This document represents information about Lingo, the script language of Macromedia_Director_MX. This permits to let you quickly access (by reading, querying or navigating) and see a list of important relations associated to each important object related to Lingo. This can therefore be seen as a synthesis or index that complements the classic information delivery where details about an object are often scattered in different modules/chapters/sessions.
Reminder: statements of the form "CONCEPT1 subtype: CONCEPT2 CONCEPT3"
should be read:
"CONCEPT1 has for subtype CONCEPT2 and CONCEPT3" (in other words, any
instance of CONCEPT1 is also an instance of CONCEPT2 and CONCEPT3).
For relations other than "subtype" and "supertype",
"CONCEPT1 RELATION1: CONCEPT2 CONCEPT3, RELATION2: CONCEPT4;"
should be read: "any CONCEPT1 may have for RELATION1 one or many CONCEPT2" and
"any CONCEPT1 may have for RELATION1 one or many CONCEPT3" and
"any CONCEPT1 may have for RELATION2 one or many CONCEPT4".
Lingo#scripting_language
input of: is#Macromedia_Director_MX,
annotation: "scripting language used by Macromedia_Director_MX"
"Lingo scripts usually specify an action in response to an event, e.g.
on mouseUp me
sound.beep(1)
end"
"Director always executes script statements starting with the first statement
and continues in order until it reaches the final statement or a statement
that instructs a script to go somewhere else"
"the order in which statements are executed affects the order in which you
should place statements"
"if you write a statement that requires some calculated value, you need to
put the statement that calculates the value first"
"in the following example, the second statement could not be placed before
the first statement because the variable x has not yet been defined:
x = 2 + 2
y = x + 2",
purpose: "enhancing interactivity" "controlling the sequence"
"giving enhanced control over multimedia data"
"giving precise positioning of sprites"
"performing underlying calculations"
"allowing the use of lists (data arrays)"
"managing and manipulating text / access external text"
"communicating with external programs" "providing powerful oop, etc.",
object: Lingo#object,
part: Lingo#handler,
language of: Lingo#script,
url: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingo_programming_language
http://www.tutorialfind.com/tutorials/macromedia/lingo/
http://www.vtc.com/products/directormx2004lingo.htm ;
Lingo#object supertype: is#instance_of_first_order_class,
subtype: Lingo#sprite_or_frame,
attribute: Lingo#property ;
Lingo#sprite_or_frame
subtype: {Lingo#sprite Lingo#frame};
Lingo#property
definition: "attributes that define an object",
example: "for a sprite: width, height, background/foreground colours, etc.";
Lingo#script
subtype: {Lingo#behaviour_script Lingo#cast_script Lingo#movie_script};
Lingo#behaviour_script supertype: is#object_script,
subtype: {Lingo#frame_behaviour_script Lingo#score_behaviour_script},
annotation: "executed when the sprite it is applied to is active or when a specific
frame is shown"
"new behaviours can be created from scratch by writing Lingo routines and
predefined behaviours in the behaviour library"
"by default, the keyword 'me' appears next to the hander name",
object of: Lingo#sprite_or_frame,
part: Lingo#handler;
Lingo#cast_script supertype: is#class_script,
annotation: "executed when respective castmember is active on the stage",
part: Lingo#handler;
Lingo#movie_script supertype: is#global_script,
part: Lingo#handler;
Lingo#Director_xtra supertype: is#plug_in,
definition: "xtras are special code segments used to control external elements
or increase the list of available features",
use: "to further enhance Director's functionality in Lingo",
example: "e-mail control, networking or special transition effects",
annotation: "there are many third party developers of xtras"
"xtras are written in C or C++";
Lingo#event supertype: #event,
definition: "action occurring while a movie is playing",
annotation: "all events in Director are predefined, and always have the same meaning",
subtype: Lingo#movie_event Lingo#frame_event Lingo#sprite_event Lingo#tick_event;
Lingo#movie_event
subtype: Lingo#startmovie Lingo#stopmovie;
Lingo#frame_event
subtype: Lingo#prepareframe Lingo#enterframe Lingo#exitframe;
Lingo#prepareframe annotation: "called before the current frame is drawn";
Lingo#exitframe annotation: "called when current frame has been drawn";
Lingo#sprite_event
subtype: Lingo#mouseenter Lingo#mouseleave Lingo#mousedown Lingo#mouseup
Lingo#beginsprite Lingo#keyDown Lingo#keyUp;
Lingo#mouseenter annotation: "called when cursor enters the sprite";
Lingo#mouseleave annotation: "called when cursor leaves the sprite";
Lingo#mousedown annotation: "called when left mouse button pressed over a sprite";
Lingo#mouseup annotation: "called when left mouse button released over a sprite";
Lingo#beginsprite annotation: "called when sprite is created";
Lingo#timer supertype: #timer,
definition: "a free running timer that counts time in ticks",
annotation: "the timer property is useful for determining the amount of time
passed since the starttimer command was issued",
agent of: Lingo#timing_process;
Lingo#timing_process
output: Lingo#tick_event,
parameter: Lingo#starttimer,
object: Lingo#tick;
Lingo#tick supertype: #time_unit,
definition: "a basic time unit in Director",
annotation: "1 tick = 1/60 of a second"
"counting ticks begins from the time the computer is started",
object of: Lingo#the_tick;
Functions and handlers within scripts
Lingo#handler supertype: #subroutine,
definition: "sets of statements within a script that are run in response to
a specific event and subsequent message",
annotation: "when an event occurs, Director generates and sends a corresponding message
to scripts, and a corresponding handler runs in response to the message",
subtype: {Lingo#predefined_handler Lingo#user_defined_handler}
Lingo#event_handler Lingo#function,
input: Lingo#message Lingo#parameter;
Lingo#predefined_handler
subtype: Lingo#starttimer Lingo#symbol_method;
Lingo#starttimer
purpose: "sets the timer property to 0 and resets all the accumulating timers";
Lingo#event_handler annotation: "starts with 'on' finishes with 'end'";
Lingo#function
subtype: Lingo#predefined_function Lingo#user_defined_function,
purpose: "returns a value or instructs a movie to do something while it is playing",
annotation: "a function uses the keyword 'return' to return is result, as in
on findcolor
return sprite(1).forecolor
end "
"a function returning a result must use parentheses after its name when
it is called from another handler, as in 'put findcolor()' or 'beep(3)'";
Lingo#message supertype: #message,
definition: "a notice that Director sends to a script when a specific event occurs in a movie",
example: "an enterframe message when the enterframe event occurs";
Lingo#parameter supertype: is#subroutine_parameter,
definition: "placeholder to pass a value to a handler",
annotation: "if more than one parameter is passed, they are separated by commas";
Statements, expressions and operators
Lingo#statement
subtype: Lingo#control_statement Lingo#command,
definition: "valid instruction that Director can execute",
annotation: "all scripts are made up of sets of statements",
part: Lingo#expression;
Lingo#control_statement
subtype: Lingo#if_statement Lingo#case_statement Lingo#repeat_statement;
Lingo#if_statement
syntax: "if STATEMENTS then STATEMENTS [else STATEMENTS [else if STATEMENTS]] end if",
annotation: "if the condition is true, the statements following 'then' are executed,
otherwise, the statements following 'else' or 'else if' are executed";
Lingo#case_statement
annotation: "a shortcut to using if...then ...else structures"
"when setting up multiple branching structures, the case and
switch...case structures are often more efficient and easier to
read than many if...then...else structures";
Lingo#repeat_statement
subtype: Lingo#repeat_with Lingo#repeat_while ;
Lingo#repeat_with
use: "useful for performing the same operation on a series of objects";
Lingo#repeat_while
use: "to repeat a set of instructions as long as a specific condition exists";
Lingo#expression
definition: "any part of a statement that produces a value",
example: "2 + 2",
part: Lingo#operator Lingo#basic_syntactic_unit Lingo#list;
Lingo#operator supertype: #operator,
definition: "calculate a new value from one or more values",
subtype: Lingo#arithmetic_operator Lingo#comparison_operator
Lingo#logical_operator Lingo#string_operator
Lingo#linear_list_operator Lingo#property_list_operator;
Lingo#arithmetic_operator annotation: '+' '-' '*' '/';
Lingo#comparison_operator annotation: '<' '>' '=';
Lingo#logical_operator annotation: 'not' 'and' 'or';
Lingo#string_operator annotation: '&' '&&';
Lingo#linear_list_operator
annotation: 'listname.getat(list, position)'
'listname.setat(list, ordernumber, value)'
'listname.addat(list, position, value)'
'listname.deleteat(list, number)'
'listname.deleteone(list, value)'
'listname.count (list)' 'listname.getone(list, value)'
'listname.getpos(list, value)' 'listname.sort(list)'
'listname.add(linearlist, value)'
'listname.append(list, value)' 'listname.listp(item)',
example: "age.addat (3, 32)";
Lingo#property_list_operator
annotation: 'listname.getprop(list, property)' 'listname.getpropat(list, index)'
'listname.getaprop(list, item)'
'listname.setprop(list, property, newvalue)'
'listname.setaprop(list, listproperty, newvalue)'
'listname.addprop(list, property, value)'
'listname.deleteprop(list, item)',
example: "age.getprop ('jun')";
Lingo basic syntactic units
Lingo#basic_syntactic_unit supertype: #language_unit,
subtype: Lingo#symbol Lingo#constant Lingo#keyword Lingo#variable Lingo#list;
Lingo#symbol
definition: "a symbol is a string or other value that begins with the hash (#) sign",
annotation: "symbols are user-defined constants. comparisons using symbols can usually
be performed very quickly, providing more efficient code"
"symbols cannot contain spaces or punctuation"
"can be generated by the symbol method () as in
'x = string(#novice)' which results in 'novice'";
Lingo#keyword definition: "reserved word that have a special meaning",
example: 'on' 'end';
Lingo#constant definition: "elements whose values do not change",
example: 'true' 'false' 'space' 'tab' 'empty' 'return';
Lingo#variable
definition: "element used to store and update values",
annotation: "must start with a letter, an underscore (_), or the dollar sign ($);
subsequent characters can also be digits (0-9)"
"the equals (=) operator must be used for assigning values to
variables or change the values of many properties",
subtype: Lingo#local_variable Lingo#global_variable Lingo#me Lingo#the_tick;
Lingo#local_variable
annotation: "variables declared in a procedure are local to it"
"a local variable exists only as long as the handler in which
it is defined is running";
Lingo#global_variable annotation: "when declared as global (for whole movie)";
Lingo#me
use: "within a method of a behavior object, refers to that object, as in
'me.spritenum', 'put sprite(me.spritenum).member' and
'put sprite(me.spritenum).member.name'",
annotation: "the term me is used by convention (no predefined meaning in Lingo)";
Lingo#list supertype: sumo#list,
definition: "ordered set of values used to track and update an array of data",
annotation: "contain any type of data including integer/floating values, string,
other variables/lists",
subtype: Lingo#linear_list Lingo#property_list,
example: '[1, 4, 2]' '[#jun:19, #mary: 32, "John":43]';
Lingo#linear_list output of: Lingo#linear_list_operator;
Lingo#property_list output of: Lingo#property_list_operator;
Other syntax-related elements
Lingo#comment supertype: #annotation,
syntax: "preceded by double hyphens (--)",
purpose: "making it easier to understand or remember the design of a procedure"
"comment markers can also be used to comment out sections of code for
testing/debugging purposes",
annotation: "each line of a comment that covers multiple lines must be preceded by
double hyphens"
"the content of comments can be any string"
"adding many comments does not increase the size of your movie file when
saved as a compressed dcr or dxr file";
Lingo#line_continuation_symbol supertype: #symbol,
annotation: "this symbol ('\'), used before a cariage return, means that the following
line is interpreted as if it was on the same line";
Lingo#character_space supertype: sumo#character,
annotation: "spaces within expressions and statements are ignored; in strings of
characters surrounded by quotation marks, they are not ignored";
Lingo#case_sensitivity supertype: is#case_sensitivity,
annotation: "Lingo syntactic unit are not case-sensitive, except for literal strings";
Lingo#syntax supertype: #syntax,
subtype: Lingo#verbose_syntax Lingo#dot_syntax;
Lingo#verbose_syntax example: "set the loch of sprite 1 to 100"
"put 100 into the loch of sprite 1";
Lingo#dot_syntax example: "sprite(1).loch = 100";