ActionScript Error 1047: Parameter initializer unknown or is not a compile-time constant.ActionScript Error 1047

Description:
Let’s break down ActionScript Error 1047 into it’s various parts.

1. Parameter = The variable inside the parenthesis of a function
2. Initializer = An initial value set on the parameter inside the parenthesis
3. Compile-time Constant = Something Flash knows the value of without evaluating
   

So long story short – you are trying to assign a value to a parameter that has to be evaluated.  Still don’t know what I mean?  Check the code examples.

This is actually a really great feature of AS3.  Say for example you have an event listener that calls a function.  You also want to call this same function without the event. Unless you pass a value in you will get AS3 Error 1136.  AS3 allows you to set the Event parameter to null and therefore accept a call to that function without passing in a parameter.  function myUtilFunc( e:Event = null);

You can initialize and function with any Compile time constant for example a string like “Happy”, a constant like null or an int like 5 but you can not throw in anything that needs to be evaluated like a variable, math operation, an in-line array like [a,b,c] or date.

Flex / Flash Error #1047 Fix:
Remove any variable data and use only constants in the initializer such as Strings, Numbers, Null, etc…

Bad Code:

var init:String = “Happy”
function bob(someValue:String = init){
trace(someValue);
}

Good Code:

function bob(someValue:String = “Happy”){
trace(someValue);
}

or

function multiFunction(e:Event = null){
//doSomething;
}

Related Errors:

AS3 Error 1184

This should help you resolve Flex / Flash Error #1047

Thanks and as always Happy Flashing

Curtis J. Morley

AS3 Compiler Error #1023: Incompatible override.

AS3 Error 1023 Description:

This ActionScript error is the most terse error that AS3 has provided us.  It is nothing like the beautiful description of AS3 Warning 1090

It popped up, rearing it’s ugly head like a teenager on Halloween. In most cases this error has more to do with AS3 Error 1021 than it does with an “Incompatible override”.   The first example below demonstrates this behavior. Example 1 will also give AS3 Error 1021 every time.

The second example is when an “Incompatible override” really is the reason.  Method signatures have to match or you will get this error.  Basically it means that you have not matched everything up properly from the method/Class that you are overriding.  So if you are overriding something that accepts events and you forget to put in events you will get this error.  If you give it a different Type you will get this error. Etc…

Adobe gives a good explanation of my second example.  They say:

“A function marked override must exactly match the parameter and return type declaration of the function it is overriding. It must have the same number of parameters, each of the same type, and declare the same return type. If any of the parameters are optional, that must match as well. Both functions must use the same access specifier (public, private, and so on) or namespace attribute as well.”

Flex / Flash Error #1023 Fix:

Make sure that you do not have duplicate names with an object and a function

or

Match the Method Signature of the soon to be overridden class.

Bad Code 1:

var myArray:Array = [1,2,3];

function myArray () {
}

Good Code 1:

var myArray:Array = [1,2,3];

function myArrayFunction () {
}

Bad Code 2:

override protected function draw(event:Event = null):void

Good Code 2:

override protected function draw(event:Event):void

Related Errors:

AS3 Error 3596
AS3 Error 1021
AS3 Error 1023 (Different error same number)

This should help you resolve Flex / Flash Warning #1023

Thanks and as always Happy Flashing

Curtis J. Morley

AS3 Compiler Error# 1021: Duplicate function definition..

AS3 Error 1023 Description:

This ActionScript error is the most terse error that AS3 has provided us.  It is nothing like AS3 Warning 1090 It popped up, rearing it’s ugly head like a teenager on Halloween. In most cases this error has more to do with AS3 Error 1021 than it does with an incompatible override.  Sometimes it realy does mean that you have an override that is incompatible but many times it just means that you have a function that is named the same as

Flex / Flash Error #1021 Fix:

Do exactly what the message says use an event listener instead of the onRelease event that was common in AS2.

Bad Code 1:

function bob () {
}

function bob () {
}

Good Code 1:

function bob () {
}

function jim () {
}

Bad Code 2:

var myArray:Array = [1,2,3];

function myArray () {
}

Good Code 2:

var myArray:Array = [1,2,3];

function myArrayFunction () {
}

Related Errors:

AS3 Error 3596
AS3 Compiler Error 1023
AS3 Error 1023 (Different error same number.  This one has nothing to do with error 1021)

This should help you resolve Flex / Flash Warning #1021

Thanks and as always Happy Flashing

Curtis J. Morley