Flash 8 Actionscript Tutorial problem

Question

I have followed the following instructions to the letter
(several times) but the button script won't activate a URL and I
get an error message from Flash 8 which I'll show after this:
1.Select the invisible button on the Stage.
Open the Property inspector (Window > Properties), and
find the Instance Name text box in the Property inspector.
Type inv_btn into the Instance Name text box.
Select Insert > Timeline > Layer to insert a new layer,
and then rename the new layer to actions.
Open the Actions panel (Window > Actions), and then select
Frame 1 of the actions layer.
Type the following ActionScript into the script pane (the
editable text field) in the Actions panel:
inv_btn.onRelease = function(){
getURL("
http://gnome.deseloper.com",
"_blank");
This does not work. Here is the error message:
**Error** Scene=Scene 1, layer=button, frame=1:Line 1:
Statement must appear within on handler
inv_btn.onRelease = function(){
As this script was copied directly from the tutorial text,
and I have never scripted anything before, I am at a loss to
explain this or how to make it work. Can anyone help me?

Answer 1

I'll approach this from the opposite end... replace the code
you have with:
on(release){
getURL("
http://gnome.deseloper.com",
"_blank");
If that works, then the problem is that you didn't put the
code where the instructions you show indicated you should. For what
you did, the code I just showed is appropriate (though not a good
practice because it is hidden from easy review). It's better to
keep your code in the timeline where it can be easily found.
You will have selected the button and then typed the code in
the actionscript editor. Instead, you need to
click on the frame in the (separate) actions layer in the
main timeline that you should have made already, not the button
layer, and then place that code from the tutorial in the
actionscript editor window.