Adding a Shape inside a Rectangle

[Raabi]

Hello!

Experimenting with adding a square shape inside a rectangle, in the following code, the compiler bounced the error:
"Call to a possibly undefined method addChild through a reference with static type flash.display:Shape".

package
{
      import flash.display.Sprite; 
      import flash.display.Shape; 
	
      public class Shapes extends Sprite
     {
          public function Shapes()
         { 
             var rect: Shape = new Shape(); 
             rect.graphics.lineStyle(2, 0xFF6600);
             rect.graphics.beginFill(0xFFCC00, 1);
             rect.graphics.drawRect(25, 75, 175, 75);
             rect.graphics.endFill();
             addChild(rect); 
			
             var square: Shape = new Shape();
             square.graphics.lineStyle(4, 0xFF66CC);
             square.graphics.beginFill(0x990066);
             square.graphics.drawRect(250, 35, 75, 75);
             square.graphics.endFill();
          //the following statement cause the error.
            rect.addChild(square); 
        }
   }
}

It simply smashed my faith that addChild() method applies to every type of shape. Would anybody kindly rectify my mistake, please!

[ASWC]

var rect: Sprite = new Sprite();

Shape are not capable of having nested DisplayObjects.

[Raabi]

Thanks ASWC for your attention and the working tip. However, I want to avail this opportunity to clear some of my confustions:

• Is Shape Not a Container? If it is, then why is this restriction?
• Why many AS3 features seem challenging the common sense. Do such restrictions have to memorized; or there are some rules clearly defined for such situations.

I hope, my confusions will be addressed; because I feel quite frustrated when for every different situation, I have to revert to the forum.

[Raabi]

Further to my previous query, Sprite also produces the same error, as with Shape.

[ASWC]

Shape is a very basic DisplayObject and cannot contain other DisplayObjects. It has also a very limited interactive capability. It is meant to provide a simple canvas to draw into while saving resources.
Sprite can contains other DisplayObjects and is fully interactive.
Loader can contain other DisplayObjects and is fully interactive and you can also load external pictures/swfs into it.
Finally MovieClip can contain other DisplayObject, is fully interactive and has also a timeline.
You shouldn't get the same error when using Sprite so if you still have the error then something's wrong with your code.

[Raabi]

Thanks again for the explanation. Let me look into the code to find the bug.

Have a good time.