How do I Flex lines drawn with lineTo selectable?
This comes in from a reader:
I need to make a application which helps in making a Data Flow Diagram, everything is done in it but I need to make lines selectable on that diagram. That means once a line drawn can be re sized. I am using Graphics.lineTo() functions to draw a line but once line drawn can never be selected.
It sounds like a cool app. I don't have an answer this time, though, and as such my answer might be off.
From what I understood, you need a sprite for something to be selectable. Graphics.lineTo does not create one as best I understand it.
He'll have to put the line in some specific container to make it selectable, perhaps a highly customized Button or a mod of the VRule or HRule classes.
Next Day Update I got a solution from the reader. He wrapped up his 'line' in a UIComponent and was able to get everything working great / as expected.
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Simply use a Sprite cause Shape ain't dispatching any event. If you want to make it clickable, just add an event listener on MOUSE_UP (or MOUSE_DOWN if you like) and that's it. Overriding HRule or Button would highly decrease the performances of the application
A Sprite is the lowest level DisplayObject that can receive interaction from the mouse, and has a Graphics object for drawing.
The handles would mark either end of the line. When a user mouse's down on one of them you can add a listener for mouse movement, and re-position the handle accordingly, then redraw the line from one handle to the other. Remove the listener when they release the mouse (probably best to add a mouse up listener to the stage).
You'd then wrap all this stuff in a UIComponent so is can be added to a standard container in Flex.
Hope thats helpful.