# Instance names and functions

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/instance-names-and-functions/166438>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [October 19, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/instance-names-and-functions/166438 "2005-10-19T22:35:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jasonoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/db5fbb/32.png) [@jasonoda](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/jasonoda)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/instance-names-and-functions/166438/1 "2005-10-19T22:35:01Z")

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im trying to use a function in a timeline to identify a symbol and do some stuff with it.

on the movie clip  
[color=Red]onClipEvent (load) {  
\_root.test(\_name);  
}

[color=Black]on the timeline  
[color=Blue]function test (name) {  
name.\_x=300;  
}[/color]

this is not working. I basically want to have about 30 movie clips that all try to use the function “test”  
i do not want to put the function on the movie clip.  
[/color][/color]  
i’ve tried some different things, such as eval, but can’t get anything to work.

please help

jason