Label/TextArea

[red penguin]

Can anyone tell me/give me some good reasons why I would want to use the Label Component as opposed to a simple textField? I am building a small interface that needs a textField for the main text as well as a field for the title and several of the other components (RadioButton, CheckBox, etc...).

And now I am faced with:
Do I use the things I know (ie: regular dynamic textFields and the like) or go for using the Label and TextArea UI Components (and perhaps some other new ones)?

Any input would be valuable in the next stage (after building the parser!)

Thanks one and all!
-red

[fgf]

I can give you reasons not use it.

massive overheads.

Components can cripple slower machines (even in the authoring evironement).

If you don't need a function it provides just avoid it.

I often do low fat radios etc just to keep the cpu strain down.

(if you think i'm joking make 10 movieclips each with 10 componments and place em all on the stage in one frame and try and do anything in the IDE on a 500mhz machine)


fgf

[Mortimer Jazz]

Isn't it all to do with data-binding? (something which might be quite cool, if Macromedia had thought to include some decent documentation - I've seen the dev tutorial which wasn't enough to make me feel confident enough to stride off and start using databinding for anything major)

MM's take on the whole component size thing is "Sure, they're big if you use just one, but each successive component added has less overhead". Unfortunately in most circumstances so far I've been in situations where I only want to use one or two components. I wrote a dynamic scrollbar today - 2Kb I tell ya!

As for being CPU intensive I hadn't noticed to any major extent on my machine but I can well believe it.

[Mortimer Jazz]

oh, and Red - should really post these in the components forum so we can all ignore em ;)

[farafiro]

No good reason for using it instead of regular one except seeing you around here
;)

[fgf]

The overheads really mount when you use many components. They also mount in unfortunate ways.

if you place a bunch of radios on a frame and then flick back and forward to that frame (going to a frame where the radios don't exist) the frame will take longer and longer to initialise. I managed to get it up to 12 seconds before i got bored.

components basically suk unless you really need them. What they are useful for is saving dev time at the expense of swf performance. If some one is willing to pay the cost for custom work it will lead to a better product. Cost benefit assement really. In this case it seems clear cut that components are not needed.

fgf

[Mortimer Jazz]

Hmm, yes I remember threads about that exact problem with earlier versions of Flash components.
I think there may have been a solution posted about how to resolve it, but can't remember what it was - damn!

[farafiro]

so, it's true then
u r getting older Mort

[Mortimer Jazz]

hmphh!

:)

[red penguin]

Thanks for the input all. I have opted out for now to use these particular 2 but will be using the radioButton/checkBox/List...

We'll see how it all goes.

On an unrelated note, anyone know where I should start with the DepthManager? Perhaps I should post this elsewhere?

[Mortimer Jazz]

Not sure. Haven't used it. Do you have a particular use in mind or just playin?

[red penguin]

Well, I am attaching these Components according to some external data, if I haven't said that before, and now I am finding it a tedious task with all these RB's and CB's. I've gotten around it for now by creating empty clips and using seperate ones for each component.

But...I'm thinking that iI should look into this Depth Mgr thingy sooner or later...

Will post on that when the time comes.

Thanks.

[farafiro]

hey RED
have u read/downloaded the "Using Components" pdf file that comes with Flash MX 2004, or from MM's site??
boring but usefull

[red penguin]

I've only used the HELP in Flash and am finding some inconsistencies....

[Mortimer Jazz]

It's worth checking the livedocs on MM's site. too
There are very few contributions at the moment because it's so new. I've started posting the any errors and oddities I find up there. If livedocs end up being anywhere near as good as the php manual it will be a total bonus for us all :)

[farafiro]

the livedocs
but it's very slow