# How to format externally loaded text?

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-format-externally-loaded-text/274353>\
**Category:** flash\
**Created:** [October 28, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-format-externally-loaded-text/274353 "2008-10-28T20:46:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![celicasaur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@celicasaur](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/celicasaur)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-format-externally-loaded-text/274353/1 "2008-10-28T20:46:21Z")

</div>

I’ve managed to load an external text file into my movie with the following code:

```auto

var external_txt:TextField = new TextField();
var externalReq:URLRequest = new URLRequest("external.txt");
var externalLoad:URLLoader = new URLLoader();

externalLoad.load(externalReq);
externalLoad.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, textReady);
 
external_txt.x = 30;
external_txt.y = 50;
external_txt.border = true;
external_txt.width = 330;
external_txt.height = 200;
external_txt.wordWrap = true;
 
addChild(external_txt);
 
function textReady(event:Event):void
{
 external_txt.text = event.target.data;
}
function scrollUp(event:MouseEvent):void
{
 external_txt.scrollV --;
}
function scrollDown(event:MouseEvent):void
{
 external_txt.scrollV ++;
}

```

My problem is that I can’t find a way to format the text. I’ve tried this:

```auto

var myFormat:TextFormat = new TextFormat();
external_txt.font ="Lithos Pro Regular";
external_txt.color = 0xFF0000;
external_txt.size = 14;
external_txt.autoSize = TextFieldAutoSize.LEFT;
external_txt.setTextFormat(myFormat);

```

But it doesn’t do anything. I need to change the colour, size and fontface of the externally loaded text.

Please can somebody help :?)