ActionScript 3 Error: 1083: Syntax error: package is unexpected - actionscript-3

Question

Hi I'm currently learning how to use Flash so I'm creating a colouring book as a project I'm just having trouble with my code though. The Code I've written is:
import coloring;
PrevBtn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, fl_ClickToGoToAndStopAtFrame_14);
function fl_ClickToGoToAndStopAtFrame_14(event:MouseEvent):void
{
gotoAndStop(40);
}
HomeBtn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, fl_ClickToGoToAndStopAtFrame_11);
function fl_ClickToGoToAndStopAtFrame_11(event:MouseEvent):void
{
gotoAndStop(10);
}
NextBtn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, fl_ClickToGoToAndStopAtFrame_13);
function fl_ClickToGoToAndStopAtFrame_13(event:MouseEvent):void
{
gotoAndStop(20);
}
HelpBtn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, fl_ClickToGoToAndStopAtFrame_31);
function fl_ClickToGoToAndStopAtFrame_31(event:MouseEvent):void
{
gotoAndStop(45);
}
Any help would be majorly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
**UPDATE:
So I have created coloring.as and now import it in my code but I am now getting a further error when I get to my colouring sheet which reads:
TypeError: Error #1009: Cannot access a property or method of a null object reference.
at laurenBurke/frame15()
at flash.display::MovieClip/gotoAndStop()
at laurenBurke/fl_ClickToGoToAndStopAtFrame_4()**
The coloring.as file contains the following code
package {
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.geom.ColorTransform;
import flash.events.MouseEvent;
public class coloring extends Sprite {
public var Design1:Design1 = new Design1();
public var palette:palette_mc;
public var pal_color:ColorTransform;
public var colors:Array=new Array(0x000000,0xFFFFFF,0xFF0000,0xFF4040,0x333399,
0x99CCCC,0xFFCC00,0xFFFF66,0x33CC00,0x99FF66,
0x660099,0x9933FF,0xFF8000,0xFF9966,0xFF0099,
0xFF99CC,0x0099CC,0x6699CC,0x666666,0xCCCCCC,
0x003366,0x000033,0x99CC99,0x4E9A4E,0x9966FF,
0x990066);
public var current_color:int=0;
public function coloring():void {
addChild(Design1);
Design1.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,on_Design1_click);
for (var i:int=0; i<26; i++) {
palette = new palette_mc();
pal_color=palette.transform.colorTransform;
pal_color.color=colors[i];
palette.transform.colorTransform=pal_color;
palette.x=40+i*60;
palette.y=300;
palette.ind=i;
addChild(palette);
palette.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,on_palette_click);
}
}
public function on_palette_click(e:MouseEvent):void {
var palette_clicked:palette_mc=e.currentTarget as palette_mc;
current_color=palette_clicked.ind;
}
public function on_Design1_click(e:MouseEvent):void {
for (var i:int = 0; i < Design1.numChildren; i++) {
if (Design1.getChildAt(i).hitTestPoint(mouseX,mouseY,true)) {
pal_color=Design1.getChildAt(i).transform.colorTransform;
pal_color.color=colors[current_color];
Design1.getChildAt(i).transform.colorTransform=pal_color;
}
}
}
}
}

Answer 1

declaring Design1 with the same identifier as the class itself here:
public var Design1:Design1 = new Design1();
... is creating an ambiguous reference. Later on when you call addChild(Design1); you're potentially trying to add the class object itself, not an instance, to the stage. Try changing the var name to camel-case.