User Guide

188 Chapter 5: ActionScript Core Language Elements

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

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 NaN.

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);