Oldie n00b - Help with Variables

Hi,

I apologise now if the question I ask seems very basic, but the last time I programmed was 15 years ago using Blitz Basic on the Amiga!

If in a Flash AS3 project I have in Frame 1 on the main timeline the following actionscript:

[COLOR=blue]var[/COLOR] drags:[COLOR=blue]Boolean[/COLOR] = [COLOR=blue]true[/COLOR];

then I have a movieclip symbol placed on the stage with this on it’s frame 1:

[COLOR=blue]trace[/COLOR] (drags);

why do I get this error:

1120: Access of undefined property drags.

I was thinking that its a path thing, and have tried [COLOR=blue]trace[/COLOR] (parent.drags);

and then I get the following error:

1119: Access of possibly undefined property drags through a reference with static type flash.display:DisplayObjectContainer.

I will be really grateful if someone can point me to the solution of how to remove these errors and reference the variable from either objects.

Thanks

Terry :}