# Using scripts to control blinking and stop it in five seconds or less

ID: FLASH36

Technology: flash

Type: Technique

## When to Use

- Adobe Flash Professional version MX and higher
- Adobe Flex

## Description

The objective of this technique is to control blinking with script so it can be set to stop in less than five seconds by the script. The ActionScript setTimeout() method is used to stop the MovieClip's blinking behavior in less than 5 seconds.

## Examples

### Stopping blinking after a timeout

In this example a MovieClip (blinkingTextMC) uses its timeline to generate a blinking effect. Before 5 seconds has passed, the MovieClip's gotoAndStop() method is called, which stops the blinking effect.

    setTimeout(stopBlinking, 4500);
    function stopBlinking() {
      var blinkingTextMC = getChildByName('blinkingTextMC');
      blinkingTextMC.gotoAndStop(1);
    }

For a demonstration, view the working version of Stopping blinking after a timeout. The source of Stopping blinking after a timeout is available.

## Tests

### Procedure

For each instance of blinking content:

1. Start a timer for 5 seconds at the start of the blink effect.
2. When the timer expires, determine if the blinking has stopped.

### Expected Results

- For each instance of blinking content, #2 is true.