Simulating Multiple Constructor Functions

Unlike Java, ActionScript does not support multiple constructor functions for a single class
(referred to as overloaded constructors in Java). In Java, a class can initialize an instance
differently depending on the number and type of arguments used with the new operator. In
ActionScript, similar functionality must be implemented manually. Example 4-5, based on
our Box class, shows one possible way to simulate multiple constructor functions in
ActionScript..
In Example 4-5, the Box constructor delegates its work to three pseudo-constructor
methods, named boxNoArgs( ), boxString( ), and boxNumberNumber( ). Each pseudoconstructor's name indicates the number and datatype of the parameters it accepts (e.g.,
boxNumberNumber( ) defines two arguments of type Number

Example 4-5. Simulating overloaded constructors

class Box
{
public var width:Number;
public var height:Number;

public function Box (a1:Object, a2:Object)

{

if (arguments.length == 0)
{
boxNoArgs( );
}
else if (typeof a1 == "string")
{
boxString(a1);
}

else if (typeof a1 == "number" && typeof a2 == "number")

{
boxNumberNumber(a1, a2);
}
else
{

trace("Unexpected number of arguments passed to Box constructor.");

}
}

/** * No-argument constructor. */

private function boxNoArgs ( ):Void
{
if (arguments.caller != Box)
{
return;
}
width = 1;
height = 1;
}

/** * String constructor. */

private function boxString (size):Void

{
if (arguments.caller != Box)
{
return;
}
if (size == "large")
{
width = 100;
height = 100;
}
else if (size == "small")
{
width = 10;
height = 10;
}
else
{
trace("Invalid box size specified");
}
}

/** * Numeric constructor. */

private function boxNumberNumber (w, h):Void
{

if (arguments.caller != Box)
{
return;

width = w;
height = h;
}
}

// Usage: ***** NEED TO CALL FROM FLASH ****

var b1:Box = new Box( );
trace(b1.width); // Displays: 1

var b2:Box = new Box("large");

trace(b2.width); // Displays: 100

var b3:Box = new Box(25, 35);

trace(b3.width); // Displays: 25