Lesson 9. Automating Scripts with Loops

We all have to perform repetitive tasks. Whether complicated or simple, a repetitive task requires performing at least one step in a process repeatedly. For example, if you were sending out 100 wedding invitations, repetitive tasks in that process could include folding papers, stuffing envelopes, sealing envelopes, and affixing stampsyou'd do each task 100 times. In ActionScript, performing a set of repeated steps (actions) multiple times is called looping. ActionScript lets you loop through a set of actions as many times as needed, which means that instead of writing an action (or set of actions) several times, you can write it once and loop through it any number of times. In this lesson, you'll learn how to use the three loop types that ActionScript offers.

The drop-down list as well as the two-by-two grid of pictures in this application will be created dynamically by using loops.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

In this lesson, you will:

• Discover the usefulness of loops

• Learn about the types of loops

• Set loop conditions

• Create a nested loop

• Use loop exceptions

APPROXIMATE TIME

This lesson takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.

LESSON FILES

Starting Files:

Lesson09/Assets/pictureShow1.fla

Lesson09/Assets/phoneNumberSearch1.fla

Completed Projects:

pictureShow3.fla

phoneNumberSearch2.fla