Package/Class/Function Problem

Question

From the Getting Started Lessons in Flex Builder 2, one thing
I am trying to learn (but failing) is how to use the TimerEvent
class. The sample uses the following code:
package
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.events.TimerEvent
import flash.utils.Timer
public class ShortTimer extends Sprite
public function ShortTimer()
// creates a new five-second Timer
var minuteTimer:Timer = new Timer(1000, 5);
// designates listeners for the interval and completion
events
minuteTimer.addEventListener(TimerEvent.TIMER, onTick);
minuteTimer.addEventListener(TimerEvent.TIMER_COMPLETE,
onTimerComplete);
// starts the timer ticking
minuteTimer.start();
public function onTick(evt:TimerEvent):void
// displays the tick count so far
// The target of this event is the Timer instance itself.
trace("tick " + evt.target.currentCount);
public function onTimerComplete(evt:TimerEvent):void
trace("Time's Up!");
I cannot get this code to work any way I try it. If I put the
code in an mxml app it gives back an error that a package cannot be
nested. If I put the code in its own component file, I cannot get
anything (like a button) to call the ShortTimer function to run the
Timer.
I tried the following code in an mxml app to call the
function that is in the component file and I named the package
Whatever and put the component in a folder named Whatever within
the project.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="
http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
layout="absolute">
<mx:Script>
<![CDATA[
import Whatever.ShortTimer;
]]>
</mx:Script>
<mx:Panel height="100%" width="100%">
<mx:Button id="PushMe" label="Push Me!"
click="Whatever.ShortTimer;"/>
</mx:Panel>
</mx:Application>
If I click the button in debug mode, nothing happens. I would
have thought the above eventlistener in the click event would need
to have open and close parens after it, but if I put them in there
it comes back with an error about not having enough arguments (why
would the ShortTimer function need an argument anyway?).
Can anyone please help me? I am sure I am missing out on some
simple syntax or Flex Builder 2 setup that I have yet to
understand.
Thanks

Answer 1

Sweet! Thanks. I am not used to creating an instance of a
class since my background is from mostly VBA programming. I had the
import statement, but not the variable creating an instance of my
timer class. I kept trying to simply call the function by using its
name in the click event of a button. It all makes sense now.