User Guide

Using styles to customize component color and text 69

Setting styles on a component instance

You can write ActionScript code to set and get style properties on any component instance.

The

UIObject.setStyle() and UIObject.getStyle() methods can be called directly from

any component. The following syntax specifies a property and value for a component instance:

instanceName.setStyle("propertyName", value);

For example, the following code sets the accent colors on a Button instance called myButton that

uses the Halo theme:

myButton.setStyle("themeColor", "haloBlue");

Note: If the value is a string, it must be enclosed in quotation marks.

Even though you can access the styles directly as properties (for example, myButton.color =

0xFF00FF

), it’s best to use the setStyle() and getStyle() methods so that the styles work

correctly and components are redrawn with the new style settings. For more information, see

UIObject.setStyle() on page 825.

Style properties set on a component instance through

setStyle() have the highest priority and

override all other style settings discussed in the following sections.

Note: If you want to change multiple properties, or change properties for multiple component

instances, you should create a custom style. For more information, see “Setting custom styles for

groups of components” on page 69.

To set or change a property for a single component instance that uses the Halo theme:

Select the component instance on the Stage.

In the Property inspector, give it the instance name myComponent.

Open the Actions panel and select Scene 1, then select Layer 1: Frame 1.

Enter the following code to change the instance to orange:

myComponent.setStyle("themeColor", "haloOrange");

Select Control > Test Movie to view the changes.

For a list of styles supported by a particular component, see the component’s entry in

Chapter 6, “Components Dictionary,” on page 91.

Setting custom styles for groups of components

You can create custom style declarations to specify a unique set of properties for groups of

components in your Flash document. You create a new instance of the CSSStyleDeclaration

object, create a custom style name and place it on the

_global.styles list

(

_global.styles.newStyle), specify the properties and values for the style, and assign the style

name to component instances that should share the same look.

To make changes to a custom style format, use the following syntax:

_global.styles.CustomStyleName.setStyle(propertyName, propertyValue);

The CSSStyleDeclaration object is accessible if you have placed at least one component instance

on the Stage.