Txt variable problem

hi.

could anyone please tell me how to load a string from a txt file into a variable in flash and NOT INTO A MOVIECLIP!!! i keep finding stupid methods which place text into movie clips, but i want to manipulate the text using actionscript, and therefore need the string in a variable, not a movieclip.

is it also possible to create an array in a txt file so that flash can read the values as arrays?

any help is greatly appriciated.

cheers