Dynamic text color

Question

I am trying to use an xml document to dynamically load the
text color into my movie, and i can get the color, but when I try
to use that value to change the text color, it doesn't do anything,
how can I get this to work?
Thanks
This is my code:

Answer 1

There are two issues here I think.
1. Getting the correct value.
var txtColor:Number =
XPathAPI.selectSingleNode(this.firstChild, path+"/textColor/*");
This probably gives you a correct trace (if the xpath is
correct for what you want to do) but the trace is misleading.
trace applies the toString method to its arguments (I
believe). And putting the :Number there doesn't make it a number,
the compiler just treats it like one.
What you actually have is this:
var txtColor:XMLNode =
XPathAPI.selectSingleNode(this.firstChild, path+"/textColor/*");
and if
trace(txtColor.nodeType)
shows '3' then you have a textNode which contains the value
you're after.
So, try this:
var txtColor:Number =
Number((XPathAPI.selectSingleNode(this.firstChild,
path+"/textColor/*").nodeValue);
This *should* get you the value you need.
2. Assigning the value
If the above works, then assigning the number should be
fine...but just to clarify the other points....
Regardless of whether its flash 8 or flash CS3 the compiler
will give an error with the string assignment to a textfield's
textColor property if your textfield has been declared as a
TextField.
E.g.
This fails:
var testtext:TextField;
testtext.textColor ="0xff00ff";
But this works without the declaration:
testtext.textColor ="0xff00ff";
If you're getting that error then you need to use
Number(stringValue) and it will work.