// add event listeners to listen for button events [mouse over, mouse out, mouse up] 
// and then - when one happens - trigger the function called 'buttonstuff'
this.stupidbutton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER, buttonstuff);
this.stupidbutton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OUT, buttonstuff);
this.stupidbutton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP, buttonstuff);
// end event listeners


// buttonstuff function - triggered by the above listeners
function buttonstuff(event:MouseEvent):void
{
	// switch to 'switch' what the function does, depending 
	//on which mouse event the button listener has picked up. 
	//think of it as standing for "in case of this - do this"
	switch(event.type)
	{
		
	// in 'case' the listener detected a mouse over
	case MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER:
	
	// replace the trace with your own button actions
	trace("button rolled over");
	
	// each case always ends with a 'break'
	break;
	// end in 'case' the listener detected a mouse over
	
	// in 'case' the listener detected a mouse out
	case MouseEvent.MOUSE_OUT:
	
	// replace the trace with your own button actions
	trace("button rolled off");
	
	// each case always ends with a 'break'
	break;
	// end in 'case' the listener detected a mouse out
	
	// in 'case' the listener detected a mouse up
	case MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP:
	
	// replace the trace with your own button actions
	trace("button released");
	
	// each case always ends with a 'break'
	break;
	// end in 'case' the listener detected a mouse up
	
	}
	// end switch to 'switch' what the function does, depending on 
	//which mouse event the button listener has picked up
	
}
// end buttonstuff function

// add event listeners to listen for button events [mouse over, mouse out, mouse up] 
// and then - when one happens - trigger the function called 'buttonstuff'
this.stupidbutton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER, buttonstuff);
this.stupidbutton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OUT, buttonstuff);
this.stupidbutton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP, buttonstuff);
// end event listeners


// buttonstuff function - triggered by the above listeners
function buttonstuff(event:MouseEvent):void
{
	// switch to 'switch' what the function does, depending 
	//on which mouse event the button listener has picked up. 
	//think of it as standing for "in case of this - do this"
	switch(event.type)
	{
		
	// in 'case' the listener detected a mouse over
	case MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER:
	
	// replace the trace with your own button actions
	trace("button rolled over");
	
	// each case always ends with a 'break'
	break;
	// end in 'case' the listener detected a mouse over
	
	// in 'case' the listener detected a mouse over
	case MouseEvent.MOUSE_OUT:
	
	// replace the trace with your own button actions
	trace("button rolled off");
	
	// each case always ends with a 'break'
	break;
	// end in 'case' the listener detected a mouse over
	
	// in 'case' the listener detected a mouse up
	case MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP:
	
	// replace the trace with your own button actions
	trace("button released");
	
	// each case always ends with a 'break'
	break;
	// end in 'case' the listener detected a mouse up
	
	}
	// end switch to 'switch' what the function does, depending on 
	//which mouse event the button listener has picked up
	
}
// end buttonstuff function

// add event listeners to listen for button events [mouse over, mouse out, mouse up] and then - when one happens - trigger the function called 'buttonstuff'
this.stupidbutton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER, buttonstuff);
this.stupidbutton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OUT, buttonstuff);
this.stupidbutton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP, buttonstuff);
// end event listeners


// buttonstuff function - triggered by the above listeners
function buttonstuff(event:MouseEvent):void
{
	// switch to 'switch' what the function does, depending 
	//on which mouse event the button listener has picked up. 
	//think of it as standing for "in case of this - do this"
	switch(event.type)
	{
		
	// in 'case' the listener detected a mouse over
	case MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER:
	
	// replace the trace with your own button actions
	trace("button rolled over");
	
	// each case always ends with a 'break'
	break;
	// end in 'case' the listener detected a mouse over
	
	// in 'case' the listener detected a mouse over
	case MouseEvent.MOUSE_OUT:
	
	// replace the trace with your own button actions
	trace("button rolled off");
	
	// each case always ends with a 'break'
	break;
	// end in 'case' the listener detected a mouse over
	
	// in 'case' the listener detected a mouse up
	case MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP:
	
	// replace the trace with your own button actions
	trace("button released");
	
	// each case always ends with a 'break'
	break;
	// end in 'case' the listener detected a mouse up
	
	}
	// end switch to 'switch' what the function does, depending on 
	//which mouse event the button listener has picked up
	
}
// end buttonstuff function

// add event listeners to listen for button events [mouse over, mouse out, mouse up] and then - when one happens - trigger the function called 'buttonstuff'
this.stupidbutton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER, buttonstuff);
this.stupidbutton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OUT, buttonstuff);
this.stupidbutton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP, buttonstuff);
// end event listeners


// buttonstuff function - triggered by the above listeners
function buttonstuff(event:MouseEvent):void
{
	// switch to 'switch' what the function does, depending on which mouse event the button listener has picked up. think of it as standing for "in case of this - do this"
	switch(event.type)
	{
		
	// in 'case' the listener detected a mouse over
	case MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER:
	
	// replace the trace with your own button actions
	trace("button rolled over");
	
	// each case always ends with a 'break'
	break;
	// end in 'case' the listener detected a mouse over
	
	// in 'case' the listener detected a mouse over
	case MouseEvent.MOUSE_OUT:
	
	// replace the trace with your own button actions
	trace("button rolled off");
	
	// each case always ends with a 'break'
	break;
	// end in 'case' the listener detected a mouse over
	
	// in 'case' the listener detected a mouse up
	case MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP:
	
	// replace the trace with your own button actions
	trace("button released");
	
	// each case always ends with a 'break'
	break;
	// end in 'case' the listener detected a mouse up
	
	}
	// end switch to 'switch' what the function does, depending on which mouse event the button listener has picked up
	
}
// end buttonstuff function

actionscript3 version of a more complex button action, which responds to rollover, rollout and clicking.  this method uses one single 'buttonstuff' function with a  'switch'  inside which causes the function to respond differently, depending on what the user action on the button was.

i think this is a neater way to do it than to have each individual 'addEventListener' trigger a separate function.

in actionscript3, button actions can no longer be attached to the buttons themselves or called from the main timeline. you need to put an 'addEventListener' in the timeline to 'listen' for interaction with the button and then call an appropriate function to deal with that action.

the button needs to have an instance name. in this case it is called 'stupidbutton'

actionscript 3  - button action [listen for multiple events.  eg. MOUSE_OVER, MOUSE_OUT, MOUSE_UP]

actionscript, flash, button

ActionScript 3