AS3 referencing current function

Question

I just came across a curious scenario where I want to use removeEventListener() within a function that doesn't have a name. By this I mean, I've created the function within addEventListener(), instead of making reference to one:

addEventListener(
    Event.ENTER_FRAME, 
    function(e:Event):void
    {
        if(getTimer() > 8000)
        {
            // removeEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, <<this function>>);
            // Other stuff
        }
    }
);

Is it possible to make a reference to the current function (ie the function I'm working within)? Or do I just need to structure the above the standard way?

Please not that I am fully aware that you can use many of the standardized methods available to achieve the above, it was purely an example snippet.

Answer 1

There are two options, you can either give it a name (and there are three ways to do that) or you can use arguments.callee.

In the case of the former, the three ways to name a function in AS3:

class Foo
{
    // class (static or member) level
    public function bar():void
    {
       // use a variable (technically, this function is anonymous, but we can
       // still use the variable to reference the function itself.
       var inVariable:Function = function():void
       {
          // declare it in a local scope
          function local():void
          {

          }
       }
    }
}

To use a named function:

function callback(e:Event):void {
    trace("tick");
    removeEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, callback);
}
addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, callback);

To use arguments.callee:

addEventListener(
    Event.ENTER_FRAME, 
    function(e:Event):void
    {
        if(getTimer() > 8000)
        {
            // I get superstitious and I use a local variable.
            var callee:Function = arguments.callee
            removeEventListener(event.type, callee);
            // Other stuff
        }
    }
);