Getting Dynamic Text Line Count [Archive]

falltime

April 7th, 2006, 07:49 AM

Does anyone know a quick, efficient way of doing this?

I did come across a thread on actionscript.org that gave a brief explanation on how to do it, but it was for older versions of flash, and the code seemed waaay to complex for something so simple. I’d like to think such a common, useful method would have been extended into the flash components in newer versions of flash.

I'm somewhat new to actionscript, but I've worked extensively in other languages, and generally, when I wanted to count the occurrences of a specific character, I just used the universal split function/method to split the string into an array and then I just retrieved the size of the array. Never tried it with line breaks though... and if this method could seemingly be possible what is the char code for a line break in Actionscript?

bootiteq

April 7th, 2006, 08:17 AM

Why do you want to know?
I ask because the result you require may be easier using a different method.

falltime

April 7th, 2006, 06:03 PM

I retrieve text from an external dynamic XML file and insert them into dynamic text fields. The text fields are captions for pictures, and sit just above their respective pictures.

Because the text can be of varying length, it can take up multiple lines, which obviously disrupts the vertical alignment over the picture.

I'd like to be able to determine how many lines the text field has, so I can make the appropriate alignment adjustments dynamically.

Something like this seems pretty straightforward and it would be bizarre if actionscript didn't include native methods or functions for something like this.

Thanks for your help!

bootiteq

April 8th, 2006, 01:29 AM

As different letters take up varied horizontal spaces you may find it easier to use linkage and attachmovie. You can test the height of each movieclip after they have been loaded with content.

eg:
next clips _y = (last clips _height + last clips _y)

Should I go into more detail? or are you with me

:be:

dev_raaja

September 12th, 2007, 03:39 AM

hi everybody
i am new to this field. i would like now depth in dynamic field properties.

i am retrieve text from an external dynamic XML file and insert them into dynamic text fields.
I'd like to be able to determine how many lines the text field has, so I can make them and
split text into multiple pages according to particular width of textfield and navigation.

plz anybody can help me?

dev_raaja

September 12th, 2007, 03:41 AM

i am retrieve text from an external dynamic XML file and insert them into dynamic text fields. and i want to format the text in superscript and subscript just like chemistry equation. and some special symbols like omega, sigma and etc..

bootiteq

September 18th, 2007, 04:55 AM

....:crying:

bootiteq

September 18th, 2007, 05:00 AM

You should be able to use any character you like so long as it is embedded in your textfeild.
Make sure you put all html and weird charcters inside a <![CDATA[ ]]> tag. google or search here it if your unsure what that is.

As for creating individual text lines... (could be better)

save this as createIndividualTextLines.as

ActionScript Code:

/*

PURPOSE -- to cut a string into lines of text

// EXAMPLE USAGE
(desired char length:Number, textString, _parentRef, callback function);

n = new com.createIndividualTextLines (56, txt, this, someCallBackFunc);

function someCallBackFunc (a, _this) {
    trace ("callback");
}

*/
class createIndividualTextLines {
    //
    private var len:Number;
    private var origLen:Number;
    private var txt:String;
    private var a:Array;
    private var line:String;
    private var _this:MovieClip;
    private var callback:Function;
    //
    function createIndividualTextLines (_len:Number, _txt:String, _parentRef:MovieClip, _callback:Function) {
        len = _len;
        txt = _txt;
        a = new Array ();
        _this = _parentRef;
        callback = _callback;
        init ();
    }
    function init () {
        origLen = len;
        for (var i = 0; i < txt.length; i++) {
            len = origLen;
            line = txt.slice (0, len);
            if (line.charAt (line.length - 1) != " ") {
                // ---------- test failed!
                for (var j = 0; j < txt.length - 1; j++) {
                    // increment one more character until we hit a " "
                    len++;
                    line = txt.slice (0, len);
                    // test again
                    if (line.charAt (line.length - 1) == " ") {
                        // found next " " so break nested for loop and test next line
                        a.push (line);
                        break;
                    } else if (txt.length < len) {
                        // capture last entry
                        a.push (line);
                        break;
                    }
                }
            } else {
                // we were lucky a " " was excactly were we wanted it to be
                line = txt.slice (0, len);
                a.push (line);
            }
            // remove tested line from testing string
            txt = txt.slice (len, txt.length);
        }
        callback (a, _this);
    }
}

now put this on frame one of Flash and ensure the above class "createIndividualTextLines.as" is sitting next to the flash file

ActionScript Code:

stop ();

txt = "Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum. Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.";
//
var txtLined = new createIndividualTextLines (56, txt, this, bfgh);
//
var num = 0;
function bfgh (n, _this) {

var numberLines = n.length;

    for (var i = 0; i < numberLines; i++) {
//trace out each line of text
        trace(n[i]);
    }
}

Thats my ten cents worth anyway

dev_raaja

September 22nd, 2007, 05:38 AM

hi

it works fine. i got it what exactly i want. i am new learn to this. your code helped me eaiser to work. thanks a lot.

You should be able to use any character you like so long as it is embedded in your textfeild.
Make sure you put all html and weird charcters inside a <![CDATA[ ]]> tag. google or search here it if your unsure what that is.

As for creating individual text lines... (could be better)

save this as createIndividualTextLines.as

ActionScript Code:

/*

PURPOSE -- to cut a string into lines of text

// EXAMPLE USAGE
(desired char length:Number, textString, _parentRef, callback function);

n = new com.createIndividualTextLines (56, txt, this, someCallBackFunc);

function someCallBackFunc (a, _this) {
    trace ("callback");
}

*/
class createIndividualTextLines {
    //
    private var len:Number;
    private var origLen:Number;
    private var txt:String;
    private var a:Array;
    private var line:String;
    private var _this:MovieClip;
    private var callback:Function;
    //
    function createIndividualTextLines (_len:Number, _txt:String, _parentRef:MovieClip, _callback:Function) {
        len = _len;
        txt = _txt;
        a = new Array ();
        _this = _parentRef;
        callback = _callback;
        init ();
    }
    function init () {
        origLen = len;
        for (var i = 0; i < txt.length; i++) {
            len = origLen;
            line = txt.slice (0, len);
            if (line.charAt (line.length - 1) != " ") {
                // ---------- test failed!
                for (var j = 0; j < txt.length - 1; j++) {
                    // increment one more character until we hit a " "
                    len++;
                    line = txt.slice (0, len);
                    // test again
                    if (line.charAt (line.length - 1) == " ") {
                        // found next " " so break nested for loop and test next line
                        a.push (line);
                        break;
                    } else if (txt.length < len) {
                        // capture last entry
                        a.push (line);
                        break;
                    }
                }
            } else {
                // we were lucky a " " was excactly were we wanted it to be
                line = txt.slice (0, len);
                a.push (line);
            }
            // remove tested line from testing string
            txt = txt.slice (len, txt.length);
        }
        callback (a, _this);
    }
}

now put this on frame one of Flash and ensure the above class "createIndividualTextLines.as" is sitting next to the flash file

ActionScript Code:

stop ();

txt = "Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum. Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.";
//
var txtLined = new createIndividualTextLines (56, txt, this, bfgh);
//
var num = 0;
function bfgh (n, _this) {

var numberLines = n.length;

    for (var i = 0; i < numberLines; i++) {
//trace out each line of text
        trace(n[i]);
    }
}

Thats my ten cents worth anyway