Code running backwards in commitProperties() ???

Question

Very strange problem here. Following
this
example, I try to implement an UIComponent which shall hold a
simple graph. For some bizarre (or not) reason, the code in my
overridden commitProperties function is executed backwards?!
When creating the component in an mxml file, the alerts are
being shown in the following order:
afterloops -> lastouter -> lastinner ->
firstinner-> firstouter -> beforeloops -> aftersuper ->
beforesuper
What don't I understand here?
/*** Implement the commitProperties() method. ***/
override protected function commitProperties():void {
Alert.show("beforesuper");
super.commitProperties();
Alert.show("aftersuper");
var it:Iterator = new ArrayIterator( _data ); // iterates
through data array
var pit:Iterator = new ArrayIterator( _props ); // iterates
through properties.
var pts:Array = new Array(); // holds the points of one
dataset
var props:Array = new Array(); // holds the properties of
one dataset
var tmp:Array = new Array();
Alert.show("beforeloops");
while ( it.hasNext() ) { // iterate through datasets
Alert.show("first outer");
pts = it.next();
var dit:Iterator = new ArrayIterator( pts ); // iterator for
points
if (pit.hasNext()) { // if only one prop is submitted this
is valid for all datasets
props = pit.next();
this.graphics.lineStyle( 1, 0xff3333 ); // TODO use
properties here
this.moveToArray(scalePt(dit.next(),props)); // move to
starting point, TODO scale
while (dit.hasNext()) {
Alert.show("first inner");
tmp = dit.next();
this.lineToArray(scalePt(tmp,props)); // TODO scale
Alert.show("last inner");
dit.reset();
Alert.show("last outer");
it.reset();
Alert.show("afterloops");
invalidateDisplayList();

Answer 1

1. Use code tags
2. Use good names and the Java naming convention
I'd say that getGraphics() is probably where the problem is.
In my experience (on Win) everytime the paint(...) method is called, it's always a new instance of a Graphics object. Thus, in your run() method, whatever you do the Graphics objected obtained by getGraphics() won't matter.
You can have a global affine transform, and modify the transform. Then in the paint method, you can apply the transform to the original shape. If you change the original shape many times, (especially with integer coordinates), then eventually your shape morphs. You can also create a new basic stroke, but set the stroke in the paint method as well.