# MapQuest link in external XML file causing me fits

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/mapquest-link-in-external-xml-file-causing-me-fits/76466>\
**Category:** flash\
**Created:** [January 18, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/mapquest-link-in-external-xml-file-causing-me-fits/76466 "2005-01-18T19:29:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![scottdking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@scottdking](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/scottdking)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/mapquest-link-in-external-xml-file-causing-me-fits/76466/1 "2005-01-18T19:29:46Z")

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I’ve got a project where I’m loading information on local businesses into a dynamic text box from external XML files. All was working well until the client asked me to add the ability to look up a map for each business using MapQuest, which uses ampersands ("&") extensively in the href= statement. for example:

[color=Blue]\<a href=“[http://www.clevelandairport.com](http://www.clevelandairport.com)” target=“window2”\>Cleveland Hopkins International Airport\</a\>  
5300 Riverside Dr  
Cleveland, OH 44135  
(216) 265-6000  
\<a href=“[http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?city=Cleveland&state=Ohio&address=5300%20Riverside%20Dr&zip=44135&country=us&zoom=7](http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?city=Cleveland&state=Ohio&address=5300%20Riverside%20Dr&zip=44135&country=us&zoom=7)” target=“window2”\>Map It!\</a\>[/color]

This resulted in the above displaying in the text box like so:

[color=Green]Cleveland Hopkins International Airport  
[/color][color=Green]5300 Riverside Dr  
Cleveland, OH 44135  
(216) 265-6000[/color]

Notice that the last line, the “Map It!” line, does not display. In fact, NOTHING beyond that point displays. Knowing that the problem was with the ampersands, I changed them all to “[color=Red]&[/color]”.

[color=Blue]\<a href=“[http://www.clevelandairport.com](http://www.clevelandairport.com)” target=“window2”\>Cleveland Hopkins International Airport\</a\>  
5300 Riverside Dr  
Cleveland, OH 44135  
(216) 265-6000  
\<a href=“[http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?city=Cleveland&state=Ohio&address=5300%20Riverside%20Dr&zip=44135&country=us&zoom=7](http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?city=Cleveland&state=Ohio&address=5300%20Riverside%20Dr&zip=44135&country=us&zoom=7)” target=“window2”\>Map It!\</a\>[/color]

Unfortunately, this has changed nothing in the output. I’m a relative newbie to flash and XML, so I know it’s probably a simple fix, but I’m stumped. Can anyone help me out, here?

Scott