Null stage problem

[inquizard]

Hi,

I really need some help or advice if someone is able to help?

I'm trying to load an external swf into a holding swf, but keep gettting the 1009# error. I've been told that this is because the external swf reference's the stage in the "onEnterFrame" function & the stage is null whilst the loader in the holder swf is loading the external swf.

I've been offered also sorts of advice, but the main one is to delay the constructor until the swf is loaded fully. I've tried this; i've tried timers, "ADD_TO_STAGE" listeners and a few other things but i cant seem to sort it.

I could keep going in trying to find a solution, but i think i'm making some wrong assumptions about the coding which is throwing me in the wrong directions; the holder.swf has a enter button, which when clicked, begins the loading of the first external.swf into the loader. It does this fine and has no errors. It's when you click on one of the links to the other swfs that the problems begin. i dont understand how the loader can load the first external swf (which has references to the stage) with no problems, but every attempt to load an external swf from that point on creates issues? Is anyone able to offer any advice as i currently losing days to this...?

here's the code for the first external swf (the cripting for the other externals swfs are pretty much the same at this point:


package {
import flash.events.*;
import flash.display.*;
import fl.transitions.*;
import fl.transitions.easing.*;
import flash.net.URLRequest;

public class homePage extends MovieClip {

private var menu:welcomeClip;

public function homePage() {
this.addEventListener(Event.ADDED_TO_STAGE,stageAc tive);
}

private function init():void {
trace(parent);

menu = new welcomeClip();
addChild(menu);

addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME,onEnterFrame);
}

function stageActive(evt:Event):void {

stage.scaleMode = StageScaleMode.NO_SCALE;
stage.align = StageAlign.TOP_LEFT;
init();
trace("holder stage is " + parent);
stage.addEventListener(Event.RESIZE,resizeHandler) ;
}

function resizeHandler(evt:Event):void {

}

public function onEnterFrame(event:Event):void {

menu.x=stage.stageWidth / 2;
menu.y=stage.stageHeight / 2;
}
}
}

[inquizard]

you know your in trouble when all the searches you do bring up other threads you've started on other forums about the same problem! :stare: :crying:

[dail]

You could try delaying code instantiation in your child swf by using the INIT event of its loaderInfo prop. INIT is only fired when all classes etc have instantiated etc.


public function yourChildsConstructor() {
//listen for the init event for this swf loading...
this.loaderInfo.addEventListener(Event.INIT,loader Init);
}

private function loaderInit(event:Event=null) {
//do your stuff
}

Why are you using an EnterFrame to position your content? You could just use the stage RESIZE event, which you have in your example, its just not being hooked into. If you want to be able to call that RESIZE events listener function, so you can position your content when it firsts loads then change the listener function to this:

function resizeHandler(evt:Event = null):void {

}

You can then simply call it when your load your swf and remove that enterframe..

[inquizard]

Hi dail,

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

The onEnterFrame reference is there for stuff i intend to add to the swf once i have this problem sorted (although that might be sometime away at the moment) - the resize function will problem be removed...

i had ago at what you suggested and the output panel is still kicking out error unfortunately - it ust doesnt seem to like that reference of the stage on the first line on the "onEnterFrame" method.

[dail]

Ok, fair enough about the enterFrame.

When you load in a second swf, are you removing that first swf?

When you load in a second swf, does it load into the first swf, or the parent, loader swf?

[inquizard]

Hi Dail,

The way i have set up the swf is the main swf is called holder.swf (this is created from the document class holder.as). There's an enter button in this swf, which once clicked, adds menu buttons to the stage and starts the loader loading the homePage swf (this swf also has a document class of the same name)

The loader loads the homePage swf with no problems, it's when you click on the menu buttons that the problems start. The menu buttons are for the usual stuff like contact etc. When you click on these, the scripting tells the loader to load the new swf into the loader (the same one as is currently holding the homePage swf)

I was told that once a loader is told to load something new, it dumps it's current content so i never told the loader to do anything specific before they loaded - this how now changed as i have added the script "loader.unload();" to the beginning of each button.

Both the homePage.swf and the menu swfs have references to the stage in their "onEnterFrame" functions - it's these references which are creating the error #1009 as the stage is getting referenced before the loader is complete. The constructors of the swfs are firing before they have finished loading.

AS i said before, the homepage swf loads fine first time but when you click back home after viewing one of the menu swfs, it has the same problems with the stage reference as the other swfs do.

[inquizard]

BUMP (sorry - getting desperate)

[shaftoe]

How about adding your frame enter listener on the init instead of inside the individual files? something like:

myLoader.addEventListener(Event.INIT, loaderInit);

function loaderInit(event:Event):void
{
myLoader.content.addEventListener(Event.EnterFrame , myLoader.content.onEnterFrame);
}

*edit*I work in flex more than flash, so ymmv :)*/edit*

[Anogar]

Are you sure that it's the reference to stage that's throwing the 1009 error? Your ADDED_TO_STAGE listener looks correct to me, that's what I typically use.

[senocular]

For stage access, ADDED_TO_STAGE is what you need. If you're still getting errors, you're either trying to access the stage prior to ADDED_TO_STAGE or the error is a result of something else.

[dail]

So, you are unloading your loaders content with each new button click. It could be that when you unload, you are breaking that loaded clips reference to the stage, and as you do not remove your enterFrame event, its still looking for the stage, and having a wazz?

[senocular]

So, you are unloading your loaders content with each new button click. It could be that when you unload, you are breaking that loaded clips reference to the stage, and as you do not remove your enterFrame event, its still looking for the stage, and having a wazz?

Ooo good catch. That could do it.

REMOVED_FROM_STAGE -> ditch your listeners

[inquizard]

whoa - loads of responses, thanks very much for all the ideas guys...


So, you are unloading your loaders content with each new button click. It could be that when you unload, you are breaking that loaded clips reference to the stage, and as you do not remove your enterFrame event, its still looking for the stage, and having a wazz?

thanks for the suggestion dail, this actually makes sense to me. It would explain why the first movie.swf to load works fine and problems only occur when i start to load new ones into the loader. The trace i did said that the homePage.swf was where the problems were, after the loader started loading the new.swf. I'll have to spend sometime looking into the remove from stage function.

on another note, the suggestion that some coding i wrote caused the computer to have a "wazz" caused me to splurt coke on my keybaord this morning from laughing and didnt impress my boss - excellent morning! would of been very dull otherwise - thanks :thumb:

[inquizard]

So, you are unloading your loaders content with each new button click. It could be that when you unload, you are breaking that loaded clips reference to the stage, and as you do not remove your enterFrame event, its still looking for the stage, and having a wazz?

nail.head.sorted!

thanks Dail for all your help - i can finally go to sleep for the first time in days. :stare:

guess my lesson is if you add listeners - get rid of them aswell

thanks to evryone else or their suggestions. :pleased:

[dail]

Glad you got it figured out.