AS3 and Haxe Comparison

This document aims to give developers familiar with Actionscript 3 a quickstart to Haxe. For more Haxe specific documentation please refer to the main Haxe.org website:

• Haxe Syntax
• Haxe Language Reference

Additional Features

In addition to most of the features of Actionscript 3, Haxe includes support for:

• enums
• type parameters
• structures
• custom iterators
• conditional compilation
• inlining
• and more!

---

Haxe & AS3 common syntax comparison

This guide is based off from OpenFL's guide.

Basic Types

AS3

Boolean
int
Number
Object
void
Array
Vector.<String>

Haxe

Bool
Int
Float
Dynamic
Void
Array<Dynamic>
Array<String>

 

---

Package Declarations

AS3

package com.example.myapplication {

}

Haxe

package com.example.myapplication;

 

---

Defining a Class

AS3

public class MyClass {

   public function MyClass () {


   }

}

Haxe

class MyClass {

   public function new () {


   }

}

 

---

Loops

AS3

for (var i:uint = 0; i < 100; i++) {

}

for each (var value:String in items) {

}

for (var propertyName:String in object) {

}
        

Haxe

for (i in 0...100) {

}

for (value in items) {

}

var fields = Reflect.fields (object);
for (propertyName in fields) {

}
        

 

---

Switch Statements

AS3

switch (value) {

   case 1:
      trace ("Equal to 1");
      break;

   default:
      trace ("Not equal to 1");
      break;

}
        

Haxe

switch (value) {

   case 1:
      trace ("Equal to 1");

   default:
      trace ("Not equal to 1");

}
        

 

---

Type Inference

AS3

var hi = "Hello World";

// type is Object
// fails to compile in strict mode
        

Haxe

var hi = "Hello World";

// type is String
// even works for code completion
        

 

---

Type Casting

AS3

var car:Car = vehicle as Car;

var toString:String = String (10);
var toNumber:Number = Number ("10");
var toInteger:int = int (10.1);
        

Haxe

var car:Car = cast vehicle;

// or for a safe cast:

var car = cast (vehicle, Car);

var toString = Std.string (10);
var toNumber = Std.parseFloat ("10");
var toInteger = Std.int (10.1);
        

 

---

Type Details

AS3

if (vehicle is Car) {

}

import flash.utils.getDefinitionByName;
import flash.utils.getQualifiedClassName;

name = getQualifiedClassName (vehicle);
type = Class (getDefinitionByName (name);
        

Haxe

if (Std.is (vehicle, Car)) {

}

type = Type.getClass (vehicle);
name = Type.getClassName (type);
        

 

---

Checking for Null

AS3

if (object == null) {

}

if (!object) {

}
        

Haxe

if (object == null) {

}
        

 

---

Hash Tables

AS3

var table:Object = new Object ();
table["key"] = 100;

trace (table.hasOwnProperty ("key"));

for (var key:Object in table) {

   trace (key + " = " + table[key]);

}

delete table["key"];
        

Haxe

var table = new Map<String, Int> ();
table.set ("key", 100);

trace (table.exists ("key"));

for (key in table.keys ()) {

trace (key + " = " + table.get (key));

}

table.remove ("key");

 

---

Rest Parameters

AS3

function test (...params):void {

}

test (1, 2, 3);
        

Haxe

function test (params:Array<Dynamic>) {

}

Reflect.makeVarArgs (test) (1, 2, 3);

 

---

Reflection

AS3

var foo = object["foo"];

bar.apply (this, [ "hi" ]);
        

Haxe

var foo = Reflect.field (object, "foo");

Reflect.callMethod (this, bar, [ "hi" ]);
        

 

---

Function Types

AS3

function hello (msg:String):void {

}

var type:Function = hello;
        

Haxe

function hello (msg:String):Void {

}

var type:String->Void = hello;

// can also use Dynamic
        

 

---

Getters and Setters

AS3

function get x ():Number {

   return _x;

}

function set x (value:Number):void {

   _x = value;

}
        

Haxe

public var x (get, set):Float;

function get_x():Float {

   return _x;

}

function set_x(value:Float):Float {

   return _x = value;

}
        

 

---

Read-Only Properties

AS3

function get x ():Float {

   return _x;

}
        

Haxe

public var x (default, null):Float;

// null allows private access
// never would restrict all access
        

 

from: http://haxeflixel.com/documentation/as3-and-haxe-comparison/