How to continue formatting of box through key frames

Question

I'm making a quiz in flash using action script 3. The code below makes the text smaller if it goes over 2 lines so it can fit in the question box. This works! However, when you change key frame the formatting of the box changes. For example, when the question is presented the font changes, but when you answer the question and the key frame changes, the font changes making it overflow off the edge.

How can I make the formatting continue over the key frames.

This is the actions for the game.

var smallLimit:int = 1;
var format:TextFormat = new TextFormat();


myTextField11.text = shuffledAnswers1[0];   //puts into the text boxes the random answers
myTextField21.text = shuffledAnswers1[1];
myTextField31.text = shuffledAnswers1[2];
myTextField41.text = shuffledAnswers1[3];

var testSize11:int = 25;
var testSize21:int = 25;
var testSize31:int = 25;
var testSize41:int = 25;

while( testSize11 > smallLimit ){

    updateFormat11( testSize11 );
    trace( myTextField11.numLines  );

    if( myTextField11.numLines > 1){
        testSize11--;
    }else{
        testSize11 = smallLimit;
    }
}
while( testSize21 > smallLimit ){

    updateFormat21( testSize21 );
    trace( myTextField21.numLines  );

    if( myTextField21.numLines > 1){
        testSize21--;
    }else{
        testSize21 = smallLimit;
    }
}
while( testSize31 > smallLimit ){

    updateFormat31( testSize31 );
    trace( myTextField31.numLines  );

    if( myTextField31.numLines > 1){
        testSize31--;
    }else{
        testSize31 = smallLimit;
    }
}
while( testSize41 > smallLimit ){

    updateFormat41( testSize41 );
    trace( myTextField41.numLines  );

    if( myTextField41.numLines > 1){
        testSize41--;
    }else{
        testSize41 = smallLimit;
    }
}

function updateFormat11(size11:int):void{
    format.size = size11;
    myTextField11.setTextFormat( format );
    }
function updateFormat21(size21:int):void{
    format.size = size21;
    myTextField21.setTextFormat( format );
}
function updateFormat31(size31:int):void{
    format.size = size31;
    myTextField31.setTextFormat( format );
    }
function updateFormat41(size41:int):void{
    format.size = size41;
    myTextField41.setTextFormat( format );

}

This is key frame 2 which sets the questions in the text boxes.

myTextField11.text = shuffledAnswers1[0];  
myTextField21.text = shuffledAnswers1[1];
myTextField31.text = shuffledAnswers1[2];
myTextField41.text = shuffledAnswers1[3];
stop();

Answer 1

Perhaps try this. This assume you have 4 textfield on frame and array of 4 answer.

//Frame 1
var smallLimit:int = 1;
//put all your answer fields in array
var tFields:Array = [myTextField11,myTextField21,myTextField31,myTextField41]
var format:TextFormat = new TextFormat();
//your default font size
var defaultFontSize:int = 25;

function updateAnswerText( value:Array  )
{
    var fontSize:int = defaultFontSize;
    for(var i in tFields )
    {
        //reset to default
        fontSize = defaultFontSize;
        //add text
        tFields[i].text = value[i];
        //setformat
        updateTextFormat( tFields[i] , fontSize)
        //are we overflow
        while( tFields[i].numLines > 1 && fontSize > smallLimit)
        {
            --fontSize;
            updateTextFormat( tFields[i] , fontSize)
        }
    }
}
function updateTextFormat( field:TextField, value:int)
{
    format.size = value;
    field.setTextFormat( format );
}
updateAnswerText( shuffledAnswers1 )

//On every frame have answer textfield

var tFields:Array = [myTextField11,myTextField21,myTextField31,myTextField41]
updateAnswerText( shuffledAnswers1 )

call the above method and pass your answer array. This will give you an idea.