Global Variables (I know, jeez), ScrollPane, and 1 measly button.

[millmoss]

Good Lord, I went through every thread on global variables on this site. I do understand how global variables are set, and I understand that to update a global variable, you need to use the _global. For some ungodly reason, my variables are behaving badly, and while the file I am using this in is huge, I made a small manageable sample for you guys to look at. This is for an elearning software simulation.

The specifics:

1. I have a form which resides in a scroll pane.

2. Those fields in the form will need to be stored as global variables.

3. The only way I've been able to pass anything at all, is to define the input fields in the forms as _root.whatever. This is in the variable field rather than the instance name.

4. When the user clicks the submit button, my goal was to have all of the _root variables entered in the form go to _global so that I could access them in other nested movie clips. In the sample, this is passing the _root.citationName to the _global value of cName.

5. The trace on cName says that it's set up properly. Doesn't seem to be working though.

Thanks in advance for any light you can shine on my current darkness.

Jeremy

[emergency_pants]

I don't see anything wrong with the function accessing the _global or the button accessing the _global function. The trace displays the scrollpane text fine! Which suggests its a problem with the textfields.

The problem with your textfields not showing the variable is that they do not have the correct variable entered in the properties box.

I suggest not using the properties box for displaying variable dynamic text in your textfields. I tend to avoid it exactly because of the problem you are having. Instead, try naming your textfields and assigning the text to them instead. It makes for a few more lines of script, but it does mean that all your dynamic text assignments are explicitly placed inside your code, instead of hiding inside textfield property boxes.

//initialize the variable
_global.cName_str;
//function for the button to make the global variable equal to the root
_global.myclick = function() {
    _global.cName = _root.citationName;
    trace(_global.cName);
    //display the text in the textfields
    //NB:  Make sure the textfield instances are named
    txtInRoot.text = _global.cName;
    home.txtInClip.text = _global.cName;
    //  trace(_root.citationName);
};
stop();

I hope that helps.

[millmoss]

So at least I know that I'm not crazy now. Thanks a ton Simon! Doesn't it seem like that properties box should work like that? Or am I just not thinking about it the right way. Regardless, with all the questions on this message board, it seems like someone at Macromedia needed to take just a few more paragraphs in the documentation.

Anyway, I really, really appreciate the help.

Jeremy

[emergency_pants]

yeah.. the var: box in the properties window IS supposed to work like that, so you weren't wrong in assuming the text should show. Except that sometimes I find that the variable text doesn't show Especially if the variable is not on the same timeline as the textfield or if it's a _global variable. It seems to be inflexible & best avoided unless its a simple movie and you want to save some time

Glad it helped, anyway.