how to call actionscript functions from flash timeline - actionscript-3

Question

I am using AS3, and i want to call function 'startMatchThree' which is in a MatchThree.as (external actionscript file) into the flahs main timeline actions.
here is my code:
package {
import flash.display.;
import flash.events.;
import flash.text.*;
import flash.utils.Timer;
public class MatchThree extends MovieClip {
// constants
static const numPieces:uint = 4;
static const spacing:Number = 45;
static const offsetX:Number = 30;
static const offsetY:Number = 50;
// game grid and mode
private var grid:Array;
private var gameSprite:Sprite;
private var firstPiece:Piece;
private var isDropping,isSwapping:Boolean;
private var gameScore:int;
// set up grid and start game
public function startMatchThree() {
// create grid array
grid = new Array();
for(var gridrows:int=0;gridrows<8;gridrows++) {
grid.push(new Array());
}
setUpGrid();
isDropping = false;
isSwapping = false;
gameScore = 0;
addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME,movePieces);
}
public function setUpGrid() {
// loop until valid starting grid
while (true) {
// create sprite
gameSprite = new Sprite();
// add 64 random pieces
for(var col:int=0;col<8;col++) {
for(var row:int=0;row<8;row++) {
addPiece(col,row);
}
}
// try again if matches are present
if (lookForMatches().length != 0) continue;
// try again if no possible moves
if (lookForPossibles() == false) continue;
// no matches, but possibles exist: good board found
break;
}
// add sprite
addChild(gameSprite);
}
// create a random piece, add to sprite and grid
public function addPiece(col,row:int):Piece {
var newPiece:Piece = new Piece();
newPiece.x = col*spacing+offsetX;
newPiece.y = row*spacing+offsetY;
newPiece.col = col;
newPiece.row = row;
newPiece.type = Math.ceil(Math.random()*4);
newPiece.gotoAndStop(newPiece.type);
newPiece.select.visible = false;
gameSprite.addChild(newPiece);
grid[col][row] = newPiece;
newPiece.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,clickPiece);
return newPiece;
}
// player clicks on a piece
public function clickPiece(event:MouseEvent) {
var piece:Piece = Piece(event.currentTarget);
// first one selected
if (firstPiece == null) {
piece.select.visible = true;
firstPiece = piece;
// clicked on first piece again
} else if (firstPiece == piece) {
piece.select.visible = false;
firstPiece = null;
// clicked on second piece
} else {
firstPiece.select.visible = false;
// same row, one column over
if ((firstPiece.row == piece.row) && (Math.abs(firstPiece.col-piece.col) == 1)) {
makeSwap(firstPiece,piece);
firstPiece = null;
// same column, one row over
} else if ((firstPiece.col == piece.col) && (Math.abs(firstPiece.row-piece.row) == 1)) {
makeSwap(firstPiece,piece);
firstPiece = null;
// bad move, reassign first piece
} else {
firstPiece = piece;
firstPiece.select.visible = true;
}
}
}
// start animated swap of two pieces
public function makeSwap(piece1,piece2:Piece) {
swapPieces(piece1,piece2);
// check to see if move was fruitful
if (lookForMatches().length == 0) {
swapPieces(piece1,piece2);
} else {
isSwapping = true;
}
}
// swap two pieces
public function swapPieces(piece1,piece2:Piece) {
// swap row and col values
var tempCol:uint = piece1.col;
var tempRow:uint = piece1.row;
piece1.col = piece2.col;
piece1.row = piece2.row;
piece2.col = tempCol;
piece2.row = tempRow;
// swap grid positions
grid[piece1.col][piece1.row] = piece1;
grid[piece2.col][piece2.row] = piece2;
}
// if any pieces are out of place, move them a step closer to being in place
// happens when pieces are swapped, or they are dropping
public function movePieces(event:Event) {
var madeMove:Boolean = false;
for(var row:int=0;row<8;row++) {
for(var col:int=0;col<8;col++) {
if (grid[col][row] != null) {
// needs to move down
if (grid[col][row].y < grid[col][row].row*spacing+offsetY) {
grid[col][row].y += 5;
madeMove = true;
// needs to move up
} else if (grid[col][row].y > grid[col][row].row*spacing+offsetY) {
grid[col][row].y -= 5;
madeMove = true;
// needs to move right
} else if (grid[col][row].x < grid[col][row].col*spacing+offsetX) {
grid[col][row].x += 5;
madeMove = true;
// needs to move left
} else if (grid[col][row].x > grid[col][row].col*spacing+offsetX) {
grid[col][row].x -= 5;
madeMove = true;
}
}
}
}
// if all dropping is done
if (isDropping && !madeMove) {
isDropping = false;
findAndRemoveMatches();
// if all swapping is done
} else if (isSwapping && !madeMove) {
isSwapping = false;
findAndRemoveMatches();
}
}
// gets matches and removes them, applies points
public function findAndRemoveMatches() {
// get list of matches
var matches:Array = lookForMatches();
for(var i:int=0;i<matches.length;i++) {
var numPoints:Number = (matches[i].length-1)*50;
for(var j:int=0;j<matches[i].length;j++) {
if (gameSprite.contains(matches[i][j])) {
var pb = new PointBurst(this,numPoints,matches[i][j].x,matches[i][j].y);
addScore(numPoints);
gameSprite.removeChild(matches[i][j]);
grid[matches[i][j].col][matches[i][j].row] = null;
affectAbove(matches[i][j]);
}
}
}
// add any new piece to top of board
addNewPieces();
// no matches found, maybe the game is over?
if (matches.length == 0) {
if (!lookForPossibles()) {
endGame();
}
}
}
when I put 'startMatchThree' in the actions tab in timeline, it is showing this error message:
1180: Call to a possibly undefined method startMatchThree.
SO how to solve this error!!
Thank you for the help!! :)

Answer 1

startMatchThree() is a method of the MatchThree class, so you need a reference to an instance of MatchThree. Is there a symbol on the timeline somewhere which is linked to the MatchThree class? Then you can do something like this, where "matchThree" is the instance name of the symbol:
matchThree.startMatchThree();
Are you instantiating the MatchThree class in code? Then you just need to use that code reference, something like this,:
var matchThree:MatchThree = new MatchThree();
matchThree.startMatchThree();