# Simple HELP Request

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/simple-help-request/212281>\
**Category:** flash\
**Created:** [January 9, 2007, 10:45pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/simple-help-request/212281 "2007-01-09T22:45:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![iamheaddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/94ad74/32.png) [@iamheaddown](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/iamheaddown)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 10:45pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/simple-help-request/212281/1 "2007-01-09T22:45:04Z")

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Hey Kirupa members and staff,

I am new to actionscript but highly motivated to jump in head first. I need a little help and direction. I recently started to dive in head first into learning AS3 with no substantial AS background whatsoever. I thought this may even be better as I will not have to break old AS2 habits.

Anyways, I have the standalone MXML Flex 2 SDK compiler and have been experimenting. I want to learn how to program in true raw code, all AS3. I have been intensely learning and find myself becoming more lost and confused the more I read etc.

Take this for example. I checked out Ely Greenfield’s awesome Blog and found the DisplayShelf component. Wow, to say the least. This thing is cool.

I want to learn how to create just a SWF of this component and have the “dataset” be an XML file. So, I have looked at the code closely and know it is possible. Now, first things first.

I don’t even know where to start! How do I create a class that will bring in the DisplayShelf class and tell it to pull the images from the XML file. The only nodes I want in the XML right now is the following:  
\<album\_name\> Which I will use later when I incorporate this with an MP3 player  
\<album\_playlist\> The location of the playlist that goes with image  
\<album\_image\> the path to the album image that will be displayed in the DisplayShelf effect.

Any help to get me started would be great. I have attached Ely’s open-source files for reference. Again, I do not want to create a FLEX 2.0 app, just a Flash Player 9 SWF.

My future intentions are to then, when the user clicks on the album image, DisplayShelf sends the album\_playlist node (which is the path and name of that albums playlist) to an MP3 player (specifically E-Phonics MP3 player) which I only have the SWF for.

Let me know if someone is willing to provide me direction. Thanks.

-iamheaddown