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function trim(str:String):String
{
    var stripCharCodes = {
        code_9  : true, // tab
        code_10 : true, // linefeed
        code_13 : true, // return
        code_32 : true  // space
    };
    while(stripCharCodes["code_" + str.charCodeAt(0)] == true) {
        str = str.substring(1, str.length);
    }
    while(stripCharCodes["code_" + str.charCodeAt(str.length - 1)] == true) {
        str = str.substring(0, str.length - 1);
    }
    return str;
}

The horrible "code_" prefix hack is there because I don’t think there’s a native way to search an array or object for a key or value in ActionScript.

Update: just found this function at: frogstyle.ch. This one does a similar thing, but strips more characters.

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function trim(str:String):String
{
    for(var i = 0; str.charCodeAt(i) < 33; i++);
    for(var j = str.length-1; str.charCodeAt(j) < 33; j--);
    return str.substring(i, j+1);
}

Update: as3corelib has a static trim method in com.adobe.utils.StringUtil.

It’s still a little wonky, and the design is a bit small (for performance reasons, mostly)

Nigel Pegg has a good demo of a Flash interface for (presumably) viewing/posting Movable Type comments: MT Comment FlashLet.

Stability was the primary focus of this update

Now, Flash won’t launch . Must. Resist. Urge. To. Upgrade.

Update: Fixed it!

At the moment it’s a good candidate for perversion tracker, but might evolve into something vaguely useful if I get a bit more time to spend on it

[...] a little central app that lets you browse RSS/blog feeds. It’s pretty functional, but lacks some obvious features (like…removing a bookmark that you’ve added).

I’ve got a feeling there’ll be a little whirlwind of Central apps appearing over the next few weeks.

I’m embarrassed to admit how long it took my pea brain to work-out a sine easing function last week, after finishing it I sat down with a nice cup of tea and began to trawl through the 1000 or so messages that had accumulated in my FlashCoders mailbox. Found these:

• Robert Penner’s Easing Equations for Flash (has bounce function). This geeky doodad is a good demo that uses Robert’s easing functions.
• Timothée Groleau’s easing function generator, top notch.

Both have ActionScript 1.0 and ActionScript 2.0 source.

The options for choosing which characters of fonts to embed have been expanded in the new Flash MX 2004 (Flash 7). The font embedding problem I lost hair and hours over last month seems to be fixed with this new release. I’m happier now I can author on MacOS X and “get typography right”.

Two weeks ago I was suddenly asked to beta test Flash MX Professional 2004, which now gives me the permission to post screenshots and informations about it.

ActionScript has been bumped-up a major revision to version 2. Here’s what I could find on Macromedia’s site about ActionScript 2.0. From the New Features page:

Take advantage of ActionScript 2.0’s more robust programming model and object-oriented programming support, which makes it more familiar to experienced Java programmers.

And from a more detailed Feature Tour:

With object-oriented programming support and a more robust, European Computer Manufacturers Association (ECMA) standards-compliant programming model, ActionScript 2.0 is more familiar to experienced Java programmers. Compile ActionScript 2.0 code to ActionScript 1.0 for playback on earlier versions of the Macromedia Flash Player.

I think it’s a bit light on details . Luckily, Colin Mook has posted an interesting preview of a sample ActionScript 2.0 class:

/**
 * A sample ActionScript 2.0 class.
 */

class Box {

  // Box dimensions.
  private var width:Number;
  private var height:Number;

  // Movie clip that will contain visual 
  // representation of the box.
  private var container_mc:MovieClip;

  /**
   * Constructor.
   */
  public function Box (w:Number, h:Number, 
                       x:Number, y:Number, 
                       target:MovieClip, depth:Number) {

    // Create the container clip that will hold Box visuals.
    container_mc = target.createEmptyMovieClip("boxcontainer" + depth, depth);

    // Initialize size.
    setWidth(w);
    setHeight(h);    

    // Initialize position.
    setX(x);
    setY(y);
  }

  /**
   * Accessor to retrieve width.
   */
  public function getWidth ():Number {
    return width;
  }

  /**
   * Accessor to assign width. This version both assigns the new width property
   * value and redraws the box based on the new width.
   */
  public function setWidth (w:Number):Void {
    width = w;
    draw();
  }

  /**
   * Accessor to retrieve height.
   */
  public function getHeight ():Number {
    return height;
  }

  /**
   * Accessor to assign height. This version both assigns the new height property
   * value and redraws the box based on the new height.
   */
  public function setHeight (h:Number):Void {
    height = h;
    draw();
  }

  /**
   * Accessor to retrieve x. For convenience, the x and y coordinates 
   * are stored directly on the container movie clip. If numeric accuracy 
   * were a concern, we'd store x as a Box property separately so
   * that it wouldn't be rounded by the MovieClip class.
   */
  public function getX ():Number {
    return container_mc._x;
  }

  /**
   * Accessor to assign x.
   */
  public function setX (x:Number):Void {
    container_mc._x = x;
  }

  /**
   * Accessor to retrieve y.
   */
  public function getY ():Number {
    return container_mc._y;
  }
 
  /**
   * Accessor to assign y.
   */
  public function setY (y:Number):Void {
    container_mc._y = y;
  }

  /**
   * Displays the Box instance on screen. Uses the MovieClip drawing methods to
   * draw lines in container_mc. For more information, see
   * ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide.
   */
  public function draw ():Void {
    // Clear the previous box rendering.
    container_mc.clear();
    // Use a 1 point black line.
    container_mc.lineStyle(1, 0x000000);
    // Position the drawing pen.
    container_mc.moveTo(0, 0);
    // Start a white fill.
    container_mc.beginFill(0xFFFFFF, 100);
    // Draw the border of the box.
    container_mc.lineTo(width, 0);
    container_mc.lineTo(width, height);
    container_mc.lineTo(0, height);
    container_mc.lineTo(0, 0);
    // Formally stop filling the shape.
    container_mc.endFill();
  }
}

I’ve made a quick test flash source file. It’s a one-frame movie with a dynamic text field (with font embedded) which displays the variable “foo”, there’s a simple frame script:

foo = "this is an en dash: \u2013";
stop();

The \u2013 is a unicode escape for the en-dash character. The en-dash is available in the MacRoman codepage of my OS and is definitely available in the font (Verdana) I’m embedding.

I’ve been Googling to no avail and am now officially stumped. Someone posted a similar problem to the FlashCoders mailing list last October, which I find oddly reassuring.

It’s all massively frustrating because I’m now faced with the prospect of authoring on Windows for the duration of this project unless I can solve what’s going on! So now I’m soliciting for thoughts, advice, sympathy, tips, tricks, workarounds or guidance. Post them in my comments. Cheers!