Stuck on Compiler Error in Flex Builder

Question

Greetings all.
I have my first Flex app calling a Java backend, and the connection works fine.  I have a method "getContinents()" in Java, which returns a List of Continent objects.  Each Continent object has two variables, "name" and "description".  "Name" is a two-letter abbreviation (NA for North America, SA for South America, etc; you get the idea) and "Description" is the spelled-out description (like "North America").  I have an ActionScript class which mimics the Java class.
In Flex, I have a DataGrid which has, as its dataProvider, a Bindable ArrayCollection.  When the data comes back into Flex, I put it in the aforementioned Bindable ArrayCollection.  That works great.  The list of Continents appears in the DataGrid, as expected.
The issue is the DropDownList.  I want to see the same thing happen in the DropDownList.  I want to see the Description in the DropDownList, and when one is chosen, based on the selection, I want to go back to the server to get the list of Countries in that selected Continent.  But I can't get this to happen because I can't get past a compiler error on the DropDownList:
-1067: Implicit coercion of a value of type String to an unrelated type mx.collections:IList.
DropDownList is defined like this:
    <s:DropDownList x="270" y="220" id="continentDropdown" width="112">
                                    dataProvider="{continentArray}"
                                    labelField="description"
                                    valueField="name"
                                    change="continentChanged(event)">
    </s:DropDownList>
Data is returned to Flex in this result handler:
            protected function continentsRO_resultHandler(event:ResultEvent):void
            {    log.info("Returned in result handler") ;
                continentArray=event.result as ArrayCollection ;
When I create a ComboBox instead of a DropDownList, I get the same compiler error.  When I change the ComboBox from a Spark ComboBox to an MX ComboBox, I don't get the compiler error, but the ComboBox never has any data in it.
Would anyone be able to tell me what it is that I am doing wrong here?
Thanks very much in advance!!!

Answer 1

I would try this:
continentArray = new ArrayCollection(event.result as Array);
And if that does not work then ensure event.result is not just a string.
If this post answers your question or helps, please mark it as such.
Greg Lafrance - Flex 2 and 3 ACE certified
www.ChikaraDev.com
Flex Training and Support Services