# String value returning null from a Dynamic Textfield with XML data ....and I have NO clue why....

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/string-value-returning-null-from-a-dynamic-textfield-with-xml-data-and-i-have-no-clue-why/633979>\
**Category:** flash\
**Created:** [November 20, 2015, 4:07am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/string-value-returning-null-from-a-dynamic-textfield-with-xml-data-and-i-have-no-clue-why/633979 "2015-11-20T04:07:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PEProgrammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/0ea827/32.png) [@PEProgrammer](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/PEProgrammer)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 4:07am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/string-value-returning-null-from-a-dynamic-textfield-with-xml-data-and-i-have-no-clue-why/633979/1 "2015-11-20T04:07:35Z")

</div>

I am setting up a textbook type app where I can grab culinary recipes from an xml file. I am working with a mc labeled “Cookies” where I dynamically make a certain amount of buttons depending on how many cookie recipes I have in my xml file. My URL loader and XML data is on the main stage and I grab it from inside a movie clip.

I am getting TypeError: Error #2007: Parameter text must be non-null.  
at flash.text::TextField/set text()

However, I am never setting targetBtn:string to null…

> function initializeCookieRecipes():void  
> {  
> for (var i:int = 0; i \< MovieClip(root).XMLRecipes.cookie.@name.length(); i++)  
> {  
> var cookieTypeBtn:btn\_cookieType = new btn\_cookieType;  
> cookieTypeBtn.name = “cookie” + i;  
> cookieTypeBtn.cookieTypeName.text = MovieClip(root).XMLRecipes.cookie.@name[i];  
> cookieTypeBtn.x = xCoord;  
> cookieTypeBtn.y = yCoord;  
> cookieBtnArray.push(cookieTypeBtn);  
> cookieTypeBtn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, chooseCookieRecipe);  
> cookieTypeBtn.buttonMode = true;  
> addChild(cookieTypeBtn);

```
		if (yCoord < 100)
		{
		yCoord = yCoord + 65.75;
		}else
		{
			xCoord = xCoord + 280.8;
			yCoord = -221.60;
		}
}
isInitialized = true;
xCoord = -270.45;
yCoord = -221.60;

```

> }

The event listener connected to the button, removes all the buttons I just created, opens a folder type animation, and shows all of the ingredients and amounts on another mc. I am grabbing the cookie recipe I need by creating a string called targetBtn and assigning it the textfield of the button I just clicked.

> function chooseCookieRecipe(event:MouseEvent):void  
> {  
> //Sets the button text to a string for xml lookup  
> targetBtn = event.target.text;  
> //Removes cookie buttons and clears cookieBtnArray  
> removeCookieRecipes();  
> //sets off an animation that looks like a folder opening and then triggers a function that adds  
> ingredients to the mc from the xml  
> folderCover.gotoAndPlay(2);  
> }

> function addRecipeCardTxt():void  
> {  
> textContainer.x = textContainerX;  
> textContainer.y = textContainerY;  
> sp.width = 447;  
> sp.height = 290;  
> showCupCakes();

> [//recipeTitle.text](https://recipeTitle.text) = targetBtn;  
> recipeYield.text = "Yield: " + MovieClip(root).XMLRecipes.cookie.(@name==targetBtn).@yield;  
> recipeType.text = "Type: " + MovieClip(root).XMLRecipes.cookie.(@name==targetBtn).@type;  
> recipeTimeTemp.text = "Bake @ " + MovieClip(root).XMLRecipes.cookie.(@name==targetBtn).@temp + " Degrees, for " + MovieClip(root).XMLRecipes.cookie.(@name==targetBtn).@time;  
> cardTitle.text = “Ingredients”;

> for (var i:int = 0; i \< MovieClip(root).XMLRecipes.cookie.(@name==targetBtn).ingredient.length(); i++)  
> {  
> if (isNaN(MovieClip(root).XMLRecipes.cookie.(@name==targetBtn).ingredient[i].@amount))  
> {  
> var amountString:String = MovieClip(root).XMLRecipes.cookie.(@name==targetBtn).ingredient[i].@amount;  
> amountIntArray.push(amountString)  
> }else  
> {  
> var amountInt:Number = MovieClip(root).XMLRecipes.cookie.(@name==targetBtn).ingredient[i].@amount;  
> amountIntArray.push(amountInt);  
> }

> ```
> var amountTxtBox:TextField = new TextField();
> amountTxtBox.name = "amount" + i;
> amountTxtBox.x = amountX;
> amountTxtBox.y = amountY;
> amountTxtBox.defaultTextFormat = recipeFormat;
> 
> ```

> ```
> if (amountIntArray[i] is Number)
> {
> amountTxtBox.text = (amountIntArray[i] * recipeSize) + " " + MovieClip(root).XMLRecipes.cookie.(@name==targetBtn).ingredient[i].@measurement;
> }else
> {
> amountTxtBox.text = (amountIntArray[i]) + " " + MovieClip(root).XMLRecipes.cookie.(@name==targetBtn).ingredient[i].@measurement;
> }
> txtBoxArray.push(amountTxtBox);
> textContainer.addChild(amountTxtBox);
> amountY = amountY + 25;
> 
> ```

> ```
> var ingredientTxtBox:TextField = new TextField();
> ingredientTxtBox.name = "ingredient" + i;
> ingredientTxtBox.x = ingredientX;
> ingredientTxtBox.y = ingredientY;
> ingredientTxtBox.width = 500;
> ingredientTxtBox.defaultTextFormat = recipeFormat;
> ingredientTxtBox.text = MovieClip(root).XMLRecipes.cookie.(@name==targetBtn).ingredient[i];
> ingredientBoxArray.push(ingredientTxtBox);
> textContainer.addChild(ingredientTxtBox);
> ingredientY = ingredientY + 25;
> 
> ```

> }

> sp.update();  
> amountX = -190.65  
> amountY = -40.60  
> ingredientX = -80.80  
> ingredientY = -40.60  
> }

I have a back button, that removes all ingredient data, and shows the cookie recipes again on the cover of the folder. Sometimes it works and I can select another cookie, and sometimes it doesn’t work and targetBtn returns a null. I am never setting it to a null, so i don’t know why it works sometimes and not others. Is there a delay that I’m missing. The buttons are there to click so I don’t know why targetBtn would not get assigned the textfield box and return a null. Is there a better way maybe to grab the selected button and get the ingredient info from the xmldata object instead of getting it from a textfield?

> function goBack(event:MouseEvent):void  
> {

> targetBtn = “”;  
> clearTitleTxtBoxes();  
> clearTxtBoxes();  
> folderCover.gotoAndPlay(10);   
> }

> function clearTxtBoxes():void  
> {  
> while (textContainer.numChildren \> 0)  
> {  
> textContainer.removeChildAt(0);  
> }  
> txtBoxArray.length = 0;  
> ingredientBoxArray.length = 0;  
> amountIntArray.length = 0;  
> }