static in c# and the example jesse is giving us are a little different.

When declaring a variable on the prototype it is true that all instances of the class will reference that value. However there is no way to modify that reference per instance with out it becoming an instance of the object you are modifying. In order to do this in Flash MX you?ll need to setup a getter/setter method and use the keyword ?constructor?:

function MyClass(){}

MyClass.prop = 1;

MyClass.prototype.getProp = function(){
return this.__proto__.constructor.prop;
};

MyClass.prototype.setProp = function(value){
this.__proto__.constructor.prop = value;
};

function MyClass2(){}

MyClass2.prototype = new MyClass();

a = new MyClass();
b = new MyClass2();

a.setProp(50);

trace(a.getProp());
trace(b.getProp());

Class = function(name) {
    this.name = name;
};
Class.method = function() {
    trace(this.name + “.method()”);
};
Class.prototype.__resolve = function(p) {
    return this.constructor[p];
};

cInstance = new Class(“cInstance”);
cInstance.method();

So, I always write the member functions in the prototype, since these are ‘class properties’. Then I can also override a function implementation in an object instance and get polymorphism.

The pro’s / con’s of prototype.property are very minor in that the “this scope” and the “prototype.property” are accessible both ways, only one requires you to declare them within an “init()” style method (or whatever method you wish to use) and the other doesn’t need to have a sub-contructor method (great for simple components that do not require an init()).

The advantage of the “this.scope” with an “init()” is that you can basically re-initialize a component at any given time, where as the prototype.property would need a similiar method to be created that handles the “reset” capabilities (which at the end of the day, is init() only differently named?)

I dunno, I’ve used them both and haven’t noticed any increase in speed or “inheritance” as at the end of the day unless you use the ASSetProps to hide/readonly etc your properties, they are still accessible by elements outside of the component.

I just find it a clean way to simply state “default readonly” properties that never have a setter method attached to them.

link: http://moock.org/webdesign/lectures/ff2003Workshop/slide06.html