Structs in ActionScript
Structs in ActionScript
Actionscript’s Object
class provides a way to create data structures similar to structs. Below is a translation and explanation of the provided example.
Creating a Struct-Like Object
package {
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.text.TextField;
public class Main extends Sprite {
public function Main() {
// Creating a new struct-like object for person
var person:Object = {
name: "Bob",
age: 20
};
trace(person.name + " " + person.age);
// Naming fields when initializing
var person2:Object = {
name: "Alice",
age: 30
};
trace(person2.name + " " + person2.age);
// Omitted fields will be undefined
var person3:Object = {
name: "Fred"
};
trace(person3.name + " " + person3.age);
// Creating a pointer is not applicable in ActionScript, but accessing reference
var person4:Object = {
name: "Ann",
age: 40
};
trace(person4.name + " " + person4.age);
// Using a factory function to create new struct-like objects
var newPerson:Object = createPerson("Jon");
trace(newPerson.name + " " + newPerson.age);
// Accessing struct fields with a dot
var s:Object = {
name: "Sean",
age: 50
};
trace(s.name);
trace(s.age);
// Structs are mutable
s.age = 51;
trace(s.age);
// Using an anonymous struct-like object
var dog:Object = {
name: "Rex",
isGood: true
};
trace(dog.name + " " + dog.isGood);
}
private function createPerson(name:String):Object {
var p:Object = {
name: name,
age: 42
};
return p;
}
}
}
Explanation
Creating a New Object: In ActionScript, an object can be created using the
Object
class. This is somewhat similar to a struct in other languages.Object Fields Initialization: You can initialize fields when setting up an object, just like structs. If fields are omitted, they will be
undefined
.Factory Function: A common idiom is to use a factory function to create objects. This is similar to using a constructor function in languages that support structs.
Accessing Fields: Fields of objects can be accessed using the dot
.
operator. Objects in ActionScript are mutable, meaning their fields can be changed after creation.Anonymous Objects: It is possible to create anonymous objects without giving them a specific type name. This is often used in table-driven tests or similar situations.
Running the Code
To run this ActionScript code, you will need to set up an environment that supports ActionScript 3.0 (e.g., Adobe Flash Professional or Apache Flex SDK). The output will be displayed in the console or traced output depending on your setup.