# Numeric variables in Flash from XML

**URL:** https://forum.kirupa.com/t/numeric-variables-in-flash-from-xml/252481
**Category:** programming
**Created:** [February 20, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/numeric-variables-in-flash-from-xml/252481 "2008-02-20T16:03:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![jnmwilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jnmwilson](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/jnmwilson)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/numeric-variables-in-flash-from-xml/252481/1 "2008-02-20T16:03:50Z")

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I am having a problem with XML…I can get Flash to load all of the information and display it elsewhere…however, it appears to be storing it as a string. When I try the Number(xxx) or var:Number method…it usually just returns “0”. How do I get Flash to convert the variable to a number so that I can perform specific mathematic functions on it???

Here is the onLoad function: ( I know I used the drawn out version…but I am still learning XML)

player\_xml.onLoad = function(success){  
if (success){  
trace(“done”);  
var player = player\_xml.firstChild;  
var name = player.firstChild.firstChild.childNodes;  
var strength = player.firstChild.firstChild.nextSibling.childNodes;  
var agility = player.firstChild.firstChild.nextSibling.nextSibling.childNodes;  
var intelligence = player.firstChild.firstChild.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.childNodes;  
var vitality = player.firstChild.firstChild.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.childNodes;  
var luck = player.firstChild.firstChild.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.childNodes;  
var hitBase = player.firstChild.firstChild.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.childNodes;  
var mhp = player.firstChild.firstChild.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.childNodes;  
var hp = player.firstChild.firstChild.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.childNodes;  
var lvl = player.firstChild.firstChild.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.childNodes;  
var gold = player.firstChild.firstChild.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.childNodes;  
var expNow = player.firstChild.firstChild.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.childNodes;  
var expNeed = player.firstChild.firstChild.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.childNodes;  
\_root.playerArray = [name,strength,agility,intelligence,vitality,luck,hitBase,mhp,hp,lvl,gold,expNow,expNeed];  
trace(\_root.playerArray);  
}  
}