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Signals: Think Outside the Event.

Signals are light-weight, strongly-typed AS3 messaging tools.
Wire your application with better APIs and less boilerplate than AS3 Events.

Concept

• A Signal is essentially a mini-dispatcher specific to one event, with its own list of listeners.
• A Signal gives an event a concrete membership in a class.
• Listeners subscribe to real objects, not to string-based channels.
• Event string constants are no longer needed.
• Signals are inspired by C# events and signals/slots in Qt.

Syntax

// with EventDispatcher
button.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, onClick);

// Signal equivalent; past tense is recommended
button.clicked.add(onClicked);

I am still looking for impressions, critiques and suggestions.
My email is robert at robertpenner.com.
I’m @robpenner on Twitter.

Background on AS3 Events

• My Critique of AS3 Events – Part 1
• AS3 Events – 7 things I’ve learned from community
• My Critique of AS3 Events – Part 2