Unable to dispatch custom event in flex mobile application - apache-flex

Question

I am trying to get some code working from an example I came across. most of the functionality works but it is failing when it tries to dispatch a custom event. At the moment the code that is trying to dispatch the event is inside a class that handles amf remoting.
the example has this line in it for the dispatch:
Application.application.dispatchEvent(new
RemoteResultEvent(RemoteResultEvent.USER_UPDATE_COMPLETE,"test"));
but that fails as it does not know what application.application is "Multiple markers at this line:
-Access of undefined property application"
I assume that this is because this was not written for a mobile app. I tried changing the dispatcher to EventDispatcher
EventDispatcher(
new RemoteResultEvent(RemoteResultEvent.USER_UPDATE_COMPLETE, "worked"));
but I then get this error:
TypeError: Error #1034: Type Coercion failed: cannot convert events::RemoteResultEvent#18337731 to flash.events.EventDispatcher.
This is the code in the custom event RemoteResultEvent.as :
package events
{
import flash.events.Event;
public class RemoteResultEvent extends Event {
public static var USER_UPDATE_COMPLETE:String = "UserUpdateComplete";
public var message:String;
public function RemoteResultEvent(eventType:String, message:String) {
super(eventType, false, false);
this.message = message;
}
}
}
I am bumbling around in the dark as I am new to flex and this type of development so I could well be doing something really dumb. Any help would be gratefully received.
Thanks
JaChNo

Answer 1

You seem confused about event dispatching in general.
Events can be dispatched in any Flex class that extends, or has a, EventDispatcher. Most Flex Components, including Application extend EventDispatcher. To dispatch the event, you are on the right track just do:
dispatchEvent(new RemoteResultEvent(RemoteResultEvent.USER_UPDATE_COMPLETE,"test"));
That will dispatch the event from your current class. Not that all Flex UI Components, including those made in MXML can be considered a class.
What you are trying to do is dispatch the event on the main level application; which is a horrible encapsulation breach, but doable. You have to cast it as an Application so you do not get a generic object. Like this:
(Application.application as Application).dispatchEvent(new RemoteResultEvent(RemoteResultEvent.USER_UPDATE_COMPLETE,"test"));
This approach is deprecated since Flex 4; and you use the FlexGlobals.topLevelApplication instead:
(FlexGlobals.topLevelapplication as Application).dispatchEvent(new RemoteResultEvent(RemoteResultEvent.USER_UPDATE_COMPLETE,"test"))
You don't say, but you allude to the fact that you are in a Mobile Project. If so, I would not expect the mx Application class to be available unless you explicitly added the SWC w/ MX Components to your class. You'll have to access the Spark Application, which does not have an Application property. That could be why you are getting the error.
Be sure to import the proper application you want to use:
import spark.components.Application
More info on Spark Application class.