Pathing within Action Script Problems

Question

I have code that uses multiple button functions within different movie clips, here is a sample of the code in the last frame of the last movie clip:
stop();
var xmlholderNewsNetwork:URLLoader=new URLLoader(new URLRequest("NewsNetwork.xml"));
xmlholderNewsNetwork.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE,onloadNewsNetwork);
function onloadNewsNetwork(e:Event):void {
    feed.text="";
     var xml:XML=new XML(xmlholderNewsNetwork.data);
     for (var i:Number=0; i<xml.story.length(); i++) {
         feed.appendText(xml.story[i].storyname+"\n"+xml.story[i].body+"\n\n");
topmenu.home.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDownHandlerHomeNewsNetwork);
function mouseDownHandlerHomeNewsNetwork(event:MouseEvent){
     Content.ContentHome.gotoAndPlay(17);   
topmenu.Enlist.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDownHandlerEnlistNewsNetwork);
function mouseDownHandlerEnlistNewsNetwork(event:MouseEvent){
         navigateToURL(new URLRequest("https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=psvc5aYhLuFoImejmLioWew&hl=en"));
     topmenu.Roster.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDownHandlerRosterNewsNetwork);
function mouseDownHandlerRosterNewsNetwork(event:MouseEvent){
         Content.ContentRoster.gotoAndStop(36);   
     topmenu.Forums.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDownHandlerForumsNewsNetwork);
function mouseDownHandlerForumsNewsNetwork(event:MouseEvent){
      navigateToURL(new URLRequest("http://fifthfleetforums.proboards.com/index.cgi"));
     topmenu.Commendations.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDownHandlerCommenNewsNetwork);
function mouseDownHandlerCommenNewsNetwork(event:MouseEvent){
     Content.ContentCommendations.gotoAndStop(36);   
         topmenu.Forms.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDownHandlerFormsNewsNetwork);
function mouseDownHandlerFormsNewsNetwork(event:MouseEvent){
     Content.ContentForms.gotoAndStop(36);   
    ect....
This code is in Scene1->Content (the instance name)->ContentNewsNetworkd(the instance name, it is a movie clip)
The path, as I think of it is, Scene1.Content.ContentNewsNetwork.  However I am getting errors saying that:
1120: Access of undefined property Content.
and
1120: Access of undefined property topmenu.
The buttons are contanted in Scene1->topmenu (instance name)-> then each button, is its own button.
Can someone help me, and if you are confused please tell me and I will try to explain better.
Thanks
Faedother

Answer 1

I'll whittle it down to one of each...
root - Content - ContentNewsNetwork <code is in this timeline>
root - Content - ContentHome
roott- topmenu - home
The least mind boggling way to command the ContentHome and home timelines/contents would be to use a root reference...
MovieClip(this.root).Content.ContentHome.gotoAndPlay(...
MovieClip(this.root).topmenu.home.alpha = ....
The next approach could be a little more relative to the current location...
MovieClip(this.parent).ContentHome.gotoAndStop(...
MovieClip(this.parent.parent).topmenu.home.visible = ....
And the more mind boggling/time consuming/oo-politically correct way would be to add event dispatchers and listeners so that you in no way utilize root or parent references in your code.  I'll spare you that one, but if you are interested, here's a link to learn a little more about it:  http://forums.adobe.com/thread/470135?tstart=120