Get composed MovieClip's containing (parent) class after event - actionscript-3

Question

I have a MovieClip that is composed in a parent (non-display object) class. We register an event listener against that movieclip - a CLICK handler for example.
With event.target I can get a reference to the MovieClip from within the event handler. But how can I pull a reference to its composing class?
I could simply add a "parentClass" property on the dynamic MovieClip class, but I'm wondering if there's a more elegant/idiomatic way of doing it that I should consider?

Answer 1

If the class that creates your MovieClip is not a display object then it cannot really be considered its parent. The parent element will be that which your MovieClip is attached to. All that the creating class contains is a reference to an object, just the same as if you then refer to the MovieClip elsewhere.
My preferred way would be to create a descendant class of MovieClip that can contain a reference to the creating class, which you would then use instead of MovieClip.
package {
import flash.display.MovieClip;
public class MovieClipWithRef extends MovieClip
{
private var _parentRef:Object; //obviously cast this as accurately as possible
public function MovieClipWithRef($ref:Object):void
{
_parentRef = $ref;
}
public function get parentRef():Object
{
return _parentRef;
}
//no setter makes this property read-only once set by the constructor
}
}

Answer 2

This answer is essentially the same as shanethehat's answer but also incorporates the composite design pattern. Look at the following example:
ICompositeObject.as:
package com.flashdevelopprojects.patterns.composite
{
public interface ICompositeObject
{
function get parentObject():Object
}// end interface
}// end package
CompositeObject.as:
package com.flashdevelopprojects.patterns.composite
{
public class CompositeObject implements ICompositeObject
{
private var _parentObject:Object;
public function get parentObject():Object { return _parentObject }
public function CompositeObject(parentObject:Object)
{
_parentObject = parentObject;
}// end function
}// end class
}// end package
Main.as(document class):
package
{
import com.flashdevelopprojects.patterns.composite.CompositeObject;
import com.flashdevelopprojects.patterns.composite.ICompositeObject;
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.events.Event;
public class Main extends Sprite
{
public function Main():void
{
if (stage) init();
else addEventListener(Event.ADDED_TO_STAGE, init);
}// end function
private function init(e:Event = null):void
{
removeEventListener(Event.ADDED_TO_STAGE, init);
var a:A = new A();
a.b.addEventListener(Event.ADDED_TO_STAGE, onBAddedToStage);
addChild(a.b);
}// end function
public function onBAddedToStage(e:Event):void
{
var b:ICompositeObject = ICompositeObject(e.target);
trace(b.parentObject); // output: A
}// end function
}// end class
}// end package
import com.flashdevelopprojects.patterns.composite.CompositeObject;
import com.flashdevelopprojects.patterns.composite.ICompositeObject;
import flash.display.MovieClip;
internal class A
{
private var _b:B;
public function get b():B { return _b }
public function A()
{
_b = new B(this);
}// end function
public function toString():String { return "A" }
}// end class
internal class B extends MovieClip implements ICompositeObject
{
private var _compositeObject:CompositeObject;
public function get parentObject():Object { return _compositeObject.parentObject }
public function B(parentObject:Object)
{
_compositeObject = new CompositeObject(parentObject);
}// end function
}// end class