# How do you create bullet points in external text in flash mx? I need help bad

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-do-you-create-bullet-points-in-external-text-in-flash-mx-i-need-help-bad/33448>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [October 19, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-do-you-create-bullet-points-in-external-text-in-flash-mx-i-need-help-bad/33448 "2003-10-19T17:20:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![me5000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@me5000](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/me5000)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-do-you-create-bullet-points-in-external-text-in-flash-mx-i-need-help-bad/33448/1 "2003-10-19T17:20:35Z")

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I need to create bullet points in an external text file that is being used with a scrollbar component, I have tried a bunch of things but can not make it work. when I use the html tag \<li\>word\</li\> the flash movie just reads the html code as I typed it. I have the html box turned on in flash. So I am stumped. Does any one know how to create bullet points for external text in html or better yet dirrect me to an example of bullet points working externally in flash mx.

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-do-you-create-bullet-points-in-external-text-in-flash-mx-i-need-help-bad/33448/2 "2003-10-19T17:29:35Z")

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Well as for an external .txt file I dont think there is a way. In Flash itself there is a TextFormat() option called “bullet”, that goes something like this [AS]myTF = new TextFormat();  
myTF.bullet = true;  
myTextBox.text = “asdf”;  
myTextBox.setTextFormat(myTF);[/AS] but that doesn’t really help you much since that makes the whole textbox a bulleted list instead of just part of it :-\

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-do-you-create-bullet-points-in-external-text-in-flash-mx-i-need-help-bad/33448/3 "2003-10-19T17:36:03Z")

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Really? Heh… I tried it and it didn’t work… maybe I fuggled up somewhere… lemme retry.

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-do-you-create-bullet-points-in-external-text-in-flash-mx-i-need-help-bad/33448/4 "2003-10-19T17:38:25Z")

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Hahaha, I did mess up… :blushes:

\<li\>\</li\> works just fine for me.

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-do-you-create-bullet-points-in-external-text-in-flash-mx-i-need-help-bad/33448/5 "2003-10-19T17:42:14Z")

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My bad, first, give your dynamic text boxes’ variable the name **list**. Then, extend the dynamic text box to however big you want it to be. Go to properties, select **Render Text as HTML**. Then on the keyframe insert this actionscript:

```auto
list = list.htmlText = "<li>First Choice: 2advanced.com</li> <li>Second Choice: Kirupa.com</li>";

```

That makes a list, everytime you want to add a new bullet, put the tag: **\<li\>** and then the words.

- But that doesn’t really help you load the text into bullets does it? Hope that helps you, and lostinbeta, try the new thing I just said, that should work better.
- Me5000, as for you, I’m trying something.

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-do-you-create-bullet-points-in-external-text-in-flash-mx-i-need-help-bad/33448/6 "2003-10-19T17:46:42Z")

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This is what I used…

External .txt file:

> myVar=This should be bulleted\<li\>hello world\</li\>\<li\>I am me\</li\>

AS: [AS]myLV = new LoadVars();  
myLV.onLoad = function(success) {  
if (success) {  
myTextBox.html = true;  
myTextBox.htmlText = this.myVar;  
} else {  
trace(“file loading failed”);  
}  
};  
myLV.load(“myText.txt”);[/AS] Worked like a charm. The last time I tried I had a minor error 😛

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 6:02pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-do-you-create-bullet-points-in-external-text-in-flash-mx-i-need-help-bad/33448/7 "2003-10-19T18:02:12Z")

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I got it. Exactly what Me5000 wants (or so I think). Easy steps. This can be done by anyone, and the actionscript is much more easier to understand (no offense Lost):  
[list=1]  
[_]Make a new text document. Just rename it to **data**.  
[_]Open up Flash and insert a Dynamic Text Box.  
[_]Set the text boxes’ properties to **Render Text as HTML** and give it the variable: **list**. Make the box as big as you like.  
[_]Convert this dynamic text box to a movie clip and give it the instance: **list**.  
[\*]On the keyframe insert this AS:

```auto
loadVariables("data.txt", "list");

```

[_]Save the Flash and export the movie.  
[_]Open up the data text document, and put in this:\*\* list=\<li\>2advanced.com\</li\> \<li\>Kirupa.com\</li\> \<li\>Flashkit.com\</li\>\*\* and so on…  
[\*]And then you’re done! Test the .swf file!  
[/list=1]

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-do-you-create-bullet-points-in-external-text-in-flash-mx-i-need-help-bad/33448/8 "2003-10-19T18:05:02Z")

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LoadVars() is far more versatile than loadVariables() and loadVariablesNum(), so I tend to stick with that. But whatever works 😉

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-do-you-create-bullet-points-in-external-text-in-flash-mx-i-need-help-bad/33448/9 "2003-10-19T18:09:16Z")

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And then, you can edit the text file by adding the **\<a href=""\>** tag, making the list thingys clickable and linkable! Da-mn I’M GOOD!