Moving objects in array - arrays

Question

I have an array which is filled with platforms that are supposed to move.
var MovingPlatformArray:Array = new Array();
for (var c:int = numChildren - 1; c >= 0; c--){
var child3:DisplayObject = getChildAt(c);
if (child3.name == "movingplatform"){
MovingPlatformArray.push(child3);
}
}
this.addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME,ctrl_birdie);
function ctrl_birdie(e:Event):void{
for(var c in MovingPlatformArray){
MovingPlatform[c].y += speed;
if(MovingPlatformArray[c].hitTestPoint(birdie.x,birdie.y,true)){
birdtelleryvertrager=0;
birdtellery = 0;
birdie.y-=14;
}
if(movingplatform.y <= 25){
speed = 2;
}
if(movingplatform.y >= 350){
speed = -2;
}
}
Right now I have 2 moving platforms in this array. But only one moves up and down. But they both register a touch with the birdie. Am I doing something wrong?

Answer 1

In your listener, you're only setting the position of one platform, which ever one "movingplatform" is a reference to. As all your stage instances of moving platforms are named "movingplatform", one lucky platform is getting referenced by name (the rest ignored), instead of what you intended, which is to use the references in your array and adjust each platform.
You probably meant for movingplatform to be a local variable in your event handler, declared something like this:
var movingplatform:DisplayObject = MovingPlatformArray[c] as DisplayObject;
I'd recommend using a for each loop in place of the for in, because I think it's a little cleaner, but this is a minor style thing:
for each (var platform:DisplayObject in MovingPlatformArray)
{
platform.y += speed;
... rest of your code ...
}
For the sake of clarity, I edited the loop variable to be platform instead of movingplatform, to avoid confusion of having a local variable shadow a stage instance (i.e. this.movingplatform). I wanted it to be clear that the stage instance name is not being used here, because the unintentional instance name reference in your code is the source of your problem in the first place.

Answer 2

As far as i'm concerned, you have two options. use a for each, as adam smith suggested or use a for-loop as it was intended to be used :)
for(var c:uint = 0; c < MovingPlatformArray.length; c++){...
and btw: should "MovingPlatform[c].y += speed;" not be "MovingPlatformArray[c].y += speed;"?
edit: looking at your code, i would also suggest you use MovingPlatformArray[c].hitTestObject(birdie) instead of MovingPlatformArray[c].hitTestPoint(birdie.x,birdie.y,true)

Answer 3

If I were you, I would bring the logic for the platform out, and store it in a class. (Ideally you would do this for the birdie object as well). I have created an example below. The movieclips on the stage should extend Platform rather than MovieClip so they invoke the methods at the bottom.
// Use vectors if you know all the items are going to be the same type
var platforms:Vector.<Platform> = new <Platform>[];
for (var c:int = numChildren - 1; c >= 0; c--){
var child:DisplayObject = getChildAt(c);
// You shouldn't check against names (as per the original post). Because
// names should be unique
if (child is Platform){
platforms.push(child);
// This could be random so each platform has a different range
// This means platform 1 could go from y 30 to y 400, platform 2
// could go from y 60 to y 200, etc
child.setRange(25, 400);
}
}
this.addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, gameLoop);
// Have an overall game loop
function gameLoop(e:Event):void {
// Loop over the platforms
platforms.forEach(function(item:Platform, i:int, a:Vector.<Platform>):void {
// Hit test function in the class means you only have to pass in one mc
// rather than the points and a boolean
if(item.hitTest(birdie)) {
birdtelleryvertrager=0;
birdtellery = 0;
birdie.y-=14;
}
// Removed the movement logic, this should be kept out of the game loop
// plus how much better does this read?
item.move();
});
}
Then in a class location somewhere, like in a folder game/activeObjects
// A class for the platform stored else where
package game.activeObjects
{
import flash.display.MovieClip;
/**
*
*/
public class Platform extends MovieClip {
private const SPEED:Number = 2;
private var _direction:int = 1;
private var _minimumHeight:Number = 25;
private var _maximumHeight:Number = 350;
public function Platform() {
}
public function setRange(minimumHeight:Number, maximumHeight:Number) {
_minimumHeight = minimumHeight;
_maximumHeight = maximumHeight;
}
public function move():void {
this.y += SPEED * _direction;
if(this.y <= _minimumHeight) {
_direction = 1;
} else if(this.y >= _maximumHeight) {
_direction = -1;
}
}
public function hitTest(mc:MovieClip):Boolean {
return hitTestPoint(mc.x,mc.y,true);
}
}
}