User Guide

648 Chapter 2: ActionScript Language Reference
Number()
Availability
Flash Player 4; behavior changed in Flash Player 7.
Usage
Number(expression) : Number
Parameters
expression
An expression to convert to a number.
Returns
A number or NaN (not a number).
Description
Function; converts the parameter expression to a number and returns a value as described in the
following list:
• If expression is a number, the return value is expression.
• If expression is a Boolean value, the return value is 1 if expression is true, 0 if expression
is
false.
• If expression is a string, the function attempts to parse expression as a decimal number
with an optional trailing exponent (that is, 1.57505e-3).
• If expression is NaN, the return value is NaN.
• If expression is undefined, the return value is as follows:
■ In files published for Flash Player 6 or earlier, the result is 0.
■ In files published for Flash Player 7 or later, the result is NaN.
This function is used to convert Flash 4 files containing deprecated operators that are
imported into the Flash 5 or later authoring environment. For more information, see
& (bitwise
AND)
.
Example
In the following example, a text field is created on the Stage at runtime:
this.createTextField("counter_txt", this.getNextHighestDepth(), 0, 0, 100,
22);
counter_txt.autoSize = true;
counter_txt.text = 0;
function incrementInterval():Void {
var counter:Number = counter_txt.text;
// Without the Number() function, Flash would concatenate the value instead
// of adding values. You could also use "counter_txt.text++;"
counter_txt.text = Number(counter)+1;
}
var intervalID:Number = setInterval(incrementInterval, 1000);
CHAPTER 2
ActionScript Language Reference