Pass a string, return object with name string

[doublemazaa]

I feel like this should be pretty easy, but I 'm not quite sure how to do this...

I've got a string that is the name of a movieclip which is on the stage. I'd like to write a function which I can pass that string and have it return the object which has the instance name of that string.

Any hints?

Thanks.

John

[wvxvw]

function findDisplayObjectOnTheStage(objectName:String):Dis playObject
{
return stage.getChildByName(objectName);
} =)

[doublemazaa]

Thanks! That's exactly what I needed.

Any advice on this? I've got the name of a movieclip, I'm trying to set it equal to another movie clip, but AS is worried because getChildByName returns a DisplayObject. Anyway to reassure AS that I'll actually be calling movieclips and not other display objects.


newThumb.widePic = stage.getChildByName(myXML..widePic[index])


Error 1118: Implicit coercion of a value with static type flash.display:DisplayObject to a possibly unrelated type flash.display:MovieClip.

[wvxvw]

(someDisplayObject as MovieClip).gotoAndPlay(1)
or

MovieClip(someDisplayObject).gotoAndPlay(1)
But if someDisplayObject is not MovieClip this will generate runtime error.