomClassOfMine;
public function ExtendedClass()
{
//Then I can forget about having that hackish getter method.
this.the_holder_var = new ACustomClassOfMine();
this.the_holder_var.somefunction();
}
}
I was thinking of typing most of my base class vars that I use as holders as type * and retyping them as I extend the class. (I could use it here too but yeah...)
Thoughts? Comments? Ideas?
I actually think your code (apart from the hypothetical addition at the end) is pretty alright. The practise of adding accessors to solve the type issue you're dealing with is a solid one. I would advise to rename the accessor to show it is a cast, maybe get holderVarAsCustom():ACustomClassOfMine (I'm also not a big fan of the underscores, that's another language's convention), but that's personal preference. What I'd do to solve your last problem is just create a matching setter function:
private function set holderVarAsCustom(value:ACustomClassOfMine):void {
this.the_holder_var = value;
}
This way you can access the correctly typed holder var for both read and write operations with complete type safety:
holderVarAsCustom = new ACustomClassOfMine();
holderVarAsCustom.someFunction();
I would definately advise against dropping the type safety by including arrays and what not, that just makes it unstable.
I must admit that i'm a little confused as to why you want to do this, but here goes. Could you not utilise the fact that Array's can hold different data types. So something like this:
public class BaseClass
{
protected var customStorage:Array;
public function BaseClass()
{
//Whatever abstract implementation here...
}
}
You could then access it with an associative method and a property:
public class AnExtendedClass extends BaseClass
{
private static const myName:String = "myName";
public function AnExtendedClass()
{
//Instantiate my own class into the base class variable
customStorage[myName] = new ACustomClassOfMine();
objectIWant.somefunction()
}
private function get objectIWant():ACustomClassOfMine
{
return ACustomClassOfMine(customStorage[myName]);
}
}
Is that any better?
I would not try to tinker this behaviour, since you can't change the declared type of a variable once declared, no matter how hard you try.
What I do in such cases, I either cast the variable if I use it sparingly or the object it references may change, or I add another variable with the type I want and let the other variable point to the new one. Like this:
public class A {
protected var object:Object;
public function A() {
//Whatever abstract implementation here...
}
}
and
public class B extends A {
protected var other:MyClass;
public function B() {
super();
this.other = new MyClass();
this.object = this.other;
}
}
Having it this way, class A uses the object via the this.object reference, and class B can use the this.other or both. But both references point to the same object. The only issues with this are:
having two references for in the same class to the same object is ugly (so are untyped variables and casts)
if the object one of them may point can change during runtime, you must be really carefull to synchronize these changes