Comments on: Scoping Issues in Flex 2.0 Beta 3

By: Josh Tynjala

Josh Tynjala — Thu, 22 May 2008 23:45:43 +0000

The ECMAScript 4 specification defines a let keyword that may be used instead of var. This new keyword will allow you to keep scope inside a block rather than at the function level. Stayed tuned for it in a future update to ActionScript!

By: fekke

fekke — Thu, 22 May 2008 23:43:18 +0000

It totally sucks! A closing brace should always be the end of a scope, period.

By: Josh Tynjala

Josh Tynjala — Thu, 11 May 2006 00:32:17 +0000

Thanks Ely, good to know.

I’m used to the idea of any {} block making a new scope. I know of some developers that will force a limited scope in other languages by just building an artificial block around a section of code. I suppose it would be a good way to force a garbage collection in C# or Java.

By: Ely Greenfield

Ely Greenfield — Thu, 11 May 2006 00:07:10 +0000

Actually, it’s not a bug. ECMAScript3 (Javascript, AS1) doesn’t support block level scoping, and ECMAScript4 (AS3) needs to be backwards compatible with it. So AS3 doesn’t have block level scoping. Which means that all variables declared inside a function are visible anywhere in the function. So you can’t declare the same variable twice with different types.

By: Josh Tynjala

Josh Tynjala — Thu, 11 May 2006 00:05:35 +0000

I made a similar function in MTASC, except I declared i as a String the second time. No errors. The if and else blocks should be different scopes, or at least that’s how other languages work.

By: JesterXL

JesterXL — Wed, 10 May 2006 23:57:13 +0000

MTASC would bitch for the same reason in AS2. Basically, can’t re-declare the variable of the same name again, let alone to a different datatype. Although you and I see it as a different scope, the compiler see’s it as a function block with 2 local variables defined twice, which can you’d do.

Submit the bug at the appropriate forum at labs.adobe.com.