Hello,

I want to set some global variables across my application. However I have read that using _global isn't good practice so I have tired setting them as properties within a class. Is this right and how do I access them in other classes and movies?

class Startup
{
public static var URL:String = "http:www.google.com"
public static var IMAGE_URL:String = "http://images"
//
public function doStartup()
{
}

[bob_300]

I got it to work by importing the Startup class to the other class that need it, and then assiging it within the new class;

private var IMAGE_URL = doStartup.IMAGE_URL;

Is this correct?

[Isocase]

Couldn't you just do it this way which is maybe a little bit cleaner.

class Startup
{
    private static var URL:String = "http://www.google.com";
    private static var IMAGE_URL:String = "http://images";
    
    public function doStartup()
    {
    }
    
    public static function get url():String // read only
    {
        return URL;
    }
} 

import Startup;
 
trace( Startup.url ); 

[bob_300]

If I set the properties as private, flash won't let me access them. But using your code for multiple properties I have this...

Is this correct?

class Startup
{
	
public static var WSDL_URL:Object = "http://www.google.com"
public static var IMAGE_URL:Object = "http://images/"
public static var uId:Object = "user"
public static var pwd:Object = "password"
//
public function Startup()
{
}
	public static function get _WSDL_URL():Object // read only
    {
       return WSDL_URL;
	
    }
	//
	public static function get _IMAGE_URL():Object // read only
    {
        return IMAGE_URL;
	
    }
	//
	public static function get _uId():Object // read only
    {
       return uId;
	
    }
	//
	public static function get _pwd():Object // read only
    {
       return pwd;
	
    }
}

private var IMAGE_URL = doStartup._IMAGE_URL;
	private var WSDL_URL = doStartup._WSDL_URL;
	private  var uId = doStartup._uId;
	private  var pwd = doStartup._pwd;

[Isocase]

You can set your variables as private and use a getter to access the variable. If you were trying to access WSDL_URL directly like "Startup.WSDL_URL" then yes it would have to be public. But if you use a getter function like:

public static function get _WSDL_URL():Object
{
    return WSDL_URL;
} 

Then you can make the variable private since your not accessing it directly. But the getter would have to public since your trying to access it from another class.

[bob_300]

Thanks, is there any benefit making it private?

[Isocase]

Hopefully I can explain myself correctly here. By making it private and using a getter to access that its read only which means you can't change the variable value, you can only read it.

Here is a little example that I came up with and hopefully its right. Anyone please feel free to correct me if I am wrong

class Foo
{
    // url can be accessed outside of the class and modified
    public static var url:String = "http://www.google.com";
    
    // url1 is private so its only accessible inside the class
    private static var url1:String = "http://www.ultrashock.com";
    
    public function Foo()
    {
    }
    
    // By using a getter you can read it only but you cannot modify the value
    public static function get ultrashock():String //read only
    {
        return url1;
    }
} 

//Traces out initial value of url
trace( Foo.url );
//Traces out the get method of url1
trace( Foo.ultrashock );
trace( "" );
 
// Here I can modify the value of url
Foo.url = "http://www.yahoo.com";
//Now the value is something different then what you originally had
trace( Foo.url ); 

[Codemonkey]

Hi Bob, Isocase is right. Generally you would just make the vars public static *and* final/constant so that it by nature would be read only and thus safe to use without getter. AS2 doesn't support this keyword, so the constant is effectively mimiced by using a static getter function with the same name:

static class ConstantVars {
  public static function get MYCONSTANT() { return "this is a constant value"; }
} 

trace(ConstantVars.MYCONSTANT);