ActionScript® 3.0 Reference for the Adobe® Flash® Platform
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flash.events 

UncaughtErrorEvent  - AS3

Packageflash.events
Classpublic class UncaughtErrorEvent
InheritanceUncaughtErrorEvent Inheritance ErrorEvent Inheritance TextEvent Inheritance Event Inheritance Object

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

An UncaughtErrorEvent object is dispatched by an instance of the UncaughtErrorEvents class when an uncaught error occurs. An uncaught error happens when an error is thrown outside of any try..catch blocks or when an ErrorEvent object is dispatched with no registered listeners. The uncaught error event functionality is often described as a "global error handler."

The UncaughtErrorEvents object that dispatches the event is associated with either a LoaderInfo object or a Loader object. Use the following properties to access an UncaughtErrorEvents instance:

  • LoaderInfo.uncaughtErrorEvents: to detect uncaught errors in code defined in the same SWF.
  • Loader.uncaughtErrorEvents: to detect uncaught errors in code defined in the SWF loaded by a Loader object.

When an uncaughtError event happens, even if the event is handled, execution does not continue in the call stack that caused the error. If the error is a synchronous error, any code remaining in the function where the error happened is not executed. Consequently, it is likely that when an uncaught error event happens, your application is in an unstable state. Since there can be many causes for an uncaught error, it is impossible to predict what functionality is available. For example, your application may be able to execute network operations or file operations. However, those operations aren't necessarily available.

When one SWF loads another, uncaughtError events bubble down and up again through the LoaderInfo heirarchy. For example, suppose A.swf loads B.swf using a Loader instance. If an uncaught error occurs in B.swf, an uncaughtError event is dispatched to LoaderInfo and Loader objects in the following sequence:

  1. (Capture phase) A.swf's LoaderInfo
  2. (Capture phase) Loader in A.swf
  3. (Target phase) B.swf's LoaderInfo
  4. (Bubble phase) Loader in A.swf
  5. (Bubble phase) A.swf's LoaderInfo

A Loader object's uncaughtErrorEvents property never dispatches an uncaughtErrorEvent in the target phase. It only dispatches the event in the capture and bubbling phases.

As with other event bubbling, calling stopPropagation() or stopImmediatePropagation() stops the event from being dispatched to any other listeners, with one important difference. A Loader object's UncaughtErrorEvents object is treated as a pair with the loaded SWF's LoaderInfo.uncaughtErrorEvents object for event propagation purposes. If a listener registered with one of those objects calls the stopPropagation() method, events are still dispatched to other listeners registered with that UncaughtErrorEvents object and to listeners registered with its partner UncaughtErrorEvents object before event propagation ends. The stopImmediatePropagation() method still prevents events from being dispatched to all additional listeners.

When content is running in a debugger version of the runtime, such as the debugger version of Flash Player or the AIR Debug Launcher (ADL), an uncaught error dialog appears when an uncaught error happens. For those runtime versions, the error dialog appears even when a listener is registered for the uncaughtError event. To prevent the dialog from appearing in that situation, call the UncaughtErrorEvent object's preventDefault() method.

If the content loaded by a Loader object is an AVM1 (ActionScript 2) SWF file, uncaught errors in the AVM1 SWF file do not result in an uncaughtError event. In addition, JavaScript errors in HTML content loaded in an HTMLLoader object (including a Flex HTML control) do not result in an uncaughtError event.

View the examples

Related API Elements



Public Properties
 PropertyDefined By
 Inheritedbubbles : Boolean
[read-only] Indicates whether an event is a bubbling event.
Event
 Inheritedcancelable : Boolean
[read-only] Indicates whether the behavior associated with the event can be prevented.
Event
 Inheritedconstructor : Object
A reference to the class object or constructor function for a given object instance.
Object
 InheritedcurrentTarget : Object
[read-only] The object that is actively processing the Event object with an event listener.
Event
  error : *
[read-only] The error object associated with the uncaught error.
UncaughtErrorEvent
 InheritederrorID : int
[read-only] Contains the reference number associated with the specific error.
ErrorEvent
 InheritedeventPhase : uint
[read-only] The current phase in the event flow.
Event
 Inheritedtarget : Object
[read-only] The event target.
Event
 Inheritedtext : String
For a textInput event, the character or sequence of characters entered by the user.
TextEvent
 Inheritedtype : String
[read-only] The type of event.
Event
Public Methods
 MethodDefined By
  
UncaughtErrorEvent(type:String, bubbles:Boolean = true, cancelable:Boolean = true, error_in:* = null)
Creates an UncaughtErrorEvent object that contains information about an uncaughtError event.
UncaughtErrorEvent
  
[override] Creates a copy of the UncaughtErrorEvent object and sets the value of each property to match that of the original.
UncaughtErrorEvent
 Inherited
formatToString(className:String, ... arguments):String
A utility function for implementing the toString() method in custom ActionScript 3.0 Event classes.
Event
 Inherited
Indicates whether an object has a specified property defined.
Object
 Inherited
Checks whether the preventDefault() method has been called on the event.
Event
 Inherited
Indicates whether an instance of the Object class is in the prototype chain of the object specified as the parameter.
Object
 Inherited
Cancels an event's default behavior if that behavior can be canceled.
Event
 Inherited
Indicates whether the specified property exists and is enumerable.
Object
 Inherited
Sets the availability of a dynamic property for loop operations.
Object
 Inherited
Prevents processing of any event listeners in the current node and any subsequent nodes in the event flow.
Event
 Inherited
Prevents processing of any event listeners in nodes subsequent to the current node in the event flow.
Event
 Inherited
Returns the string representation of this object, formatted according to locale-specific conventions.
Object
  
[override] Returns a string that contains all the properties of the UncaughtErrorEvent object.
UncaughtErrorEvent
 Inherited
Returns the primitive value of the specified object.
Object
Public Constants
 ConstantDefined By
  UNCAUGHT_ERROR : String = "uncaughtError"
[static] Defines the value of the type property of an uncaughtError event object.
UncaughtErrorEvent
Property Detail

error

property
error:*  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

The error object associated with the uncaught error. Typically, this object's data type is one of the following:

  • An Error instance (or one of its subclasses), if the uncaught error is a synchronous error created by a throw statement, such as an error that could have been caught using a try..catch block
  • An ErrorEvent instance (or one of its subclasses), if the uncaught error is an asynchronous error that dispatches an error event when the error happens

However, the error property can potentially be an object of any data type. ActionScript does not require a throw statement to be used only with Error objects. For example, the following code is legal both at compile time and run time:

throw new Sprite()

If that throw statement is not caught by a try..catch block, the throw statement triggers an uncaughtError event. In that case, the error property of the UncaughtErrorEvent object that's dispatched is the Sprite object that's constructed in the throw statement.

Consequently, in your uncaughtError listener, you should check the data type of the error property. The following example demonstrates this check:

         function uncaughtErrorHandler(event:UncaughtErrorEvent):void
         {
             var message:String;
             
             if (event.error is Error)
             {
                 message = Error(event.error).message;
             }
             else if (event.error is ErrorEvent)
             {
                 message = ErrorEvent(event.error).text;
             }
             else
             {
                 message = event.error.toString();
             }
         }

If the error property contains an Error instance (or Error subclass), the available error information varies depending on the version of the runtime in which the content is running, as follows:

  • In a debugger version of the runtime such as the debugger version of Flash Player or the AIR Debug Launcher (ADL):

    • The Error.getStackTrace() method returns the call stack that led to the error
    • The Error.message contains the complete error message text
  • In a non-debuger version of the runtime:

    • The Error.getStackTrace() method returns the call stack that led to the error. However, the call stack information doesn't include source file names or line numbers.
    • The Error.message property contains a short version of the error message, which is oftan a combination of the Error.errorID and Error.name properties
  • In a non-debugger version of the runtime (Flash Player 11.4 or earlier and AIR 1.4 or earlier):

    • The Error.getStackTrace() method returns null
    • The Error.message property contains a short version of the error message, which is oftan a combination of the Error.errorID and Error.name properties

All other properties and methods of the Error class are available in all runtime versions.

Note that if the error property is an ErrorEvent instance, call stack information is never available.



Implementation
    public function get error():*
Constructor Detail

UncaughtErrorEvent

()Constructor
public function UncaughtErrorEvent(type:String, bubbles:Boolean = true, cancelable:Boolean = true, error_in:* = null)

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Creates an UncaughtErrorEvent object that contains information about an uncaughtError event.

Parameters
type:String (default = NaN) — The type of the event.
 
bubbles:Boolean (default = true) — Determines whether the Event object participates in the bubbling stage of the event flow. Event listeners can access this information through the inherited bubbles property.
 
cancelable:Boolean (default = true) — Determines whether the Event object can be canceled. Event listeners can access this information through the inherited cancelable property.
 
error_in:* (default = null) — The object associated with the error that was not caught or handled (an Error or ErrorEvent object under normal circumstances).
Method Detail

clone

()method
override public function clone():Event

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Creates a copy of the UncaughtErrorEvent object and sets the value of each property to match that of the original.

Returns
Event — A new UncaughtErrorEvent object with property values that match those of the original.

toString

()method 
override public function toString():String

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Returns a string that contains all the properties of the UncaughtErrorEvent object.

Returns
String — A string that contains all the properties of the UncaughtErrorEvent object.
Constant Detail

UNCAUGHT_ERROR

Constant
public static const UNCAUGHT_ERROR:String = "uncaughtError"

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Defines the value of the type property of an uncaughtError event object.

This event has the following properties:

PropertyValue
bubblestrue
cancelabletrue; cancelling the event prevents the uncaught error dialog from appearing in debugger runtime versions
currentTargetThe object that is actively processing the Event object with an event listener.
errorThe uncaught error.
targetThe LoaderInfo object associated with the SWF where the error happened.
textText error message.
UncaughtErrorEventExample.1.as

The following example demonstrates the use of an uncaught error event handler to detect uncaught errors in an ActionScript project. The example defines an uncaughtError event handler to detect uncaught errors. It also provides a button that, when clicked, throws an error that is caught by the uncaught error handler.

In the constructor, the code registers a listener for the uncaughtError event dispatched by the LoaderInfo object's uncaughtErrorEvents property.

In the uncaughtErrorHandler() method, the code checks the data type of the error property and responds accordingly.

package
{
    import flash.display.Sprite;
    import flash.events.ErrorEvent;
    import flash.events.MouseEvent;
    import flash.events.UncaughtErrorEvent;

    public class UncaughtErrorEventExample extends Sprite
    {
        public function UncaughtErrorEventExample()
        {
            loaderInfo.uncaughtErrorEvents.addEventListener(UncaughtErrorEvent.UNCAUGHT_ERROR, uncaughtErrorHandler);
            
            drawUI();
        }
        
        private function uncaughtErrorHandler(event:UncaughtErrorEvent):void
        {
            if (event.error is Error)
            {
                var error:Error = event.error as Error;
                // do something with the error
            }
            else if (event.error is ErrorEvent)
            {
                var errorEvent:ErrorEvent = event.error as ErrorEvent;
                // do something with the error
            }
            else
            {
                // a non-Error, non-ErrorEvent type was thrown and uncaught
            }
        }
        
        private function drawUI():void
        {
            var btn:Sprite = new Sprite();
            btn.graphics.clear();
            btn.graphics.beginFill(0xFFCC00);
            btn.graphics.drawRect(0, 0, 100, 50);
            btn.graphics.endFill();
            addChild(btn);
            btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, clickHandler);
        }
        
        private function clickHandler(event:MouseEvent):void
        {
            throw new Error("Gak!");
        }
    }
}
UncaughtErrorEventExample.1.5.as

The following example is the Flex equivalent of the previous example, using an MXML document instead of an ActionScript class as the root content.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<s:WindowedApplication xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009" 
                       xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark" 
                       xmlns:mx="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/halo"
                       applicationComplete="applicationCompleteHandler();">
    
    <fx:Script>
        <![CDATA[
            import flash.events.ErrorEvent;
            import flash.events.MouseEvent;
            import flash.events.UncaughtErrorEvent;
            
            private function applicationCompleteHandler():void
            {
                loaderInfo.uncaughtErrorEvents.addEventListener(UncaughtErrorEvent.UNCAUGHT_ERROR, uncaughtErrorHandler);
            }
    
            private function uncaughtErrorHandler(event:UncaughtErrorEvent):void
            {
                if (event.error is Error)
                {
                    var error:Error = event.error as Error;
                    // do something with the error
                }
                else if (event.error is ErrorEvent)
                {
                    var errorEvent:ErrorEvent = event.error as ErrorEvent;
                    // do something with the error
                }
                else
                {
                    // a non-Error, non-ErrorEvent type was thrown and uncaught
                }
            }
            
            private function clickHandler(event:MouseEvent):void
            {
                throw new Error("Gak!");
            }
        ]]>
    </fx:Script>
      
    <s:Button label="Cause Error" click="clickHandler(event);"/>
</s:WindowedApplication>
UncaughtErrorEventExample.2.as

The following example demonstrates the use of an uncaught error event handler to detect uncaught errors in a loaded SWF. The example defines an uncaughtError event handler to detect uncaught errors.

In the constructor, the code creates a Loader object and registers a listener for the uncaughtError event dispatched by the Loader object's uncaughtErrorEvents property.

In the uncaughtErrorHandler() method, the code checks the data type of the error property and responds accordingly.

package
{
    import flash.display.Loader;
    import flash.display.Sprite;
    import flash.events.ErrorEvent;
    import flash.events.UncaughtErrorEvent;
    import flash.net.URLRequest;

    public class LoaderUncaughtErrorEventExample extends Sprite
    {
        private var ldr:Loader;
        
        public function LoaderUncaughtErrorEventExample()
        {
            ldr = new Loader();
            ldr.load(new URLRequest("child.swf"));
            ldr.uncaughtErrorEvents.addEventListener(UncaughtErrorEvent.UNCAUGHT_ERROR, uncaughtErrorHandler);
        }
        
        private function uncaughtErrorHandler(event:UncaughtErrorEvent):void
        {
            if (event.error is Error)
            {
                var error:Error = event.error as Error;
                // do something with the error
            }
            else if (event.error is ErrorEvent)
            {
                var errorEvent:ErrorEvent = event.error as ErrorEvent;
                // do something with the error
            }
            else
            {
                // a non-Error, non-ErrorEvent type was thrown and uncaught
            }
        }
    }
}