Slideshow issues with variable time for each picture

Question

Hi all,
I've migrated from AS1 to AS3, and boy, a lot has changed...
Anyhow, to learn and understand AS3, I'm modifying a slideshow I found through thetechlabs. I want it to play SWF as well as JPG. These files are passed through an XML file. I added an element called <delaytime> to the XML file that replaces the standard time a photo is shown in the slideshow.
I modified the onSlideFadeIn() function as follows:
function onSlideFadeIn():void {
     slideTimer.removeEventListener(TimerEvent.TIMER, nextSlide);
     slideTimer = new Timer(xmlSlideshow..file[intCurrentSlide].@time);
     slideTimer.addEventListener(TimerEvent.TIMER, nextSlide);
     if(bolPlaying && !slideTimer.running)
     slideTimer.start();
However, when I run it, I get this error message:
## [Tweener] Error: [object Sprite] raised an error while executing the 'onComplete'handler.
TypeError: Error #1010: A term is undefined and has no properties.
at slideshow_fla::MainTimeline/onSlideFadeIn()
at Function/http://adobe.com/AS3/2006/builtin::apply()
at caurina.transitions::Tweener$/::updateTweenByIndex()
at caurina.transitions::Tweener$/::updateTweens()
at caurina.transitions::Tweener$/onEnterFrame()
It stops at the first picture of my slideshow. When I push the 'next' button it displays the next pic, but I get the same error message again.
When I comment out this line:
slideTimer = new Timer(xmlSlideshow..file[intCurrentSlide].@time);
the slideshow runs OK, but without the delaytime specified in the XML file.
I'm lost here, what am I missing?
Any help to get me back on track is highly appreciated!
Thanks a bunch in advance,
Dirk
Here is the complete AS, should you need it:
// import tweener
import caurina.transitions.Tweener;
// delay between slides
const TIMER_DELAY:int = 5000;
// fade time between slides
const FADE_TIME:Number = 1;
// flag for knowing if slideshow is playing
var bolPlaying:Boolean = true;
// reference to the current slider container
var currentContainer:Sprite;
// index of the current slide
var intCurrentSlide:int = -1;
// total slides
var intSlideCount:int;
// timer for switching slides
var slideTimer:Timer;
// slides holder
var sprContainer1:Sprite;
var sprContainer2:Sprite;
// slides loader
var slideLoader:Loader;
// current slide link
var strLink:String = "";
// current slide link target
var strTarget:String = "";
// url to slideshow xml
var strXMLPath:String = "slideshow-data2.xml";
// slideshow xml loader
var xmlLoader:URLLoader;
// slideshow xml
var xmlSlideshow:XML;
function initSlideshow():void {
     // hide buttons, labels and link
     mcInfo.visible = false;
     btnLink.visible = false;
     // create new urlloader for xml file
     xmlLoader = new URLLoader();
     // add listener for complete event
     xmlLoader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, onXMLLoadComplete);
     // load xml file
     xmlLoader.load(new URLRequest(strXMLPath));
     // create new timer with delay from constant
     slideTimer = new Timer(TIMER_DELAY);
     // add event listener for timer event
     slideTimer.addEventListener(TimerEvent.TIMER, nextSlide);
     // create 2 container sprite which will hold the slides and
     // add them to the masked movieclip
     sprContainer1 = new Sprite();
     sprContainer2 = new Sprite();
     mcSlideHolder.addChild(sprContainer1);
     mcSlideHolder.addChild(sprContainer2);
     // keep a reference of the container which is currently
     // in the front
     currentContainer = sprContainer2;
     // add event listeners for buttons
     btnLink.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, goToWebsite);
     btnLink.addEventListener(MouseEvent.ROLL_OVER, showDescription);
     btnLink.addEventListener(MouseEvent.ROLL_OUT, hideDescription);
     mcInfo.btnPlay.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, togglePause);
     mcInfo.btnPause.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, togglePause);
     mcInfo.btnNext.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, nextSlide);
     mcInfo.btnPrevious.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, previousSlide);
     // hide play button
     mcInfo.btnPlay.visible = false;
function onXMLLoadComplete(e:Event):void {
     // show buttons, labels and link
     mcInfo.visible = true;
     btnLink.visible = true;
     // create new xml with the received data
     xmlSlideshow = new XML(e.target.data);
     // get total slide count
     intSlideCount = xmlSlideshow..image.length();
     // switch the first slide without a delay
     switchSlide(0);
function fadeSlideIn(e:Event):void {
     // add loaded slide from slide loader to the
     // current container
     addSlideContent();
     // clear preloader text
     mcInfo.lbl_loading.text = "";
     // check if the slideshow is currently playing
     // if so, show time to the next slide. If not, show
     // a status message
     if(bolPlaying) {
          mcInfo.lbl_loading.text = "Next slide in " + TIMER_DELAY / 1000 + " sec.";
     } else {
          mcInfo.lbl_loading.text = "Slideshow paused";
     // fade the current container in and start the slide timer
     // when the tween is finished
     Tweener.addTween(currentContainer, {alpha:1, time:FADE_TIME, onComplete:onSlideFadeIn});
function onSlideFadeIn():void {
     slideTimer.removeEventListener(TimerEvent.TIMER, nextSlide);
     slideTimer = new Timer(xmlSlideshow..file[intCurrentSlide].@time);
     slideTimer.addEventListener(TimerEvent.TIMER, nextSlide);
     if(bolPlaying && !slideTimer.running)
     slideTimer.start();
function togglePause(e:MouseEvent):void {
     // check if the slideshow is currently playing
     if(bolPlaying) {
          // show play button
          mcInfo.btnPlay.visible = true;
          mcInfo.btnPause.visible = false;
          // set playing flag to false
          bolPlaying = false;
          // set status message
          mcInfo.lbl_loading.text = "Slideshow paused";
          // stop the timer
          slideTimer.stop();
     } else {
          // show pause button
          mcInfo.btnPlay.visible = false;
          mcInfo.btnPause.visible = true;
          // set playing flag to true
          bolPlaying = true;
          // show time to next slide
          mcInfo.lbl_loading.text = "Next slide in " + TIMER_DELAY / 1000 + " sec.";
          // reset and start timer
          slideTimer.reset();
          slideTimer.start();
function switchSlide(intSlide:int):void {
     // check if the last slide is still fading in
     if(!Tweener.isTweening(currentContainer)) {
          // check, if the timer is running (needed for the
          // very first switch of the slide)
          if(slideTimer.running)
          slideTimer.stop();
          // change slide index
          intCurrentSlide = intSlide;
          // check which container is currently in the front and
          // assign currentContainer to the one that's in the back with
          // the old slide
          if(currentContainer == sprContainer2)
          currentContainer = sprContainer1;
          else
          currentContainer = sprContainer2;
          // hide the old slide
          currentContainer.alpha = 0;
          // bring the old slide to the front
          mcSlideHolder.swapChildren(sprContainer2, sprContainer1);
          //Van hier
          if (currentContainer.numChildren > 0) {
               var slideObjRef:DisplayObject = currentContainer.getChildAt(0);
               currentContainer.removeChildAt(0);
               slideObjRef = null;
          //Tot hier
          // delete loaded content
          clearLoader();
          // create a new loader for the slide
          slideLoader = new Loader();
          // add event listener when slide is loaded
          slideLoader.contentLoaderInfo.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, fadeSlideIn);
          // add event listener for the progress
          slideLoader.contentLoaderInfo.addEventListener(ProgressEvent.PROGRESS, showProgress);
          // load the next slide
          slideLoader.load(new URLRequest(xmlSlideshow..image[intCurrentSlide].@src));
          // show description of the next slide
          mcInfo.lbl_description.text = xmlSlideshow..image[intCurrentSlide].@title;
          // set link and link target variable of the slide
          strLink = xmlSlideshow..image[intCurrentSlide].@link;
          strTarget = xmlSlideshow..image[intCurrentSlide].@target;
          mcInfo.mcDescription.lbl_description.htmlText = xmlSlideshow..image[intCurrentSlide].@desc;
          // show current slide and total slides
          mcInfo.lbl_count.text = (intCurrentSlide + 1) + " / " + intSlideCount + " Slides";
function showProgress(e:ProgressEvent):void {
     // show percentage of the bytes loaded from the current slide
     mcInfo.lbl_loading.text = "Loading..." + Math.ceil(e.bytesLoaded * 100 / e.bytesTotal) + "%";
function goToWebsite(e:MouseEvent):void {
     // check if the strLink is not empty and open the link in the
     // defined target window
     if(strLink != "" && strLink != null) {
          navigateToURL(new URLRequest(strLink), strTarget);
function nextSlide(e:Event = null):void {
     // check, if there are any slides left, if so, increment slide
     // index
     if(intCurrentSlide + 1 < intSlideCount)
     switchSlide(intCurrentSlide + 1);
     // if not, start slideshow from beginning
     else
     switchSlide(0);
function previousSlide(e:Event = null):void {
     // check, if there are any slides left, if so, decrement slide
     // index
     if(intCurrentSlide - 1 >= 0)
     switchSlide(intCurrentSlide - 1);
     // if not, start slideshow from the last slide
     else
     switchSlide(intSlideCount - 1);
function showDescription(e:MouseEvent):void {
     // remove tweens
     Tweener.removeTweens(mcInfo.mcDescription);
     // fade in the description
     Tweener.addTween(mcInfo

Answer 1

Thanks, but no luck so far...
With the debugging publish setting on, I get the following error message:
TypeError: Error #1009: Cannot access a property  or method of a null object reference.
at  slideshow_fla::MainTimeline/slideshow_fla::frame1()[slideshow_fla.MainTimeline::frame1:12 3]
Line 123 says:
trace(xmlSlideshow..file[intCurrentSlide].@time);
However, when I comment out the trace() line it gives another error  message:
## [Tweener] Error: [object Sprite] raised an  error while executing the 'onComplete'handler.
TypeError: Error #1010: A  term is undefined and has no properties.
at  slideshow_fla::MainTimeline/onSlideFadeIn()[slideshow_fla.MainTimeline::frame1:118]
Where line 118 is:
slideTimer = new  Timer(Number(xmlSlideshow..file[intCurrentSlide].@time));
Now, according to my Flash manual I bought, I need to 'instanciate' things.  Did I forget this?
Just can't get my head around this OOP stuff...
Thanks a bunch for helping me!