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Dictionary

Package | flash.utils
Class | public dynamic class Dictionary
Inheritance | Dictionary Object

Language Version : | ActionScript 3.0

Player Version : | Flash Player 9

The Dictionary class lets you create a dynamic collection of properties, which uses strict equality (`===`) for key comparison. When an object is used as a key, the object's identity is used to look up the object, and not the value returned from calling `toString()` on it.

The following statements show the relationship between a Dictionary object and a key object:

     var dict = new Dictionary();
     var obj = new Object();
     var key:Object = new Object();
     key.toString = function() { return "key" }

     dict[key] = "Letters";
     obj["key"] = "Letters";

     dict[key] == "Letters"; // true
     obj["key"] == "Letters"; // true
     obj[key] == "Letters"; // true because key == "key" is true b/c key.toString == "key"
     dict["key"] == "Letters"; // false because "key" === key is false
     delete dict[key]; //removes the key

See also

=== (strict equality)

Public Properties
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| Property | Defined By
--- | --- | ---
|  | constructor : Object A reference to the class object or constructor function for a given object instance. | Object
|  | prototype : Object [static] A reference to the prototype object of a class or function object. | Object

Public Methods
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| Method | Defined By
--- | --- | ---
|  | Dictionary(weakKeys:Boolean = false) Creates a new Dictionary object. | Dictionary
|  | hasOwnProperty(name:String):Boolean Indicates whether an object has a specified property defined. | Object
|  | isPrototypeOf(theClass:Object):Boolean Indicates whether an instance of the Object class is in the prototype chain of the object specified as the parameter. | Object
|  | propertyIsEnumerable(name:String):Boolean Indicates whether the specified property exists and is enumerable. | Object
|  | setPropertyIsEnumerable(name:String, isEnum:Boolean = true):void Sets the availability of a dynamic property for loop operations. | Object
|  | toString():String Returns the string representation of the specified object. | Object
|  | valueOf():Object Returns the primitive value of the specified object. | Object

Constructor Detail

Dictionary | () | Constructor

`public function Dictionary(weakKeys:Boolean = false)`

Language Version : | ActionScript 3.0

Player Version : | Flash Player 9

Creates a new Dictionary object. To remove a key from a Dictionary object, use the `delete` operator.

Parameters

| `weakKeys:Boolean` (default = `false`)`` — Instructs the Dictionary object to use "weak" references on object keys. If the only reference to an object is in the specified Dictionary object, the key is eligible for garbage collection and is removed from the table when the object is collected.

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