# Reference MC or string passed to function returns "undefined", but works

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/reference-mc-or-string-passed-to-function-returns-undefined-but-works/252078>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [February 15, 2008, 5:03pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/reference-mc-or-string-passed-to-function-returns-undefined-but-works/252078 "2008-02-15T17:03:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pixel\_streamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a8b319/32.png) [@pixel\_streamer](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/pixel_streamer)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 5:03pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/reference-mc-or-string-passed-to-function-returns-undefined-but-works/252078/1 "2008-02-15T17:03:09Z")

</div>

I’m having a problem passing a reference name of a movieclip or a string to a function. No matter how I type rectanglename, (String, or MC) the movieclip created is named undefined, but it shows up. Can someone tell me what I’ve done wrong?

Thanks!

var rectanglename:MovieClip;  
var recWidth:Number = null;  
var recHeight:Number = null;  
var bordersize:Number = null;  
var fillcolor:Number = null;  
var fillalpha:Number = null;  
var bordercolor:Number = null;  
var borderalpha:Number = null;  
//  
function drawRectangle(rectanglename:MovieClip, recWidth:Number, recHeight:Number, bordersize:Number, fillcolor:Number, fillalpha:Number, bordercolor:Number, borderalpha:Number):Void {  
this.createEmptyMovieClip(String(rectanglename), this.getNextHighestDepth());  
this[rectanglename].beginFill(fillcolor, fillalpha);  
this[rectanglename].lineStyle(bordersize, bordercolor, 100, true, “none”, “square”, “miter”, 3);  
this[rectanglename].moveTo(0, 0);  
this[rectanglename].lineTo(recWidth, 0);  
this[rectanglename].lineTo(recWidth, recHeight);  
this[rectanglename].lineTo(0, recHeight);  
this[rectanglename].lineTo(0, 0);  
this[rectanglename].endFill();  
}  
//  
drawRectangle(rectangle, 320, 240, 3, 0xDD8844, 50, 0xDD8844, 100);