How can I set button colors from xml file data?

Question

I am reading an xml file to create a group of buttons. I am
also using repeater to create the group of buttons.
I am getting the buttons created, but am unable to set the
fill color properly. I keep getting the error "Implicit coercion of
a value of type String to an unrelated type Array" if I try to plug
in r.currentItem.value, even when I used an Actionscript function
to convert from a String to an array of 2 uints. Is there a simple
type casting solution to this I'm just not getting?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
The xml file has the following format:
<colors>
<color>
<name>Canteloupe</name>
<value>0xFFCC66</value>
</color>
<color>
<name>Banana</name>
<value>0xFFFF66</value>
</color>
<color>
<name>Lemon</name>
<value>0xFFFF00</value>
</color>
<color>
<name>Honeydew</name>
<value>0xCCFF66</value>
</color>
</colors>
The code I have so far is:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="
http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
initialize="colors.send()" layout="absolute">
<mx:HTTPService id="colors"
url="assets/colors_standard.xml" resultFormat="e4x"/>
<mx:XMLListCollection id="xlc_colors"
source="{colors.lastResult.color}"/>
<mx:TabNavigator left="0" top="0" right="0"
bottom="0">
<mx:Canvas label="Tab 1" width="100%" height="100%">
<mx:Accordion width="200" left="0" top="0" bottom="0">
<mx:Canvas label="Colors" width="100%" height="100%">
<mx:Label text="Current Color Selection" left="10"
right="10" top="10" height="20" fontWeight="bold"/>
<mx:Button label="Update Colors" left="10" right="10"
top="227" height="22" id="button_colors_update"/>
<mx:Canvas height="189" left="10" right="10" top="30"
borderStyle="outset" backgroundColor="#e9e9e9">
<mx:Tile id="tile_standard" direction="horizontal"
tileWidth="25" tileHeight="25" horizontalAlign="center"
verticalAlign="middle" borderStyle="outset" left="10" right="10"
top="10" height="134" backgroundColor="#ffffff">
<mx:Repeater id="r" dataProvider="{xlc_colors}">
<mx:Button toolTip="{r.currentItem.name}" height="15"
width="15" x="10" y="10"/>
</mx:Repeater>
</mx:Tile>
<mx:Button label="Additional Colors"
id="button_colors_online" height="22" left="10" right="10"
bottom="10"/>
</mx:Canvas>
</mx:Canvas>
</mx:Accordion>
</mx:Canvas>
</mx:TabNavigator>
</mx:Application>

Answer 1

Thanks atta707!
If I send an array of 2 uints via a function call that
converts from String to Number to uint in an Actionscript function
and try to feed that into fillColors via:
<mx:Script>
<![CDATA[
public function fillcolors (_colorvalue:String):uint {
return uint(Number(_colorvalue));
]]>
</mx:Script>
<mx:Button height="15" width="15"
toolTip="{r.currentItem.name}" x="10" y="10"
fillColors="[fillcolors({r.currentItem.value}),fillcolors({r.currentItem.value})]"
I still get the "Implicit coercion of a value of type String
to an unrelated type Array." on the line that creates the button. I
have tried returning an Array of two uints with the Actionscript
funtion and get the same result.
<mx:Script>
<![CDATA[
public function fillcolors (_colorvalue:String):Array {
return new Array(uint(Number(_colorvalue)),
uint(Number(_colorvalue)));
]]>
</mx:Script>
<mx:Button toolTip="{r.currentItem.name}" height="15"
width="15" x="10" y="10"
fillColors="[fillcolors({r.currentItem.value})]"/>
Am I mistaken in my conversion of r.currentItem.value to
fillColors as arguments? Sorry about the newbie question - the
error I get makes me think it is a type conversion issue, but I
can't seem to get this to work/compile. If fillColors is expecting
an Array, should the Actionscript function returning an Array at
least get this to compile?