Menu Help

OK, I’m now desperate…

After reading the XML drop-down menu tutorial on this site I’ve constructed the very basics of my menu. I’ve spend countless hours trying to figure out how to change the alignment of this menu to go to “horizonal” i.e. the main menu buttons must lie horizontally with the sub-menu’s opening up directly beneath them in a vertical fashion. Sub-sub menu’s obviously lie adjacent to the sub-menu in question.

Please help!!!

PS. Also, how do I get rid of the spacing between the buttons?

Current coding:

// generates a list of menu items (effectively one menu)
// given the inputted parameters. This makes the main menu
// as well as any of the submenus
GenerateMenu = function(container, name, x, y, depth, node_xml) {
// variable declarations
var curr_node;
var curr_item;
var curr_menu = container.createEmptyMovieClip(name, depth);

// for all items or XML nodes (items and menus)
// within this node_xml passed for this menu
for (var i=0; i<node_xml.childNodes.length; i++) {
// movieclip for each menu item
curr_item = curr_menu.attachMovie(“menuitem”,“item”+i+"_mc", i);
curr_item._x = x;
curr_item._y = y + i*curr_item._height;
curr_item.trackAsMenu = true;

// item properties assigned from XML
curr_node = node_xml.childNodes*;
curr_item.action = curr_node.attributes.action;
curr_item.variables = curr_node.attributes.variables;
curr_item.name.text = curr_node.attributes.name;

// item submenu behavior for rollover event
if (node_xml.childNodes*.nodeName == “menu”){
// open a submenu
curr_item.node_xml = curr_node;
curr_item.onRollOver = curr_item.onDragOver = function(){
var x = this._x + this._width - 5;
var y = this._y + 5;
GenerateMenu(curr_menu, “submenu_mc”, x, y, 1000, this.node_xml);
// show a hover color
var col = new Color(this.background);
col.setRGB(0xffa520);
};
}else{ // nodeName == “item”
curr_item.arrow._visible = false;
// close existing submenu
curr_item.onRollOver = curr_item.onDragOver = function(){
curr_menu.submenu_mc.removeMovieClip();
// show a hover color
var col = new Color(this.background);
col.setRGB(0xffa520);
};
}

curr_item.onRollOut = curr_item.onDragOut = function(){
// restore color
var col = new Color(this.background);
col.setTransform({ra:100,rb:0,ga:100,gb:0,ba:100,bb:0});
};

// any item, menu opening or not can have actions
curr_item.onRelease = function(){
Actionsthis.action;
CloseSubmenus();
};
} // end for loop
};
// create the main menu, this will be constantly visible
CreateMainMenu = function(x, y, depth, menu_xml){
// generate a menu list
GenerateMenu(this, “mainmenu_mc”, x, y, depth, menu_xml.firstChild);
// close only submenus if visible durring a mouseup
// this main menu (mainmenu_mc) will remain
mainmenu_mc.onMouseUp = function(){
if (mainmenu_mc.submenu_mc && !mainmenu_mc.hitTest(_root._xmouse, _root._ymouse, true)){
CloseSubmenus();
}
};
};
// closes all submenus by removing the submenu_mc
// in the main menu (if it exists)
CloseSubmenus = function(){
mainmenu_mc.submenu_mc.removeMovieClip();
};
// This actions object handles methods for actions
// defined by the XML called when a menu item is pressed
Actions = Object();
Actions.gotoURL = function(urlVar){
getURL(urlVar, “_blank”);
};
Actions.message = function(msg){
message_txt.text = msg;
};
Actions.newMenu = function(menuxml){
menu_xml.load(menuxml);
};
// load XML, when done, run CreateMainMenu to interpret it
menu_xml = new XML();
menu_xml.ignoreWhite = true;
menu_xml.onLoad = function(ok){
// create main menu after successful loading of XML
if (ok){
CreateMainMenu(10, 10, 0, this);
message_txt.text = “message area”;
}else{
message_txt.text = “error: XML not successfully loaded”;
}
};
// load first XML menu
menu_xml.load(“menu1.xml”);