Change a text field on the timeline from a class

Question

Hi,
I need some help in changing the content of text fields that are on the stage of the main timeline from within an external class. I have created a countdown timer which is called from the Document Class. I think it is a problem with the scope of the variable but I can't work it out.
Main Document Class:
package
    import flash.display.*;
    import flash.events.*;
    import count_timer;
    import RectangleButton;
    public class main extends MovieClip
        public function main()
          [create a Start Btn]
            var startBtn_mc:MovieClip = new MovieClip  ;
            addChild(startBtn_mc);
            var startBtn:RectangleButton = new RectangleButton("Start",90,25,18,0xCC0000,0x000000);
            startBtn_mc.x = 105;
            startBtn_mc.y = 200;
            startBtn_mc.addChild(startBtn);
            startBtn_mc.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onClickStartBtn);
            function onClickStartBtn(event:MouseEvent):void
                var inputDay1:String = dayInputtxt.text;[these are input fields on the stage]
                var inputHr1:String = hrInputtxt.text;
                var inputMin1:String = minInputtxt.text;
                var inputSec1:String = secInputtxt.text;
                var counter:count_timer = new count_timer(inputDay1,inputHr1,inputMin1,inputSec1);
Countdown Timer:
package
    import flash.display.*;
    import flash.utils.Timer;
    import flash.events.*;
    import flash.text.*;
    import RectangleButton;
    public class count_timer extends MovieClip
//not sure this is correct
public var daytxt:TextField;
public var hrtxt:TextField;
public var mintxt:TextField;
public var sectxt:TextField;
        public function count_timer(inputDay1,inputHr1,inputMin1,inputSec1)
            var inputDay = inputDay1;
            var inputHr = inputHr1;
            var inputMin = inputMin1;
            var inputSec = inputSec1;
            var msinputDay:Number = Number(inputDay);
            var msinputHr:Number = Number(inputHr);
            var msinputMin:Number = Number(inputMin);
            var msinputSec:Number = Number(inputSec);
            var ms:Number = Number(msinputDay);
//convert input to milliseconds
            ms = ms + msinputDay * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
            ms = ms + msinputHr * 60 * 60 * 1000;
            ms = ms + msinputMin * 60 * 1000;
            ms = ms + msinputSec * 1000;
            addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, loop);
            function loop(e:Event):void
                ms = ms - 1000;
                var sec:Number = Math.floor(ms / 1000);
                var min:Number = Math.floor(sec / 60);
                var hr:Number = Math.floor(min / 60);
                var day:Number = Math.floor(hr / 24);
                sec = sec % 60;
                min = min % 60;
                hr = hr % 24;
                daytxt.text = day.toString();[everything appears to work to these variables. I think it should be root.]
                hrtxt.text=(hr<10)?"0"+hr.toString():hr.toString();
                mintxt.text=(min<10)?"0"+min.toString():min.toString();
                sectxt.text=(sec<10)?"0"+sec.toString():sec.toString();
           if (ms <= 0)
                    removeEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, loop);
                    gotoAndPlay("TimesUp");
Many thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Your code is not going to work as you show it. First, you should not be putting your class methods inside the constructors... And yes - scope. You make your new count_timer as a local variable inside a function that is called on click. Essentially, the timer is gone just as fast as it's created. If you want the timer available to the other methods in the class it should be declared as a private var in the class definition.
And I agree with kokorito - have your timer extend EventDispatcher and then it can do like: dispatchEvent(new Event("myTimerEvent")); and you can then add an eventListener to it when you create it in your main class. You just listen for "myTimerEvent" or whatever string you use, and call whatever function you want - just like using any other listener.