How do I make a button invisible?

[Fear_of_AS]

Ok, this question is quite nooby.

I have a series of buttons that I want to cycle through and make them invisible/visible. My code works perfectly fine for making movie clips invisible, but doesn't seem to work for buttons.

(I have a lot more code, but I'll strip away everything else that's irrelevant. here it is: )

[clarification: checkX and crossX are MovieClips. explanationX is the Button. I tried casting it as a movie (I think), but got the following error message on execution:

TypeError: Error #1009: Cannot access a property or method of a null object reference.
at MethodInfo-315()

]

CheckAnswers2.addEventListener(
  MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP,
  function(evt:MouseEvent):void {
  
    if(incomplete!=true){   
        for(i=0; i<5; i++){     
          var target3:MovieClip = getChildByName("check"+(i+1)) as MovieClip;
          var target4:MovieClip = getChildByName("cross"+(i+1)) as MovieClip;
          var target7:MovieClip = getChildByName("explanation"+(i+1)) as MovieClip;
          target4.visible=true;
          target3.visible=false;
          target7.visible=true;
        }
    }
  
  }
);

[senocular]

sounds like you got one of (some?) your naming wrong. Trace your movie clip references and see which ones end up null

[jsimpson]

var target7:MovieClip = getChildByName("explanation"+(i+1)) as MovieClip;

For one if you didn't cast it as a MovieClip in this statement you'd get an error for trying to put something other than a movie clip inside of target7, which is only a movieclip.Try using "target7:Button", and remove the "as MovieClip" from the end of the line. Visible is a property of all display objects so I believe it should work after that.

EDIT: After reading Senocular's post, the error says a null object which means there is something else wrong besides just the type. Check to make sure your names are correct. Try commenting out the loop and make sure the error is inside the loop.

[Fear_of_AS]

senocular:

hmm, beg your pardon? :-)

you mean a typo in the name of the instance? because I double and triple checked all those names (cross/check/explanation).

or some kind of other name?

[Fear_of_AS]

Originally Posted by jsimpson

For one if you didn't cast it as a MovieClip in this statement you'd get an error for trying to put something other than a movie clip inside of target7, which is only a movieclip.Try using "target7:Button", and remove the "as MovieClip" from the end of the line. Visible is a property of all display objects so I believe it should work after that.

Yeah, I just tried it, but the compiler returns (for some unknown to me reason):

1046: Type was not found or was not a compile-time constant: Button.

[jsimpson]

Sorry I just realized the Button class is the class of the button component in the component drop down menu... I'm not sure what the class type is... perhaps try it without defining the type..

var target7= getChildByName("explanation"+(i+1));

[Fear_of_AS]

Originally Posted by jsimpson

Sorry I just realized the Button class is the class of the button component in the component drop down menu... I'm not sure what the class type is... perhaps try it without defining the type..

var target7= getChildByName("explanation"+(i+1));

Great! It works!

Thanks a bundle.