Load variables, remembering variables

Question

I am trying to load variables from a text file, and have them
available from then onwards in the movie, globally so to speak.
While I can read the variable values in a loader function
which executes when the text file is loaded, I don't seem to be
able to keep those variables available afterwards.
How do I that? Isn't AS3 wonderful? :(
John

Answer 1

I think you are missing the fact that things don't happen in
a sequence you write the code. The very core of events model is to
allow dealing with things happening asynchronous and at
unpredictable times while proceeding with the code.
In your example I suspect you envision that when Flash hits
the line "function urlLoader_complete(evt:Event) {" it waits until
text is loaded. This is not correct. The fact (and the beauty) of
it is that Flash goes right pass this line to the line
"trace("After: " + sspColourBG);" Naturally, sspColorBG variable is
not defined by that point.
urlLoader_complete is executed ONLY after index.as3.txt is
loaded which happens some time after.
I suggest to time your code to grasp the sequence of events.
In the example below you will observe that trace 2 comes after
trace 4:
trace("1: " + getTimer());
var sspColourBG;
function urlLoader_complete(evt:Event) {
trace("2: " + getTimer());
trace("During: " + urlLoader.data.extColourBG); // returns
correct value
trace("3: " + getTimer());
trace("After: " + sspColourBG); // returns undefined
trace("4: " + getTimer());