Question

Flex Array Won't Re-Initialize Itself

Asked by: blue44

Hi,

I have a very strange bug occurring in my application.  Basically, I have one array (masterReps) that has a list of user names.  As different users are selected, I'm trying to have that user move to the the top of a second array (tempAssignedReps).  This actually works the first time, but every subsequent call to the function results in the last uname being appended just below the current uname at the top of the list.  It's as if no matter what i do, I can't reinitialize the array.  

I'm sure I'm missing something simple here but just can't see it.

Thanks!

//this array never changes.  it has the master list of user names
var masterReps:Array = new Array();
 
 
public function doBox(uname:String):void{
 
	var tempAssignedReps:Array = new Array();
 
	if(tempAssignedReps != null){
		tempAssignedReps.length = 0;
	}
 
	tempAssignedReps = masterReps3;
 
	for(var cnt:int=0;cnt<tempAssignedReps.length;cnt++){
 
		if(tempAssignedReps[cnt].toString() == uname){
			tempAssignedReps.slice(cnt,1);
		}
	}
	tempAssignedReps.unshift(uname);
	cbRep.dataProvider = tempAssignedReps;
 
}
 
<mx:ComboBox id="cbRep"/>

                                  
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7:
8:
9:
10:
11:
12:
13:
14:
15:
16:
17:
18:
19:
20:
21:
22:
23:
24:
25:
26:

Select allOpen in new window

This Question has been solved and asker verified All Experts Exchange premium technology solutions are available to subscription members.

Subscribe now for full access to Experts Exchange and get

Instant Access to this Solution

  • Plus...
  • 30 Day FREE access, no risk, no obligation
  • Collaborate with the world's top tech experts
  • Unlimited access to our exclusive solution database
  • Never be left without tech help again

Subscribe Now

Asked On
2009-10-27 at 14:45:28ID24848990
Tags

Flex

,

ActionScript

Topics

Adobe Flex

,

ActionScript

Participating Experts
1
Points
0
Comments
6

Trusted by hundreds of thousands everyday for fast, accurate and reliable tech support.

  • "The time we save is the biggest benefit of Experts Exchange to Warner Bros. What could take multiple guys 2 hours or more each to find is accessed in around 15 minutes on Experts Exchange." Mike Kapnisakis, Warner Bros.
  • "Our team likes having a resource that is more secure than just using Google and most experts using this service really know their stuff. It's nice to look here first versus using Google." Dayna Sellner, Lockheed Martin
  • "Anytime that I've been stumped with a problem, 9 out of 10 times Experts Exchange has either the accepted solution or an open discussion of the potential solution to the problem." Kenny Red, eBay Inc.

See what Experts Exchange can do for you.

Got a question?

We've got the answer.

Experts Exchange has been collecting answers to technology questions since 1996…3 million and counting! If you have a question, chances are we already have your answer.

Screenshot of Experts Exchange Knowledgebase

Need individual assistance?

Our experts are ready to help.

If you can't find the exact answer you're looking for, ask our exclusive community of 50,000 experts. You’ll get a personalized answer from a trusted professional.

Screenshot of Experts Exchange Knowledgebase

Want to learn from the best?

Read articles from industry experts.

Thousands of free tech tips, tricks, how-to’s and tutorials are available in our peer reviewed articles section. See for yourself how smart our experts are, no login required.

Screenshot of an Article

Working on a long term project?

Store your work and research.

Save solutions to your questions, answers you’ve discovered through searching plus helpful articles in your personal knowledgebase for easy future access.

Screenshot of Experts Exchange Knowledgebase

Access the answers to your technology questions today.

Subscribe Now

30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.

What Makes Experts Exchange Unique?

Members of the expert community talk about why the experience at Experts Exchange is different than what you will find anywhere else.

Trusted by the world's most respected brands.

image of each brand's logo

Faithfully serving IT professionals since 1996.

Experts Exchange Logo

Try it out and discover for yourself.

Subscribe Now

30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.

Related Solutions

  1. Simple String Array Bug? - Curious...
    this is not a question, this is to share what i have found out... procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject); Var s: Array[1..10] of String[25]; P: PChar; N: Integer; begin P:=@S[1][1]; For N:=1 to 25 do Begin P^:=Chr(N+64); Inc(P); End; Memo1.Text:=S[1];...
  2. Ceating and Appending To An Array
    Hi, Each time the user drops a shape from the stencil onto a Page I want to record the shape name & a sequence number in an array. I am stuck on the syntax to append into a VBA array and need a few pointers, all examples I have found refer to single dimension arrays but I...
  3. Append to 2-Dimensional Array
    I can CREATE (and populate) a 2D array using something like this: $fruits = array ( "fruits" => array ( "a" => "orange", "b" => "banana", ...

Free Tech Articles

  1. WARNING: 5 Reasons why you should NEVER fix a computer for free.
    It is in our nature to love the puzzle. We are obsessed. The lot of us. We love puzzles. We love the challenge. We thrive on finding the answer. We hate disarray. It bothers us deep in our soul. W...
  2. SCCM OSD Basic troubleshooting
    SCCM 2007 OSD is a fantastic way to deploy operating systems, however, like most things SCCM issues can sometimes be difficult to resolve due to the sheer volume of logs to sift through and the dispe...
  3. Migrate Small Business Server 2003 to Exchange 2010 and Windows 2008 R2
    This guide is intended to provide step by step instructions on how to migrate from Small Business Server 2003 to Windows 2008 R2 with Exchange 2010. For this migration to work you will need the fo...
  4. Create a Win7 Gadget
    This article shows you how to create a simple "Gadget" -- a sort of mini-application supported by Windows 7 and Vista. Gadgets can be dropped anywhere on the desktop to provide instant information, ...
  5. Outlook continually prompting for username and password
    There have been a lot of questions recently regarding Outlook prompting for a username and password whilst using Exchange 2007. There are a few reasons why this would happen and I will try to cover t...
  6. Backup Exchange 2010 Information Store using Windows Backup
    There seems to be quite a lot of confusion around the ability to backup Exchange 2010 using the built in Windows Backup feature. This stems from the omission of this feature prior to Exchange 2007 s...

Cloud Class Webinars

  1. Avoiding Bugs in Microsoft Access
    Alison Balter takes and in-depth look at avoiding bugs in Access. In this webinar you will learn about using the immediate window to debug your applications, invoking the debugger, using breakpoints to troubleshoot, stepping through code, setting the next statement to execute, ...
  2. Top 10 Best New Features in Visio 2010
    Scott Helmers gives live demonstrations of the top 10 new features in Visio 2010. This webinar will teach you how to create compelling diagrams by adding shapes to the page with a single click, linking the shapes in a diagram to data in Excel (or SQL Server, or SharePoint), ...
  3. IT Consultant Business Secrets Revealed
    Michael Munger, Experts Exchange tech pro and IT consultant, pulls back the curtain on his very successful businesses and answers question on every IT consultant and business owner should know about. He shares secrets on what he did to solve the 5 most common problems in IT, ...
  4. Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
    Quest CTO, Mike Billon, gives an overview of the steps involved in building a dunamic disaster recovery plan. Through case studies and an examination of software/hardware tooles for monitoring and testing, you'll gain a better understandin of where you are, where you want ...
  5. Organize Your Visio Diagrams with Containers and Lists
    Scott Helmers uses cross functional flowcharts, wireframe diagrams, data graphic legends and seating charts to teach you: how to ustilize all three new structured diagram components in Visio 2010, the best practices for organizeing shapes in previous version of Visio, how to organize ...
  6. How to Us Objects, Properties, Events and Methods in Microsoft Access
    Alison Dalter gives an in-depbth look at objects, properties, events and methods in Microsoft Access. In this webinar you will learn about using the object browser, referring to objects, working with properties and methods, working with object variables, understanding the ...

Join the Community

Give a Little. Get a Lot.

Join the community of experts here and help other tech pros by answering question in your area of expertise. You can earn FREE access to all Experts Exchange's premium features and resources.

Join the Community

Answers

 

by: zzynxPosted on 2009-10-28 at 01:01:59ID: 25680751

Too less code to be able to help you.

e.g. what is "masterReps3" in
>> tempAssignedReps = masterReps3;

When is doBox() called?

Remarks:
1) When your previous instruction is

var tempAssignedReps:Array = new Array();

the following
>> if(tempAssignedReps != null){
>>    tempAssignedReps.length = 0;
>>}
seems rather obsolete to me.

2) slice()
Returns a new array that consists of a range of elements from the original array, without modifying the original array
So what's the sense of calling
       tempAssignedReps.slice(cnt,1);
without assigning it to something?

Also, the 2nd parameter is the end  index, not how much elements to ...?

Oh, I see. Don't you mean splice() instead of slice()?

 

by: blue44Posted on 2009-10-28 at 09:31:05ID: 25685091

1) masterReps3 was a typo.  It should be: tempAssignedReps = masterReps;  

2) masterReps is an array of names (i.e., John Smith, Jane Doe, etc.)

3) doBox() is called from a handler function of an  RO that returns 'uname'.  This is passed to doBox().

4) Yes, you would think that the tempAssignedReps.length = 0 after var tempAssignedReps:Array = new Array();  is redundant but this was my attempt to re-initialize the array.  The array is not re-initializing after every call to doBox() -- that's the problem!

5)Yes, I meant splice, not slice...another typo.

 

by: zzynxPosted on 2009-10-29 at 01:07:20ID: 25691417

Well, this little app shows that doBox() perfectly works as intended.

1) Start it up.
2) The combo box is filled with the item "Name 1" to "Name 8"
3) In the text field type "Name 5" and press the button
4) "Name 5" appears at the top of the combo box's list
5) Type whatever name included in ["Name 1", ... "Name 8"] you want and press the button
6) The item appears at the top of the combo box's list

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" 
	layout="absolute"
	initialize="init()">
 
<mx:Script>
	<![CDATA[
		[Bindable]
		private var masterReps:Array = new Array();
 
 		private function init():void {
 			masterReps.push("Name 1");
 			masterReps.push("Name 2");
 			masterReps.push("Name 3");
 			masterReps.push("Name 4");
 			masterReps.push("Name 5");
 			masterReps.push("Name 6");
 			masterReps.push("Name 7");
 			masterReps.push("Name 8");
 		}
 
		public function doBox(uname:String):void{
 
	        var tempAssignedReps:Array = masterReps;
	        for(var cnt:int=0;cnt<tempAssignedReps.length;cnt++){
                if(tempAssignedReps[cnt].toString() == uname) {
                   tempAssignedReps.splice(cnt,1);
                }
	        }
	        tempAssignedReps.unshift(uname);
	        cbRep.dataProvider = tempAssignedReps;
		}
 
	]]>
</mx:Script>
 
<mx:HBox>
	<mx:ComboBox id="cbRep" dataProvider="{masterReps}"/>
	<mx:TextInput id="Input"/>
	<mx:Button id="Btn" label="Move to top" click="{doBox(Input.text)}"/>
</mx:HBox>
	
</mx:Application>

                                              
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7:
8:
9:
10:
11:
12:
13:
14:
15:
16:
17:
18:
19:
20:
21:
22:
23:
24:
25:
26:
27:
28:
29:
30:
31:
32:
33:
34:
35:
36:
37:
38:
39:
40:
41:
42:
43:

Select allOpen in new window

 

by: blue44Posted on 2009-11-04 at 17:27:37ID: 25745978

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you.  I tried your code within my application and I'm still experiencing the same issue -- very frustrating.  I will open a ticket with Adobe and report back.  Thanks!

 

by: zzynxPosted on 2009-11-05 at 00:05:09ID: 25747497

>> I will open a ticket with Adobe and report back.
My small example proves it's no Flex problem, so don't expect too much help from that side.

 

by: blue44Posted on 2009-12-28 at 15:42:02ID: 26134863

This issue took me a long time to figure out but it ended up having to do with how ActionScript handles pointers to memory.  Basically, in the above code snippets, the same array in memory kept being referenced and there was no reinitialization taking place.  In order to create 'deep copies', you have to write a special 'clone' function as referenced in the Flex documentation: http://livedocs.adobe.com/flex/3/html/help.html?content=10_Lists_of_data_6.html

The other key to this is utilizing the sort() function so the values in the array get re-ordered every time.  My finished code is below.  

import flash.utils.ByteArray;

function clone(source:Object):*
{
    var myBA:ByteArray = new ByteArray();
    myBA.writeObject(source);
    myBA.position = 0;
    return(myBA.readObject());
}

//this array never changes.  it has the master list of user names
var masterReps:Array = new Array();
 
 
public function doBox(uname:String):void{
 
        var tempAssignedReps:Array = new Array();
  
        tempAssignedReps = clone(masterReps3);
        tempAssignedReps.sort();
 
        for(var cnt:int=0;cnt<tempAssignedReps.length;cnt++){
 
                if(tempAssignedReps[cnt].toString() == uname){
                        tempAssignedReps.splice(cnt,1);
                }
        }
        tempAssignedReps.sort();
        tempAssignedReps.unshift(uname);
        cbRep.dataProvider = tempAssignedReps;
 
}
 
<mx:ComboBox id="cbRep"/>

                                              
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7:
8:
9:
10:
11:
12:
13:
14:
15:
16:
17:
18:
19:
20:
21:
22:
23:
24:
25:
26:
27:
28:
29:
30:
31:
32:
33:
34:

Select allOpen in new window

20120131-EE-VQP-002

3 Ways to Join

30-Day Free Trial

The Experts

98% positive feedback on 31,087 answers since March 2000. angeliii is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for his work with MS SQL Server & Develoment.

He has also proven his knowledge of Visual Basic Programming, PHP Scripting and Oracle Databases.

The Experts

97% positive feedback on 10,752 answers since July 2000. lrmoore has more than 18 years experience in the networking industry.

The six-time Mircosoft MVPs specialties include firewalls, virtual private networking, and network management.

Testimonials

"...and excellent source for support... Kind of like having your very own IT dept." Electriciansnet

Testimonials

"I was apprehensive at signing up at first. However... it has already made my life as an IT administrator much easier." JaCrews

Testimonials

"WOW! You guys have great, active, and knowledgeable people on here." moore50

Business Clients

Business Clients

In the Press

"If you’ve got a question... Experts Exchange can supply an answer.”

In the Press

"...an invaluable aid for both IT professionals and those who require tech support."

In the Press

"where IT professionals provide quick answers on just about any topic"

Business Account Plans

Loading Advertisement...