Text not initialized, even though Application.creationComplete...?

Question

(I know OOP from Java, but am somewhat new to ActionScript.)
I have a MXML application with this attribute:
<mx:Application
...creationComplete="myMethod(...)"...>
In the Application, I have an <mx:Text> (which sits
inside an <mx:VBox>, which is inside an <mx:ViewStack>,
etc.).
When myMethod(...) is called upon creationComplete, I cannot
get the <mx:Text> by reference: it is null! The problem: the
container VBox.initialized is false.
If I wait a few seconds and click a button that calls
myMethod(...), then the VBox has had time to initialize.
I don't know if this is a bug -- it seems that
creationComplete shouldn't be called until all children of
Application have been initialized. Or perhaps Flex 3 uses "lazy
initialization"? Anyway...
MY PROBLEM: I want to delay execution of myMethod(...) until
the VBox is initialized.
How to do this? In Java, I would do something like, "while
(myText.initialized == false) try {Thread.sleep(500);}..."
Any ideas how to wait for (or force) full initialization?

Answer 1

"iamoj" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:g6ok6k$ekg$[email protected]..
> (I know OOP from Java, but am somewhat new to
ActionScript.)
>
> I have a MXML application with this attribute:
> <mx:Application
...creationComplete="myMethod(...)"...>
>
> In the Application, I have an <mx:Text> (which
sits inside an <mx:VBox>,
> which is inside an <mx:ViewStack>, etc.).
>
> When myMethod(...) is called upon creationComplete, I
cannot get the
> <mx:Text>
> by reference: it is null! The problem: the container
VBox.initialized is
> false.
>
> If I wait a few seconds and click a button that calls
myMethod(...), then
> the
> VBox has had time to initialize.
>
> I don't know if this is a bug -- it seems that
creationComplete shouldn't
> be
> called until all children of Application have been
initialized. Or perhaps
> Flex
> 3 uses "lazy initialization"? Anyway...
>
> MY PROBLEM: I want to delay execution of myMethod(...)
until the VBox is
> initialized.
>
> How to do this? In Java, I would do something like,
"while
> (myText.initialized
> == false) try {Thread.sleep(500);}..."
>
> Any ideas how to wait for (or force) full
initialization?
>
You could call the method on creationComplete of the VBox...
Or, depending on what is going on, you may need to override
commitProperties
or updateDisplayList and call it in one of those places.
HTH;
Amy