Why do we have to type everything?

Question

1119: Access of possibly undefined property ***** through a
reference with static type *****.
This is a very annoying error. What I want to know is why do
we have to re-type pretty much all our variables?
I add an object with a variable towers (array containing
1,2,3) to the main stage. So I tried this (where stage is a
variable of type Stage passed down from the main stage and Me is
the object I am trying to access):
stage.getChildAt(0).getChildAt(0).towers[2]
Which to me made a lot of sense. And it came up with the 1116
error.
According to AS3, to reach that variable from within another
object you have to use this line of code (where stage is a variable
of type Stage passed down from the main stage and Me is the object
I am trying to access):
Me(DisplayObjectContainer(stage.getChildAt(0)).getChildAt(0)).towers[2]
What an absolute mess (and yes I've tried getChildByName, but
it just returns a null value). Why can't it be something like
(where towerList is the name of the Me object that was added to the
stage):
stage.towerList.towers[2]
Does anyone know a way of getting round having to re-type
these variables? Cause I'm going to be referencing objects which
might have many generations of children.

Answer 1

zone12webmaster,
> What I want to know is why do we have to re-type
> pretty much all our variables?
As a rule, you don't have to, although it is occasionally
necessary.
> I add an object with a variable towers (array
> containing 1,2,3) to the main stage.
How did you add this object? It sounds like this is a custom
class
named Me, so how are you instantiating this object? Are you
adding it to
the stage's display list? (Does it need to be in a display
list?)
David Stiller
Adobe Community Expert
Dev blog,
http://www.quip.net/blog/
"Luck is the residue of good design."