Can't duplicate movieclips as an array within an array

Question

Hello.
I have an animation that loads an xml into it and traces back
an array within an array. I have tried to apply this to duplicated
movieclips thereby creating a structured set of links. What I am
trying to do is this:
Chicken Nuggets
__Compression
__Texture
__Disgust
Mega Warhead
__Taste
__Hardness
__Pain
This traces fine but I can't seem to get the duplicated
movieclips to assemble in this fashion.
The code for the XML is as follows:
var controlArray:Array;
var variable:Array;
var testTopic = new Array ();
var test = new Array ();
var controlsXML:XML = new XML();
controlsXML.ignoreWhite = true;
controlsXML.onLoad = function(success:Boolean){
if (success){
var mainnode:XMLNode = controlsXML.firstChild;
var controlNodes:Array =
controlsXML.firstChild.firstChild.firstChild.firstChild.childNodes;
var list:Array = new Array();
for (var i:Number = 0; i < controlNodes.length; i++) {
var personnode:XMLNode = controlNodes
.attributes.Name;
trace(personnode);
testTopic.push (new struct (personnode));
var specificNode:Array = controlNodes.childNodes;
for (var j:Number = 0; j < specificNode.length; j++){
var itemnode:XMLNode = specificNode[j].attributes.Variable;
trace(itemnode);
test.push (new struct2 (itemnode));
printer ();
printer2 ();
} else {
trace('error reading XML');
controlsXML.load ("controls3.xml");
The code for the movieclip duplication is as follows:
x = 50;
function printer ()
for (m = 0; m < testTopic.length; m++)
duplicateMovieClip ( slotTopic, "slotTopic" + m, m );
slotTopic = eval ( "slotTopic" + m );
slotTopic._y += x;
slotTopic.slotTopicContent.text = testTopic[m].personnode;
function printer2 ()
for (k = 0; k < test.length; k++)
duplicateMovieClip ( slot, "slot" + k, k );
slot = eval ( "slot" + k );
slot._y += x;
slot.slotContent.text = test[k].itemnode;
function struct (personnode)
this.personnode = personnode;
function struct2 (itemnode)
this.itemnode = itemnode;
On the stage are two movieclips, titled "slotTopic" and
"slot". Within those are dynamic text boxes titled respectively
"slotTopicContent" and "slotContent". When I preview this file it
only displays the text within the "slot" movieclip and it lists all
six of the subtopics with no break. So, there are two dilemmas:
1) The movieclips won't duplicate into the structured set of
links that I want.
2) "slotTopic" is not displaying text at all.
If anyone has any advice, I'd really appreciate it.
Thx!

Answer 1

ok, I'm sorry but there are quite a few things wrong here.
first though, when posting code please use the 'attach code'
button.
1) i can't imagine that you have a XML structure as deep as
your calling to or the need for it with the limited amount of
infomation your pulling, in addition your storing the info in
attributes, so I can't see how this would work, it may 'trace' out
the right text (somehow) but it's not getting into the arrays
properly.
2) you do not assign an attribute value to a XMLNode, and
then try to push it into an array.
3) you do not call a method (struct or struct2) using the
'new' operator. this is how you envoke a new 'class' instance.
4) do not use 'x' as a variable name as it is a reserved var
in flash, assigned to an Object instance.
5) the duplicateMovieClip() method needs to be called upon
the existing clip as in:
slotTopic.duplicateMovieClip('slotTopic'+m, m);
additionally you can pass the _y placement within the
initObject.
6) you do not need to use eval, it isn't doing anything here,
you will gain the correct path by calling duplicateMovieClip
correctly.
7) the reason why slotTopic is not being displayed at all is
because of the second loop, you are duplicating the clips
(incorrectly) into the same depths thereby replacing all of the
contents of the slotTopic depths previously constructed.
the solution to this problem is to construct both items with
the same loop but increament one of the depth assignments by a
specific number, in other words at depths much higher or at least
different, than that of the first element, as in:
slotTopic.duplicateMovieClip('slotTopic'+m, m, {_y:50});
slot.duplicateMovieClip('slot'+(m+100), m+100, {_y:50});
again I'm sorry man, but it will take some work to sort this
out.