Category Archives: Error

This is the place to find all of your Flex Errors and ActionScript Errors.

Flex 2 / Flash CS3 Syntax Error #1100

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Error #1100: Syntax error: XML does not have matching begin and end tags.

Description:
Here is another easy AS3 error. This Flex/Flash Error means that your XML is not valid because the end tag is simply missing or you left off the end slash (/). *Note: This AS3 error is similar to ActionScript Error #1085

Solution:
Close that end tag.

Bad Code 1

var dogXML:XML =
<dog>
<name>Fido
</dog>

or

var dogXML:XML = new XML();
dogXML =
<dog>
<name>Fido<name>
</dog>

Good Code

var dogXML:XML = new XML();
dogXML =
<dog>
<name>Fido</name>
</dog>

Related Errors:
ActionScript Error #1085

I hope this helps you solve ActionScript Error #1100

As Always Happy Flashing

Curtis J. Morley

Flash CS6 / Flex Error #1009: Cannot access a property or method of a null object reference

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TypeError: Error #1009: Cannot access a property or method of a null object reference

ActionScript 3 Error #1009 is an AS3 that you can get for many anecdotal reasons. This error basically means that you are trying to reference something that isn’t there yet. That something can be a variable, data from the server, or even a movieClip or other display instance. So if you try and make a call to something and are getting this error simply look at what you are trying to reference and ask yourself is it there yet.
Don’t bang your head against the wall any longer. Here I explain one of the most un-obvious ways to get this error.

One reason that you will get AS3 Error #1009 is because you are trying to access a movieClip that isn’t instantiated yet. For example you try and reference a movieClip named loader_mc that is inside another movieClip. you are referencing it from a class that you created. Each time you run the test the movie you get the Run-Time Error #1009. You look inside your movieClip and see that the loader_mc is right where you want it. It is on frame 10 inside your animated moveiClip. That is when it dawns on you that the call to loader_mc happens when it is instantiated. Simply, put loader_mc on frame 1 and change it’s alpha to 0 and then the movieClip will be instantiated when the call from your custom class is made.

Another reason for this error is simply incorrect targeting. If you target parent.bob and the correct reference is parent.parent.bob then you will get this error as well.

Fix 1 :

Make sure the the reference is instantiated before it is called.  This means that the script is run after the object is loaded or the frame in the animation has been reached etc…

Fix 2 :

Check your targeting

Thanks and Happy Flashing

Flash CS3 / Flex 2 / AS3 Error #1176

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Flash CS3 / Flex 2 / AS3 Error #1176: Comparison between a value with static type String and a possibly unrelated type int.

Problem:
Flash won’t compile because it doesn’t like to compare an int with a String.

Fix:
Thank heavens for Strict Typing. Without it we wouldn’t get such nice errors. Just change the type from an “int” to a String and you will be on your way.  If you need it to really be an int then you can cast the second variable to be an int rather than a String. See code example below

Bad Code:

var dropNum:int;function bob():void
{
var myText:String = “2”;
var curNum:String = “3”;
dropNum = myText.substr(0,1);
if (curNum == dropNum) {
someCode();
}
}

Good Code:

var dropNum:String;

function bob():void
{
var myText:String = “2”;
var curNum:String = “3”;
dropNum = myText.substr(0,1);
if (curNum == dropNum) {
someCode();
}
}

or

var dropNum:int;

function bob():void
{
var myText:String = “2”;
var curNum:int = 3;

dropNum = Number(myText.substr(0,1));
if (curNum == dropNum) {
someCode();
}

Hope this helps solve ActionScript Error 1176 and Happy Flashing

Curtis J. Morley