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16.5. Where's All the Code?

Even for experienced Flash users, locating the code in a movie can sometimes be challenging. Because code may be attached to any frame in any timeline, to any button, or to any movie clip on stage, it is often lost in a sea of content. Obviously, a highly organized structure and thorough code documentation can mean dozens or hundreds of hours saved over the life span of a project. But if you're faced with a movie that seems to be mysteriously missing important code, open the Actions panel and try these techniques for finding it:

Sometimes even these techniques can fail us. If someone's determined to hide some code, there are lots of places in Flash to do it. An empty clip, for example, can be placed far beyond the limits of the Stage, making it nearly impossible to find. Fortunately, when all seems lost, our code isn't -- we can always use the Movie Explorer to hunt down any script in a movie. Select Window Movie Explorer for a bird's-eye view of all the assets in a movie, including any scripts attached to a frame, button, or movie clip. Scripts are marked with a blue arrow Actions icon that matches the icon on the items in the Actions panel Toolbox. You can even filter the display to show only scripts; select the Actions icon under the Show menu at the top of the Explorer panel, and unselect all other icons.



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