Flash / Flex / ActionScript/Array/Compare

Array reference

   <source lang="java">

package{

 import flash.display.Sprite;
 
 public class Main extends Sprite{
   public function Main(){
       var letters:Array = ["a", "b", "c"];
       
       var newLetters:Array = letters;
            
       trace(letters);        // Displays: "a,b,c"
       trace(newLetters);     // Displays: "a,b,c"
            
       letters = ["d", "e", "f"];
            
       trace(letters);        // Displays: "d,e,f"
       trace(newLetters);     // Displays: "d,e,f" (not "a,b,c")
   }
 }

}

       </source>
   
  

Create a duplicate copy of an array that is separate from the original using concat( ):

   <source lang="java">

package{

 import flash.display.Sprite;
 
 public class Main extends Sprite{
   public function Main(){
       var letters:Array = ["a", "b", "c"];
       
       var newLetters:Array = letters.concat(  );
            
       trace(letters);        // Displays: "a,b,c"
       trace(newLetters);     // Displays: "a,b,c"
            
       letters = ["d", "e", "f"];
            
       trace(letters);        // Displays: "d,e,f"
       trace(newLetters);     // Displays: "a,b,c"
   }
 }

} a,b,c a,b,c d,e,f a,b,c

       </source>
   
  

if two arrays are equivalent yet don"t point to the same spot in memory, an equality operation returns false:

   <source lang="java">

package{

 import flash.display.Sprite;
 
 public class Main extends Sprite{
   public function Main(){
       var letters1:Array = ["a", "b", "c", "d"];
       var letters2:Array = ["a", "b", "c", "d"];
       trace(letters1 == letters2);  // Displays: false
   }
 }

}

       </source>
   
  

Loop through each of the elements of the arrays and compare them

   <source lang="java">

package{

 import flash.display.Sprite;
 
 public class Main extends Sprite{
   public function Main(){
       var letters1:Array = ["a", "b", "c", "d"];
       var letters2:Array = ["a", "b", "c", "d"];
       var equivalent:Boolean = true;
       for(var i:int = 0; i < letters1.length; i++) {
           if(letters1[i] != letters2[i]) {
               equivalent = false;
               break;
           }
       }
       trace(equivalent);  // Displays: true
   }
 }

}

       </source>
   
  

Using an equality operator with two array variables only checks to see if they point to the same spot in memory.

   <source lang="java">

package{

 import flash.display.Sprite;
 
 public class Main extends Sprite{
   public function Main(){
       var letters:Array = ["a", "b", "c", "d"];
       var lettersPointer:Array = letters;
       trace(letters == lettersPointer);  // Displays: true
   }
 }

}

       </source>