AS3 custom component does not appear on stage

programming flash
1

I am trying to create my own custom AS3 component. Figured out just about everything but when it comes time to add it to the stage, it does not show up. The constructor is firing and everything.

*The component source is added to my classpath so it can find the UIComponent class
*The linkage class is BallComp and the base class is MovieClip (tried Sprite also)
*The component’s definition has BallComp as its class.

When I replace the import and class inheritance to MovieClip, it works fine.

Here is the custom component’s class:


package {

    import fl.core.UIComponent;
    public class BallComp extends UIComponent {
    
    //import flash.display.MovieClip;
     //public class BallComp extends MovieClip {


        function BallComp()
        {
            trace( this + " created..." );
        }
     }
}