Loading new xml data into a already xml populated image display

Question

Hi everybody,
I have a question about loading new xml data into a already xml populated image gallery.
So I have my gallery set up so it calls some xml when it first loads. What I would now like to do is load different sets of images via a different xml sheet via the click of a button.
So for example the loaded gallery already has all thumbs loaded and user can click on them to view the full size image. So next instead of the user having to close this gallery to allow a new gallery to open with a different set of pictures I would just like to have a button. This button will unload the existing thumbs from the gallery and load in new ones from a different xml file.
If anybody can help me with this it would be great as I am still on a steep learning curve with AS3.
Here is my AS3
var xmlPath:String = "pictures.xml";
var xml:XML;
var loader = new URLLoader();
loader.load(new URLRequest(xmlPath));
loader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, xmlLoaded);
function xmlLoaded(e:Event):void
     if ((e.target as URLLoader) != null )
          xml = new XML(loader.data);
          createMenu();
var numberOfItems:uint = 0;
var menuItems:Array = new Array();
function createMenu():void
          numberOfItems = xml.items.item.length();
     var count:uint = 0;
          for each (var item:XML in xml.items.item)
          var imageLoader=new Loader();
          var menuItem:MenuItem = new MenuItem();
          menuItem.addChild(imageLoader);
          imageLoader.load(new URLRequest(item.url));
          menuItem.linkTo = item.linkTo;
          menuItem.mouseChildren = false;
          menuItem.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, itemClicked);
          menuItems.push(menuItem);
          addChild(menuItem);
          count++;
function ***():void
     //menuItems.sortOn("zpos3D", Array.NUMERIC | Array.DESCENDING);
     for (var i:uint = 0; i < menuItems.length; i++)
          setChildIndex(menuItems[i], i);

Answer 1

Thanks so much for the reply Andrei1
I think maybe my lack of knowledge when it comes to AS3 is not helping me at the moment because I thought I understood the code you supplied but there is something not going quite right.
So I messed around with the code and added the new_loaded_thumbs_btn to load in the "new_pictures.xml" but I am def doing something wrong.
import flash.ui.ContextMenuItem;
var xmlPath:String = "pictures.xml";
var xml:XML;
var numberOfItems:uint = 0;
var menuItems:Array = new Array();
var loader = new URLLoader();
loader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, xmlLoaded);
loadXML("pictures.xml");
new_loaded_thumbs_btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, loadXML);
function loadXML(path:String):void {
     loader.load(new URLRequest("new_pictures.xml"));
function loadXML(path:String):void {
     loader.load(new URLRequest(path));
function xmlLoaded(e:Event):void
     xml = new XML(loader.data);
     createMenu();
function createMenu():void
     clearMenu();
     numberOfItems = xml.items.item.length();
     var count:uint = 0;
     var imageLoader;
     var menuItem:MenuItem;
     for each (var item:XML in xml.items.item)
          imageLoader = Loader();
          menuItem = new MenuItem();
          menuItem.addChild(imageLoader);
          imageLoader.load(new URLRequest(item.url));
          menuItem.linkTo = item.linkTo;
          menuItem.mouseChildren = false;
          menuItem.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, itemClicked);
          menuItems.push(menuItem);
          addChild(menuItem);
          count++;
     sortChildren();
// removes previously placed objects
function clearMenu():void {
     var menuItem:MenuItem;
     while (menuItems.length > 0) {
          menuItem = menuItems[0];
          removeChildAt(getChildIndex(menuItem));
          menuItem.shift();
function sortChildren():void
     //menuItems.sortOn("zpos3D", Array.NUMERIC | Array.DESCENDING);
     for (var i:uint = 0; i < menuItems.length; i++)
          setChildIndex(menuItems[i], i);
When the image display 1st loads it displays the new_pictures.xml thumbs which I thought would load through my new button when clicked.
And there was me thinking I was getting the hang of AS3.
Could you please point me in the right direction in what I am doing wrong,
Thanks for your time and effort in advance