Flex Examples » getDefinitionByName() http://blog.flexexamples.com Just a bunch of Adobe Flex Examples Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:09:51 +0000 en hourly 1 Inspecting the properties in a class using the describeType() method and E4X/XML http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/09/19/inspecting-the-properties-in-a-class-using-the-describetype-method-and-e4xxml/ http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/09/19/inspecting-the-properties-in-a-class-using-the-describetype-method-and-e4xxml/#comments Sat, 20 Sep 2008 05:37:18 +0000 Peter deHaan http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/09/19/inspecting-the-properties-in-a-class-using-the-describetype-method-and-e4xxml/ The following example shows how you can use the describeType() method to inspect a class’s accessor methods.

Full code after the jump.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <!-- http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/09/19/inspecting-the-properties-in-a-class-using-the-describetype-method-and-e4xxml/ --> <mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" layout="vertical" verticalAlign="middle" backgroundColor="white" initialize="init();"> <mx:Script> <![CDATA[ import flash.utils.getDefinitionByName; import mx.collections.Sort; import mx.collections.SortField; import mx.collections.XMLListCollection; import mx.controls.*; import mx.utils.StringUtil; import mx.utils.ObjectUtil; [Embed("bullet_red.png")] private const WRITE_ONLY_ICON:Class; [...]]]> The following example shows how you can use the describeType() method to inspect a class’s accessor methods.

Full code after the jump.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/09/19/inspecting-the-properties-in-a-class-using-the-describetype-method-and-e4xxml/ -->
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
        layout="vertical"
        verticalAlign="middle"
        backgroundColor="white"
        initialize="init();">

    <mx:Script>
        <![CDATA[
            import flash.utils.getDefinitionByName;

            import mx.collections.Sort;
            import mx.collections.SortField;
            import mx.collections.XMLListCollection;
            import mx.controls.*;
            import mx.utils.StringUtil;
            import mx.utils.ObjectUtil;

            [Embed("bullet_red.png")]
            private const WRITE_ONLY_ICON:Class;

            [Embed("bullet_yellow.png")]
            private const READ_ONLY_ICON:Class;

            [Embed("bullet_green.png")]
            private const READ_WRITE_ICON:Class;

            private var theXML:XML;
            private var theXMLList:XMLList;
            private var theXMLListColl:XMLListCollection;

            private function init():void {
                var theSortField:SortField = new SortField("@name", true);
                var theSort:Sort = new Sort();
                theSort.fields = [theSortField];

                // var theXML:XML = describeType(getDefinitionByName("mx.controls.Alert"));
                theXML = describeType(Label);
                theXMLList = theXML.factory.accessor.(@declaredBy == theXML.@name);
                theXMLListColl = new XMLListCollection(theXMLList);
                theXMLListColl.sort = theSort;
                theXMLListColl.refresh();
                list.dataProvider = theXMLListColl;
                panel.title = "Accessor methods for the " + theXML.@name + " class:"
            }

            private function list_labelFunc(item:XML):String {
                var itemName:String = item.@name;
                var itemType:String = item.@type.split("::").pop();
                return StringUtil.substitute("{0} : {1}",
                            itemName,
                            itemType);
            }

            private function list_iconFunc(item:XML):Class {
                var access:String = item.@access;
                switch (access) {
                    case "readwrite":
                        return READ_WRITE_ICON;
                        break;
                    case "readonly":
                        return READ_ONLY_ICON;
                        break;
                    case "writeonly":
                        return WRITE_ONLY_ICON;
                        break;
                    default:
                        break;
                }
                return null;
            }
        ]]>
    </mx:Script>

    <mx:Panel id="panel" width="350">
        <mx:List id="list"
                labelFunction="list_labelFunc"
                iconFunction="list_iconFunc"
                verticalScrollPolicy="on"
                width="100%"
                itemClick="Alert.show(list.selectedItem.toXMLString());" />

        <mx:ControlBar>
            <mx:Button label="Read/Write" icon="{READ_WRITE_ICON}" skin="{null}" />
            <mx:Button label="Read Only" icon="{READ_ONLY_ICON}" skin="{null}" />
            <mx:Button label="Write Only" icon="{WRITE_ONLY_ICON}" skin="{null}" />
        </mx:ControlBar>
    </mx:Panel>

</mx:Application>
 
]]> http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/09/19/inspecting-the-properties-in-a-class-using-the-describetype-method-and-e4xxml/feed/ 2 Creating a component instance by class name in ActionScript 3.0 http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/08/28/creating-a-component-instance-by-class-name-in-actionscript-30/ http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/08/28/creating-a-component-instance-by-class-name-in-actionscript-30/#comments Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:49:44 +0000 Peter deHaan http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/08/28/creating-a-component-instance-by-class-name-in-actionscript-30/ The following example shows how you can create a new Flex component instance by using its class name by calling the getDefintionByName() method.

Full code after the jump.

In the following example, note that we must include a reference to each of the components we may need to create at runtime in a [...]]]> The following example shows how you can create a new Flex component instance by using its class name by calling the getDefintionByName() method.

Full code after the jump.

In the following example, note that we must include a reference to each of the components we may need to create at runtime in a variable, dummyArr. This way, the components we need are compiled in to the SWF so they can be created at runtime.

View MXML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/08/28/creating-a-component-instance-by-class-name-in-actionscript-30/ -->
<mx:Application name="getDefinitionByName_test"
        xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
        layout="vertical"
        verticalAlign="middle"
        backgroundColor="white">

    <mx:Script>
        <![CDATA[
            import mx.core.UIComponent;
            import flash.utils.getDefinitionByName;
            import mx.controls.*;

            /**
             * Create references to component classes so the classes get
             * included in the SWF document.
             */
            private var dummyArr:Array = [Button, CheckBox, ComboBox,
                                            List, TextInput, TextArea];

            private function createBtn_click(evt:MouseEvent):void {
                var className:String = comboBox.selectedItem.toString();
                // Convert class name to Class object.
                var cls:Class = getDefinitionByName(className) as Class;

                // Create a new instance of the class.
                var instance:UIComponent = new cls();
                if (instance) {
                    switch (instance.className) {
                        case "Button":
                            Button(instance).label = "I am a Button";
                            break;
                        case "CheckBox":
                            CheckBox(instance).label = "I am a CheckBox";
                            break;
                        case "ComboBox":
                            ComboBox(instance).dataProvider = ["I am a ComboBox"];
                            break;
                        case "List":
                            List(instance).dataProvider = ["I am a List"];
                            instance.width = 100;
                            break;
                        case "TextInput":
                            TextInput(instance).text = "I am a TextInput";
                            break;
                        case "TextArea":
                            TextArea(instance).text = "I am a TextArea";
                            break;
                    }

                    // Remove all children and add new child.
                    canvas.removeAllChildren();
                    canvas.addChild(instance);
                }
            }
        ]]>
    </mx:Script>

    <mx:ApplicationControlBar dock="true">
        <mx:Form styleName="plain"
                defaultButton="{createBtn}">
            <mx:FormItem label="Class:"
                    direction="horizontal">
                <mx:ComboBox id="comboBox">
                    <mx:dataProvider>
                        <mx:Array>
                            <mx:String>mx.controls.Button</mx:String>
                            <mx:String>mx.controls.CheckBox</mx:String>
                            <mx:String>mx.controls.ComboBox</mx:String>
                            <mx:String>mx.controls.List</mx:String>
                            <mx:String>mx.controls.TextInput</mx:String>
                            <mx:String>mx.controls.TextArea</mx:String>
                        </mx:Array>
                    </mx:dataProvider>
                </mx:ComboBox>
                <mx:Button id="createBtn"
                        label="Create"
                        click="createBtn_click(event);" />
            </mx:FormItem>
        </mx:Form>
    </mx:ApplicationControlBar>

    <mx:Canvas id="canvas"
            horizontalCenter="0"
            verticalCenter="0" />

</mx:Application>

View source is enabled in the following example.

 
]]> http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/08/28/creating-a-component-instance-by-class-name-in-actionscript-30/feed/ 10