Packageflash.display
Classpublic class Sprite
InheritanceSprite Inheritance DisplayObjectContainer Inheritance InteractiveObject Inheritance DisplayObject Inheritance EventDispatcher Inheritance Object
SubclassesHTMLLoader, MovieClip

Language version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime version: AIR 1.0

The Sprite class is a basic display list building block: a display list node that can display graphics and can also contain children.

A Sprite object is similar to a movie clip, but does not have a timeline. Sprite is an appropriate base class for objects that do not require timelines. For example, Sprite would be a logical base class for user interface (UI) components that typically do not use the timeline.

The Sprite class is new in ActionScript 3.0. It provides an alternative to the functionality of the MovieClip class, which retains all the functionality of previous ActionScript releases to provide backward compatibility.

View the examples.



Public Properties
 PropertyDefined by
 InheritedaccessibilityImplementation : AccessibilityImplementation
The current accessibility implementation (AccessibilityImplementation) for this InteractiveObject instance.
InteractiveObject
 InheritedaccessibilityProperties : AccessibilityProperties
The current accessibility options for this display object.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedalpha : Number
Indicates the alpha transparency value of the object specified.
DisplayObject
 InheritedblendMode : String
A value from the BlendMode class that specifies which blend mode to use.
DisplayObject
 InheritedblendShader : Shader
Sets a shader that is used for blending the foreground and background.
DisplayObject
  buttonMode : Boolean
Specifies the button mode of this sprite.
Sprite
 InheritedcacheAsBitmap : Boolean
If set to true, Flash runtimes cache an internal bitmap representation of the display object.
DisplayObject
 InheritedcacheAsBitmapMatrix : Matrix
If non-null, this Matrix object defines how a display object is rendered when cacheAsBitmap is set to true.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedconstructor : Object
A reference to the class object or constructor function for a given object instance.
Object
 InheritedcontextMenu : NativeMenu
Specifies the context menu associated with this object.
InteractiveObject
 InheriteddoubleClickEnabled : Boolean
Specifies whether the object receives doubleClick events.
InteractiveObject
  dropTarget : DisplayObject
[read-only] Specifies the display object over which the sprite is being dragged, or on which the sprite was dropped.
Sprite
 Inheritedfilters : Array
An indexed array that contains each filter object currently associated with the display object.
DisplayObject
 InheritedfocusRect : Object
Specifies whether this object displays a focus rectangle.
InteractiveObject
  graphics : Graphics
[read-only] Specifies the Graphics object that belongs to this sprite where vector drawing commands can occur.
Sprite
 Inheritedheight : Number
Indicates the height of the display object, in pixels.
DisplayObject
  hitArea : Sprite
Designates another sprite to serve as the hit area for a sprite.
Sprite
 InheritedloaderInfo : LoaderInfo
Returns a LoaderInfo object containing information about loading the file to which this display object belongs.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedmask : DisplayObject
The calling display object is masked by the specified mask object.
DisplayObject
 InheritedmetaData : Object
Obtains the meta data object of the DisplayObject instance if meta data was stored alongside the the instance of this DisplayObject in the SWF file through a PlaceObject4 tag.
DisplayObject
 InheritedmouseChildren : Boolean
Determines whether or not the children of the object are mouse, or user input device, enabled.
DisplayObjectContainer
 InheritedmouseEnabled : Boolean
Specifies whether this object receives mouse, or other user input, messages.
InteractiveObject
 InheritedmouseX : Number
Indicates the x coordinate of the mouse or user input device position, in pixels.
DisplayObject
 InheritedmouseY : Number
Indicates the y coordinate of the mouse or user input device position, in pixels.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedname : String
Indicates the instance name of the DisplayObject.
DisplayObject
 InheritedneedsSoftKeyboard : Boolean
Specifies whether a virtual keyboard (an on-screen, software keyboard) should display when this InteractiveObject instance receives focus.
InteractiveObject
 InheritednumChildren : int
Returns the number of children of this object.
DisplayObjectContainer
 InheritedopaqueBackground : Object
Specifies whether the display object is opaque with a certain background color.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedparent : DisplayObjectContainer
Indicates the DisplayObjectContainer object that contains this display object.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedprototype : Object
[static] A reference to the prototype object of a class or function object.
Object
 Inheritedroot : DisplayObject
For a display object in a loaded SWF file, the root property is the top-most display object in the portion of the display list's tree structure represented by that SWF file.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedrotation : Number
Indicates the rotation of the DisplayObject instance, in degrees, from its original orientation.
DisplayObject
 InheritedrotationX : Number
Indicates the x-axis rotation of the DisplayObject instance, in degrees, from its original orientation relative to the 3D parent container.
DisplayObject
 InheritedrotationY : Number
Indicates the y-axis rotation of the DisplayObject instance, in degrees, from its original orientation relative to the 3D parent container.
DisplayObject
 InheritedrotationZ : Number
Indicates the z-axis rotation of the DisplayObject instance, in degrees, from its original orientation relative to the 3D parent container.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedscale9Grid : Rectangle
The current scaling grid that is in effect.
DisplayObject
 InheritedscaleX : Number
Indicates the horizontal scale (percentage) of the object as applied from the registration point.
DisplayObject
 InheritedscaleY : Number
Indicates the vertical scale (percentage) of an object as applied from the registration point of the object.
DisplayObject
 InheritedscaleZ : Number
Indicates the depth scale (percentage) of an object as applied from the registration point of the object.
DisplayObject
 InheritedscrollRect : Rectangle
The scroll rectangle bounds of the display object.
DisplayObject
 InheritedsoftKeyboard : String
Controls the appearance of the soft keyboard.
InteractiveObject
 InheritedsoftKeyboardInputAreaOfInterest : Rectangle
Defines the area that should remain on-screen when a soft keyboard is displayed (not available on iOS).
InteractiveObject
  soundTransform : SoundTransform
Controls sound within this sprite.
Sprite
 Inheritedstage : Stage
The Stage of the display object.
DisplayObject
 InheritedtabChildren : Boolean
Determines whether the children of the object are tab enabled.
DisplayObjectContainer
 InheritedtabEnabled : Boolean
Specifies whether this object is in the tab order.
InteractiveObject
 InheritedtabIndex : int
Specifies the tab ordering of objects in a SWF file.
InteractiveObject
 InheritedtextSnapshot : TextSnapshot
Returns a TextSnapshot object for this DisplayObjectContainer instance.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inheritedtransform : Transform
An object with properties pertaining to a display object's matrix, color transform, and pixel bounds.
DisplayObject
  useHandCursor : Boolean
A Boolean value that indicates whether the pointing hand (hand cursor) appears when the pointer rolls over a sprite in which the buttonMode property is set to true.
Sprite
 Inheritedvisible : Boolean
Whether or not the display object is visible.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedwidth : Number
Indicates the width of the display object, in pixels.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedx : Number
Indicates the x coordinate of the DisplayObject instance relative to the local coordinates of the parent DisplayObjectContainer.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedy : Number
Indicates the y coordinate of the DisplayObject instance relative to the local coordinates of the parent DisplayObjectContainer.
DisplayObject
 Inheritedz : Number
Indicates the z coordinate position along the z-axis of the DisplayObject instance relative to the 3D parent container.
DisplayObject
Public Methods
 MethodDefined by
  
Creates a new Sprite instance.
Sprite
 Inherited
Adds a child DisplayObject instance to this DisplayObjectContainer instance.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Adds a child DisplayObject instance to this DisplayObjectContainer instance.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
addEventListener(type:String, listener:Function, useCapture:Boolean = false, priority:int = 0, useWeakReference:Boolean = false):void
Registers an event listener object with an EventDispatcher object so that the listener receives notification of an event.
EventDispatcher
 Inherited
Indicates whether the security restrictions would cause any display objects to be omitted from the list returned by calling the DisplayObjectContainer.getObjectsUnderPoint() method with the specified point point.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Determines whether the specified display object is a child of the DisplayObjectContainer instance or the instance itself.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Dispatches an event into the event flow.
EventDispatcher
 Inherited
getBounds(targetCoordinateSpace:DisplayObject):Rectangle
Returns a rectangle that defines the area of the display object relative to the coordinate system of the targetCoordinateSpace object.
DisplayObject
 Inherited
Returns the child display object instance that exists at the specified index.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Returns the child display object that exists with the specified name.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Returns the index position of a child DisplayObject instance.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Returns an array of objects that lie under the specified point and are children (or grandchildren, and so on) of this DisplayObjectContainer instance.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
getRect(targetCoordinateSpace:DisplayObject):Rectangle
Returns a rectangle that defines the boundary of the display object, based on the coordinate system defined by the targetCoordinateSpace parameter, excluding any strokes on shapes.
DisplayObject
 Inherited
Converts the point object from the Stage (global) coordinates to the display object's (local) coordinates.
DisplayObject
 Inherited
Converts a two-dimensional point from the Stage (global) coordinates to a three-dimensional display object's (local) coordinates.
DisplayObject
 Inherited
Checks whether the EventDispatcher object has any listeners registered for a specific type of event.
EventDispatcher
 Inherited
Indicates whether an object has a specified property defined.
Object
 Inherited
Evaluates the bounding box of the display object to see if it overlaps or intersects with the bounding box of the obj display object.
DisplayObject
 Inherited
hitTestPoint(x:Number, y:Number, shapeFlag:Boolean = false):Boolean
Evaluates the display object to see if it overlaps or intersects with the point specified by the x and y parameters.
DisplayObject
 Inherited
Indicates whether an instance of the Object class is in the prototype chain of the object specified as the parameter.
Object
 Inherited
Converts a three-dimensional point of the three-dimensional display object's (local) coordinates to a two-dimensional point in the Stage (global) coordinates.
DisplayObject
 Inherited
Converts the point object from the display object's (local) coordinates to the Stage (global) coordinates.
DisplayObject
 Inherited
Indicates whether the specified property exists and is enumerable.
Object
 Inherited
Removes the specified child DisplayObject instance from the child list of the DisplayObjectContainer instance.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Removes a child DisplayObject from the specified index position in the child list of the DisplayObjectContainer.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
removeChildren(beginIndex:int = 0, endIndex:int = 0x7fffffff):void
Removes all child DisplayObject instances from the child list of the DisplayObjectContainer instance.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
removeEventListener(type:String, listener:Function, useCapture:Boolean = false):void
Removes a listener from the EventDispatcher object.
EventDispatcher
 Inherited
Raises a virtual keyboard.
InteractiveObject
 Inherited
Changes the position of an existing child in the display object container.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Sets the availability of a dynamic property for loop operations.
Object
  
startDrag(lockCenter:Boolean = false, bounds:Rectangle = null):void
Lets the user drag the specified sprite.
Sprite
  
startTouchDrag(touchPointID:int, lockCenter:Boolean = false, bounds:Rectangle = null):void
Lets the user drag the specified sprite on a touch-enabled device.
Sprite
 Inherited
Recursively stops the timeline execution of all MovieClips rooted at this object.
DisplayObjectContainer
  
Ends the startDrag() method.
Sprite
  
stopTouchDrag(touchPointID:int):void
Ends the startTouchDrag() method, for use with touch-enabled devices.
Sprite
 Inherited
Swaps the z-order (front-to-back order) of the two specified child objects.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
swapChildrenAt(index1:int, index2:int):void
Swaps the z-order (front-to-back order) of the child objects at the two specified index positions in the child list.
DisplayObjectContainer
 Inherited
Returns the string representation of this object, formatted according to locale-specific conventions.
Object
 Inherited
Returns the string representation of the specified object.
Object
 Inherited
Returns the primitive value of the specified object.
Object
 Inherited
Checks whether an event listener is registered with this EventDispatcher object or any of its ancestors for the specified event type.
EventDispatcher
Events
 EventSummaryDefined by
 Inherited [broadcast event] Dispatched when the Flash Player or AIR application gains operating system focus and becomes active.EventDispatcher
 Inherited Dispatched when a display object is added to the display list.DisplayObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a display object is added to the on stage display list, either directly or through the addition of a sub tree in which the display object is contained.DisplayObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user selects 'Clear' (or 'Delete') from the text context menu.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a user presses and releases the main button of the user's pointing device over the same InteractiveObject.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a user gesture triggers the context menu associated with this interactive object in an AIR application.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user activates the platform-specific accelerator key combination for a copy operation or selects 'Copy' from the text context menu.InteractiveObject
 Inherited
cut
Dispatched when the user activates the platform-specific accelerator key combination for a cut operation or selects 'Cut' from the text context menu.InteractiveObject
 Inherited [broadcast event] Dispatched when the Flash Player or AIR application operating loses system focus and is becoming inactive.EventDispatcher
 Inherited Dispatched when a user presses and releases the main button of a pointing device twice in rapid succession over the same InteractiveObject when that object's doubleClickEnabled flag is set to true.InteractiveObject
 Inherited [broadcast event] Dispatched when the playhead is entering a new frame.DisplayObject
 Inherited [broadcast event] Dispatched when the playhead is exiting the current frame.DisplayObject
 Inherited Dispatched after a display object gains focus.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched after a display object loses focus.InteractiveObject
 Inherited [broadcast event] Dispatched after the constructors of frame display objects have run but before frame scripts have run.DisplayObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user creates a point of contact along the edge of the touch surface with an InteractiveObject instance, (such as tapping along the edge of the touch surface on Siri Remote for Apple TV) Some devices might also interpret this contact as a combination of several touch events, as well.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user presses two points of contact over the same InteractiveObject instance on a touch-enabled device (such as presses and releases two fingers over a display object on a mobile phone or tablet with a touch screen).InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user moves a point of contact over the InteractiveObject instance on a touch-enabled device (such as moving a finger from left to right over a display object on a mobile phone or tablet with a touch screen).InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user performs a rotation gesture at a point of contact with an InteractiveObject instance (such as touching two fingers and rotating them over a display object on a mobile phone or tablet with a touch screen).InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user performs a swipe gesture at a point of contact with an InteractiveObject instance (such as touching three fingers to a screen and then moving them in parallel over a display object on a mobile phone or tablet with a touch screen).InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user creates a point of contact with an InteractiveObject instance, then taps on a touch-enabled device (such as placing several fingers over a display object to open a menu and then taps one finger to select a menu item on a mobile phone or tablet with a touch screen).InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user performs a zoom gesture at a point of contact with an InteractiveObject instance (such as touching two fingers to a screen and then quickly spreading the fingers apart over a display object on a mobile phone or tablet with a touch screen).InteractiveObject
 Inherited This event is dispatched to any client app that supports inline input with an IME InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user presses a key.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user attempts to change focus by using keyboard navigation.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user releases a key.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a user presses and releases the middle button of the user's pointing device over the same InteractiveObject.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a user presses the middle pointing device button over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a user releases the pointing device button over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a user presses the pointing device button over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user attempts to change focus by using a pointer device.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a user moves the pointing device while it is over an InteractiveObject.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user moves a pointing device away from an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user moves a pointing device over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a user releases the pointing device button over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a mouse wheel is spun over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a horizontal mouse wheel is spun over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched by the drag initiator InteractiveObject when the user releases the drag gesture.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched by the target InteractiveObject when a dragged object is dropped on it and the drop has been accepted with a call to DragManager.acceptDragDrop().InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched by an InteractiveObject when a drag gesture enters its boundary.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched by an InteractiveObject when a drag gesture leaves its boundary.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched by an InteractiveObject continually while a drag gesture remains within its boundary.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched at the beginning of a drag operation by the InteractiveObject that is specified as the drag initiator in the DragManager.doDrag() call.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched during a drag operation by the InteractiveObject that is specified as the drag initiator in the DragManager.doDrag() call.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user activates the platform-specific accelerator key combination for a paste operation or selects 'Paste' from the text context menu.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user lowers an active stylus past the proximity detection threshold of the screen.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user lifts an active stylus above the proximity detection threshold of the screen.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user moves an active stylus over the screen while remaining within the proximity detection threshold.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user moves an active stylus away from this InteractiveObject while remaining within the proximity detection threshold of the screen.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user moves an active stylus directly above this InteractiveObject while remaining within the proximity detection threshold of the screen.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user moves an active stylus away from this InteractiveObject and any of its children while remaining within the proximity detection threshold of the screen.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user moves an active stylus over this InteractiveObject from outside the object's tree of descendents in the display list (while remaining within the proximity detection threshold of the screen).InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a user releases the button on the pointing device after the user first pressed the button over an InteractiveObject instance and then moved the pointing device off of the InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a display object is about to be removed from the display list.DisplayObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a display object is about to be removed from the display list, either directly or through the removal of a sub tree in which the display object is contained.DisplayObject
 Inherited [broadcast event] Dispatched when the display list is about to be updated and rendered.DisplayObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a user presses and releases the right button of the user's pointing device over the same InteractiveObject.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a user presses the pointing device button over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a user releases the pointing device button over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user moves a pointing device away from an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user moves a pointing device over an InteractiveObject instance.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user activates the platform-specific accelerator key combination for a select all operation or selects 'Select All' from the text context menu.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched immediately after the soft keyboard is raised.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched immediately before the soft keyboard is raised.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched immediately after the soft keyboard is lowered.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the value of the object's tabChildren flag changes.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the object's tabEnabled flag changes.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the value of the object's tabIndex property changes.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when a user enters one or more characters of text.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user first contacts a touch-enabled device (such as touches a finger to a mobile phone or tablet with a touch screen).InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user removes contact with a touch-enabled device (such as lifts a finger off a mobile phone or tablet with a touch screen).InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user touches the device, and is continuously dispatched until the point of contact is removed.InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user moves the point of contact away from InteractiveObject instance on a touch-enabled device (such as drags a finger from one display object to another on a mobile phone or tablet with a touch screen).InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user moves the point of contact over an InteractiveObject instance on a touch-enabled device (such as drags a finger from a point outside a display object to a point over a display object on a mobile phone or tablet with a touch screen).InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user moves the point of contact away from an InteractiveObject instance on a touch-enabled device (such as drags a finger from over a display object to a point outside the display object on a mobile phone or tablet with a touch screen).InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user moves the point of contact over an InteractiveObject instance on a touch-enabled device (such as drags a finger from a point outside a display object to a point over a display object on a mobile phone or tablet with a touch screen).InteractiveObject
 Inherited Dispatched when the user lifts the point of contact over the same InteractiveObject instance on which the contact was initiated on a touch-enabled device (such as presses and releases a finger from a single point over a display object on a mobile phone or tablet with a touch screen).InteractiveObject
Property detail
buttonModeproperty
buttonMode:Boolean  [read-write]

Language version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime version: AIR 1.0

Specifies the button mode of this sprite. If true, this sprite behaves as a button, which means that it triggers the display of the hand cursor when the pointer passes over the sprite and can receive a click event if the enter or space keys are pressed when the sprite has focus. You can suppress the display of the hand cursor by setting the useHandCursor property to false, in which case the pointer is displayed.

Although it is better to use the SimpleButton class to create buttons, you can use the buttonMode property to give a sprite some button-like functionality. To include a sprite in the tab order, set the tabEnabled property (inherited from the InteractiveObject class and false by default) to true. Additionally, consider whether you want the children of your sprite to be user input enabled. Most buttons do not enable user input interactivity for their child objects because it confuses the event flow. To disable user input interactivity for all child objects, you must set the mouseChildren property (inherited from the DisplayObjectContainer class) to false.

If you use the buttonMode property with the MovieClip class (which is a subclass of the Sprite class), your button might have some added functionality. If you include frames labeled _up, _over, and _down, Flash Player provides automatic state changes (functionality similar to that provided in previous versions of ActionScript for movie clips used as buttons). These automatic state changes are not available for sprites, which have no timeline, and thus no frames to label.

Implementation
    public function get buttonMode():Boolean
    public function set buttonMode(value:Boolean):void

See also


Example
The following example creates two sprites and sets the buttonMode property to true for one and false for the other. When you compile and run the application, both sprites respond to mouse events, but only the one in which buttonMode is set to true uses the hand cursor and is included in the tab order:
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.events.MouseEvent;

var circle1:Sprite = new Sprite();
circle1.graphics.beginFill(0xFFCC00);
circle1.graphics.drawCircle(40, 40, 40);
circle1.buttonMode = true;
circle1.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, clicked);

var circle2:Sprite = new Sprite();
circle2.graphics.beginFill(0xFFCC00);
circle2.graphics.drawCircle(120, 40, 40);
circle2.buttonMode = false;
circle2.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, clicked);

function clicked(event:MouseEvent):void {
    trace ("Click!");
}

addChild(circle1);
addChild(circle2);

dropTargetproperty 
dropTarget:DisplayObject  [read-only]

Language version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime version: AIR 1.0

Specifies the display object over which the sprite is being dragged, or on which the sprite was dropped.

Implementation
    public function get dropTarget():DisplayObject

See also


Example
The following example creates a circle sprite and two target sprites. The startDrag() method is called on the circle sprite when the user positions the cursor over the sprite and presses the mouse button, and the stopDrag() method is called when the user releases the mouse button. This lets the user drag the sprite. On release of the mouse button, the mouseRelease() method is called, which in turn traces the name of the dropTarget object — the one to which the user dragged the circle sprite:
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.events.MouseEvent;

var circle:Sprite = new Sprite();
circle.graphics.beginFill(0xFFCC00);
circle.graphics.drawCircle(0, 0, 40);

var target1:Sprite = new Sprite();
target1.graphics.beginFill(0xCCFF00);
target1.graphics.drawRect(0, 0, 100, 100);
target1.name = "target1";

var target2:Sprite = new Sprite();
target2.graphics.beginFill(0xCCFF00);
target2.graphics.drawRect(0, 200, 100, 100);
target2.name = "target2";

addChild(target1);
addChild(target2);
addChild(circle);

circle.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDown) 

function mouseDown(event:MouseEvent):void {
    circle.startDrag();
}
circle.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP, mouseReleased);

function mouseReleased(event:MouseEvent):void {
	circle.stopDrag();
	trace(circle.dropTarget.name);
}

graphicsproperty 
graphics:Graphics  [read-only]

Language version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime version: AIR 1.0

Specifies the Graphics object that belongs to this sprite where vector drawing commands can occur.

Implementation
    public function get graphics():Graphics

Example
The following example creates a circle sprite and uses its graphics property to draw a circle with a yellow (0xFFCC00) fill:
import flash.display.Sprite;

var circle:Sprite = new Sprite();
circle.graphics.beginFill(0xFFCC00);
circle.graphics.drawCircle(40, 40, 40);
addChild(circle);

hitAreaproperty 
hitArea:Sprite  [read-write]

Language version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime version: AIR 1.0

Designates another sprite to serve as the hit area for a sprite. If the hitArea property does not exist or the value is null or undefined, the sprite itself is used as the hit area. The value of the hitArea property can be a reference to a Sprite object.

You can change the hitArea property at any time; the modified sprite immediately uses the new hit area behavior. The sprite designated as the hit area does not need to be visible; its graphical shape, although not visible, is still detected as the hit area.

Note: You must set to false the mouseEnabled property of the sprite designated as the hit area. Otherwise, your sprite button might not work because the sprite designated as the hit area receives the user input events instead of your sprite button.

Implementation
    public function get hitArea():Sprite
    public function set hitArea(value:Sprite):void

Example
The following example creates a circle sprite and a square sprite. The square sprite is the hitArea for the circle sprite. So when the user clicks the square sprite, the circle sprite dispatches a click event:
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.events.MouseEvent;

var circle:Sprite = new Sprite();
circle.graphics.beginFill(0xFFCC00);
circle.graphics.drawCircle(0, 0, 40);

var square:Sprite = new Sprite();
square.graphics.beginFill(0xCCFF00);
square.graphics.drawRect(200, 0, 100, 100);

circle.hitArea = square;
square.mouseEnabled = false;

circle.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, clicked);

function clicked(event:MouseEvent):void{
    trace(event.target == circle); // true
	trace(event.target == square); // false
}

addChild(circle);
addChild(square);

soundTransformproperty 
soundTransform:SoundTransform  [read-write]

Language version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime version: AIR 1.0

Controls sound within this sprite.

Note: This property does not affect HTML content in an HTMLControl object (in Adobe AIR).

Implementation
    public function get soundTransform():SoundTransform
    public function set soundTransform(value:SoundTransform):void

See also


Example
The following example creates a sprite named container and adds a Loader object to its child list. The Loader object loads a SWF file. When the user clicks the link in the tf text field true, the mute() method sets the volume property of the soundTransform property of the container sprite:
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.display.Loader;
import flash.events.IOErrorEvent;
import flash.events.MouseEvent;
import flash.net.URLRequest;
import flash.text.TextField;
import flash.media.SoundTransform;

var container:Sprite = new Sprite();
addChild(container);

var ldr:Loader = new Loader;
var urlReq:URLRequest = new URLRequest("SoundPlayer.swf");
ldr.load(urlReq);

container.addChild(ldr);
ldr.contentLoaderInfo.addEventListener(IOErrorEvent.IO_ERROR, urlNotFound);
    		
var tf:TextField = new TextField();
tf.htmlText = "<a href = 'event:Mute'>Mute / Unmute</a>";
addChild(tf);

var mySoundTransform:SoundTransform = new SoundTransform();
mySoundTransform.volume = 1;

tf.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, mute);

function mute(event:MouseEvent):void {	
	if (mySoundTransform.volume == 0) {
		mySoundTransform.volume = 1;
	} else {
		mySoundTransform.volume = 0;		
	}
	container.soundTransform = mySoundTransform;
}

function urlNotFound(event:IOErrorEvent):void {
	trace("The URL was not found."); 
}

useHandCursorproperty 
useHandCursor:Boolean  [read-write]

Language version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime version: AIR 1.0

A Boolean value that indicates whether the pointing hand (hand cursor) appears when the pointer rolls over a sprite in which the buttonMode property is set to true. The default value of the useHandCursor property is true. If useHandCursor is set to true, the pointing hand used for buttons appears when the pointer rolls over a button sprite. If useHandCursor is false, the arrow pointer is used instead.

You can change the useHandCursor property at any time; the modified sprite immediately takes on the new cursor appearance.

Note: In Flex or Flash Builder, if your sprite has child sprites, you might want to set the mouseChildren property to false. For example, if you want a hand cursor to appear over a Flex <mx:Label> control, set the useHandCursor and buttonMode properties to true, and the mouseChildren property to false.

Implementation
    public function get useHandCursor():Boolean
    public function set useHandCursor(value:Boolean):void

See also


Example
The following example creates two sprites and sets the buttonMode property to true for both, yet it sets the useHandCursor property to true for one and false for the other. When you compile and run the application, both sprites respond as buttons (and are included in the tab order), but only the one in which useHandCursor is set to true uses the hand cursor:
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.events.MouseEvent;

var circle1:Sprite = new Sprite();
circle1.graphics.beginFill(0xFFCC00);
circle1.graphics.drawCircle(40, 40, 40);
circle1.buttonMode = true;
circle1.useHandCursor = true;
circle1.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, clicked);

var circle2:Sprite = new Sprite();
circle2.graphics.beginFill(0xFFCC00);
circle2.graphics.drawCircle(120, 40, 40);
circle2.buttonMode = true;
circle2.useHandCursor = false;
circle2.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, clicked);

function clicked(event:MouseEvent):void {
    trace ("Click!");
}

addChild(circle1);
addChild(circle2);

Constructor detail
Sprite()constructor
public function Sprite()

Language version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime version: AIR 1.0

Creates a new Sprite instance. After you create the Sprite instance, call the DisplayObjectContainer.addChild() or DisplayObjectContainer.addChildAt() method to add the Sprite to a parent DisplayObjectContainer.

Method detail
startDrag()method
public function startDrag(lockCenter:Boolean = false, bounds:Rectangle = null):void

Language version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime version: AIR 1.0

Lets the user drag the specified sprite. The sprite remains draggable until explicitly stopped through a call to the Sprite.stopDrag() method, or until another sprite is made draggable. Only one sprite is draggable at a time.

Three-dimensional display objects follow the pointer and Sprite.startDrag() moves the object within the three-dimensional plane defined by the display object. Or, if the display object is a two-dimensional object and the child of a three-dimensional object, the two-dimensional object moves within the three dimensional plane defined by the three-dimensional parent object.

Parameters
lockCenter:Boolean (default = false) — Specifies whether the draggable sprite is locked to the center of the pointer position (true), or locked to the point where the user first clicked the sprite (false).
 
bounds:Rectangle (default = null) — Value relative to the coordinates of the Sprite's parent that specify a constraint rectangle for the Sprite.

See also


Example
The following example creates a circle sprite and two target sprites. The startDrag() method is called on the circle sprite when the user positions the cursor over the sprite and presses the mouse button, and the stopDrag() method is called when the user releases the mouse button. This lets the user drag the sprite. On release of the mouse button, the mouseRelease() method is called, which in turn traces the name of the dropTarget object — the one to which the user dragged the circle sprite:
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.events.MouseEvent;

var circle:Sprite = new Sprite();
circle.graphics.beginFill(0xFFCC00);
circle.graphics.drawCircle(0, 0, 40);

var target1:Sprite = new Sprite();
target1.graphics.beginFill(0xCCFF00);
target1.graphics.drawRect(0, 0, 100, 100);
target1.name = "target1";

var target2:Sprite = new Sprite();
target2.graphics.beginFill(0xCCFF00);
target2.graphics.drawRect(0, 200, 100, 100);
target2.name = "target2";

addChild(target1);
addChild(target2);
addChild(circle);

circle.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDown) 

function mouseDown(event:MouseEvent):void {
    circle.startDrag();
}
circle.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP, mouseReleased);

function mouseReleased(event:MouseEvent):void {
	circle.stopDrag();
	trace(circle.dropTarget.name);
}

startTouchDrag()method 
public function startTouchDrag(touchPointID:int, lockCenter:Boolean = false, bounds:Rectangle = null):void

Language version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime version: AIR 2

Lets the user drag the specified sprite on a touch-enabled device. The sprite remains draggable until explicitly stopped through a call to the Sprite.stopTouchDrag() method, or until another sprite is made draggable. Only one sprite is draggable at a time.

Three-dimensional display objects follow the pointer and Sprite.startTouchDrag() moves the object within the three-dimensional plane defined by the display object. Or, if the display object is a two-dimensional object and the child of a three-dimensional object, the two-dimensional object moves within the three dimensional plane defined by the three-dimensional parent object.

Parameters
touchPointID:int — An integer to assign to the touch point.
 
lockCenter:Boolean (default = false) — Specifies whether the draggable sprite is locked to the center of the pointer position (true), or locked to the point where the user first clicked the sprite (false).
 
bounds:Rectangle (default = null) — Value relative to the coordinates of the Sprite's parent that specify a constraint rectangle for the Sprite.

See also


Example
The following example shows functions using startTouchDrag and stopTouchDrag to handle the touchBegin and touchEnd events. The value for touchPointID is the value assigned to the event object. The bounds parameter is the rectangle defining the boundaries of the parent display object (bg is a display object containing MySprite).
MySprite.addEventListener(TouchEvent.TOUCH_BEGIN, onTouchBegin);
MySprite.addEventListener(TouchEvent.TOUCH_END, onTouchEnd);

function onTouchBegin(e:TouchEvent) {
     e.target.startTouchDrag(e.touchPointID, false, bg.getRect(this));
 	trace("touch begin");
 
 }
function onTouchEnd(e:TouchEvent) {
 	e.target.stopTouchDrag(e.touchPointID);
 	trace("touch end");
}

stopDrag()method 
public function stopDrag():void

Language version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime version: AIR 1.0

Ends the startDrag() method. A sprite that was made draggable with the startDrag() method remains draggable until a stopDrag() method is added, or until another sprite becomes draggable. Only one sprite is draggable at a time.

See also


Example
The following example creates a circle sprite and two target sprites. The startDrag() method is called on the circle sprite when the user positions the cursor over the sprite and presses the mouse button, and the stopDrag() method is called when the user releases the mouse button. This lets the user drag the sprite. On release of the mouse button, the mouseRelease() method is called, which in turn traces the name of the dropTarget object — the one to which the user dragged the circle sprite:
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.events.MouseEvent;

var circle:Sprite = new Sprite();
circle.graphics.beginFill(0xFFCC00);
circle.graphics.drawCircle(0, 0, 40);

var target1:Sprite = new Sprite();
target1.graphics.beginFill(0xCCFF00);
target1.graphics.drawRect(0, 0, 100, 100);
target1.name = "target1";

var target2:Sprite = new Sprite();
target2.graphics.beginFill(0xCCFF00);
target2.graphics.drawRect(0, 200, 100, 100);
target2.name = "target2";

addChild(target1);
addChild(target2);
addChild(circle);

circle.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDown) 

function mouseDown(event:MouseEvent):void {
    circle.startDrag();
}
circle.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP, mouseReleased);

function mouseReleased(event:MouseEvent):void {
	circle.stopDrag();
	trace(circle.dropTarget.name);
}

stopTouchDrag()method 
public function stopTouchDrag(touchPointID:int):void

Language version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime version: AIR 2

Ends the startTouchDrag() method, for use with touch-enabled devices. A sprite that was made draggable with the startTouchDrag() method remains draggable until a stopTouchDrag() method is added, or until another sprite becomes draggable. Only one sprite is draggable at a time.

Parameters
touchPointID:int — The integer assigned to the touch point in the startTouchDrag method.

See also


Example
The following example shows functions using startTouchDrag and stopTouchDrag to handle the touchBegin and touchEnd events. The value for touchPointID is the value assigned to the event object. The bounds parameter is the rectangle defining the boundaries of the parent display object (bg is a display object containing MySprite).
MySprite.addEventListener(TouchEvent.TOUCH_BEGIN, onTouchBegin);
MySprite.addEventListener(TouchEvent.TOUCH_END, onTouchEnd);

function onTouchBegin(e:TouchEvent) {
     e.target.startTouchDrag(e.touchPointID, false, bg.getRect(this));
 	trace("touch begin");
 
 }
function onTouchEnd(e:TouchEvent) {
 	e.target.stopTouchDrag(e.touchPointID);
 	trace("touch end");
}

Examples
examples\SpriteExample
The following example uses the SpriteExample class to draw an orange square on the stage, and then dispatches events whenever the user clicks or drags the square. This task is accomplished by performing the following steps:
  1. Declare the size property (100 x 100 pixels) and the background color (orange) for later use in drawing the square.
  2. The constructor then creates a new child Sprite object and uses it to add two event listeners and their associated methods: mouseDownHandler() and mouseUpHandler().
  3. The child Sprite object is then passed to the draw() method, which draws the orange square.
  4. The child is then placed on the display list by a call to the addChild() method.
  5. The event listeners work as follows:
    • mouseDownHandler(): when the user clicks the Sprite object, this method adds a mouseMove event listener, the mouseMoveHandler() method, which processes the mouse moves. Then the startDrag() method is called, which allows the Sprite object to be dragged.
    • mouseUpHandler(): when the mouse button is released, the mouseMove event listener is removed and the stopDrag() method is called, which freezes the orange square in place.
    • mouseMoveHandler: as long as the left mouse button is being held down, this method instructs the player to continuously redraw the orange square.

Note: Each of the event listener methods declares a local sprite variable, which is assigned the target property of the event.


package {
    import flash.display.Sprite;
    import flash.events.*;

    public class SpriteExample extends Sprite {
        private var size:uint    = 100;
        private var bgColor:uint = 0xFFCC00;

        public function SpriteExample() {
            var child:Sprite = new Sprite();
            child.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDownHandler);
            child.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP, mouseUpHandler);
            draw(child);
            addChild(child);
        }

        private function mouseDownHandler(event:MouseEvent):void {
            trace("mouseDownHandler");
            var sprite:Sprite = Sprite(event.target);
            sprite.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_MOVE, mouseMoveHandler);
            sprite.startDrag();
        }

        private function mouseUpHandler(event:MouseEvent):void {
            trace("mouseUpHandler");
            var sprite:Sprite = Sprite(event.target);
            sprite.removeEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_MOVE, mouseMoveHandler);
            sprite.stopDrag();
        }

        private function mouseMoveHandler(event:MouseEvent):void {
            trace("mouseMoveHandler");
            event.updateAfterEvent();
        }

        private function draw(sprite:Sprite):void {
            sprite.graphics.beginFill(bgColor);
            sprite.graphics.drawRect(0, 0, size, size);
            sprite.graphics.endFill();
        }
    }
}