Error 1034: Converting movie clip to instance of a custom object?

Question

I have several movie clips on the stage that each have unique instance names.
I need to instantiate them as instances of a custom class I have created. This is giving me an error, and I know I'm probably missing some simple concept somewhere, doing something wrong, but I don't know what it is.
Here is my code:
In the main timeline, I have (simplified):
var puzzleAL:GeoGroup = new GeoGroup ("AL", "Alabama", 1, false);
puzzleAL.addEventListener(TouchEvent.TOUCH_BEGIN, geoTouchBeginHandler);
function geoTouchBeginHandler (e:TouchEvent): void {
    e.target.gotoAndStop("Over");
    nameDisplay.gotoAndStop(e.target.abbrev);
    e.target.addEventListener(TouchEvent.TOUCH_END, geoTouchEndHandler);
function geoTouchEndHandler (e:TouchEvent): void {
    if (e.target.lock == false) {
        e.target.gotoAndStop("Off");
    else if (e.target.lock == true) {
        e.target.gotoAndStop("Lock");
    nameDisplay.gotoAndStop("USA");
    e.target.removeEventListener(TouchEvent.TOUCH_END, geoTouchEndHandler);
It throws an error before the object is ever instantiated. It compiles, but at runtime I get:
TypeError: Error #1034: Type Coercion failed: cannot convert Puzzleography_fla::Alaska_2@da0a0f9 to GeoGroup.
     at flash.display::MovieClip/gotoAndStop()
     at Puzzleography_fla::MainTimeline/goToFrame()
My class code looks like this, if it matters:
package  {
    import flash.display.MovieClip;
    public class GeoGroup extends MovieClip {
        public var abbrev:String;
        public var fullName:String;
        public var assignedOrder:Number;
        public var lock:Boolean;
        public function GeoGroup(abbrev:String, fullName:String, assignedOrder:Number, lock:Boolean) {
            this.abbrev = abbrev;
            this.fullName = fullName;
            this.assignedOrder = assignedOrder;
            this.lock = lock;
I'm missing something obvious, I know it, but I'm new to OOP, switching from procedural, so I'm sure I'm getting a concept wrong somewhere.
Thanks so much!
Amber

Answer 1

yes, it makes sense and yes, you'll need to learn a little.
I have 50 movie clips not linked to any actionscript in the movie.
that's incorrect.  those movieclips are linked to all the actionscript that applies to their class.  so, even if those movieclips weren't part of the GeoClass, they still have all the properties, methods and events of the movieclip class (created by adobe developers).
The fact these movieclips are actually GeoGroup objects extending the movieclip class, adds even more code to them.  and, so far that's all good and exactly what you should do.
They are all on the stage. They are all named with their instance names "puzzleAZ" "puzzleTX" etc.
no problem, usually.  (but in your case, a problem explained below.)
I want to be able to add variables to them, such as strings and numbers, so that I can call puzzleAZ.size or puzzleAZ.fullName to get "XX Acres" or "Arizona" returned.
so, in programming lingo you want your objects to be members of a dynamic (ie, you can add properties) class.  the movieclip class is just such a class.
I created a separate class (GeoGroup) that extends MovieClip that has in it all the variables I need and tried to assign each movie clip to that class.
here's the problem.  when you created your GeoGroup class you mandated that certain parameters be passed to the constructor.  when you add a class member (like each of those puzzle pieces) to the stage, the class constructor is invoked (along with everything else in that class).  However, no parameters are passed to your constructor so the flash compiler points out the issue and refuses to run your code.
there are two ways you could proceed:
1.  remove the parameters from the constructor
2.  don't add any class members to the stage in the authoring environment.
p.s.  this is your GeoGroup constructor:
      public function GeoGroup(abbrev:String, fullName:String, assignedOrder:Number, lock:Boolean) {
            this.abbrev = abbrev;
            this.fullName = fullName;
            this.assignedOrder = assignedOrder;
            this.lock = lock;
the paramters that contructor requires are 2 strings, one number and one boolean.