[RESOLVED] case Keyboard.ENTER works, why not case Keyboard.anyletter?

Hi gang, first off I want to say that I completed my app development program certificate through the University of Washington this past week, and I got through a couple of sticky areas thanks only to the helpful members of Flashkit boards. I am very thankful. :cap:
With 9 months of curriculum in my head, it seems that I've really only scratched the surface of AS.

My current project, one I came up with after being inspired by this fellow's drum playing app (http://travisroof.com/coastdrums.html) is to let the user strum notes in a guitar A minor pentatonic scale. I've recorded the notes and have progressed to the point where I'm programming the actual note playing.

I've decided that while playing a guitar via mouse click may sound cool I think it'd be better to wire the notes up via keyboard. And I have hit a snag that I don't understand.

Actionscript Code:

loA.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, playLowA);
loC.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, playLowC);
loD.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, playLowD);

etc...

Actionscript Code:

function playLowA(evt:MouseEvent):void{
    if(channel){
        channel.stop();
        channel = blLowA.play();
    } else {
    channel = blLowA.play();
    }
}

function playLowC(evt:MouseEvent):void{
    if(channel){
        channel.stop();
        channel = blLowC.play();
    } else {
    channel = blLowC.play();
    }
}

etc...

That's how the mouseclick function/events work. No problem. Having 12 separate notes as their own functions may seem belabored, but it satisfies Programmers Rule #1: It Works.

Here's how I'd like to have it set up:

Actionscript Code:

stage.addEventListener(KeyboardEvent.KEY_DOWN, playKeyboardNote);

function playKeyboardNote(evt:KeyboardEvent):void
{
    switch(evt.keyCode){
        case Keyboard.ENTER:
        if(channel){
        channel.stop();
        channel = blLowA.play();
        } else {
        channel = blLowA.play();
        }
        break;
        case Keyboard.BACKSPACE:
        if(channel){
        channel.stop();
        channel = blLowC.play();
        } else {
        channel = blLowC.play();
        }
        break;
    }
}

But instead of ENTER and BACKSPACE I want to use my own key assignments, namely Q W E R T Y U I O P[ ]

And the 'intellisense' capability in Flash CS4 shows that it is a possibility: when typing

Actionscript Code:

case Keyboard.

dozens of key choices are available, including regular ol' letters...
So why doesn't

Actionscript Code:

case Keyboard.Q:
        if(channel){
        channel.stop();
        channel = blLowA.play();
        } else {
        channel = blLowA.play();
        }
        break;

work for me in this script?
If Keyboard.ENTER is a valid option, why isn't Keyboard.Q?
And yes, when testing the movie, I do choose 'Disable keyboard shortcuts.'
And, though i don't know if it's important, I include this at the top:

Actionscript Code:

import flash.ui.Keyboard;

:xbones:

This is gonna be one howling cool app. I've recorded the pentatonic scale in a regular bluesy amp effect, and I've got a shredding metal-like amp effect recorded ready to go, as well. I also plan to have a backing track option, so the user can play out their own little guitar solo.

Thanks very much
Don

For some absolutely infathomable (to me) reason, the letter constants on Keyboard are AIR-only. Except for G. Seriously.

But you can use the charCode or keyCode properties of the KeyboardEvent to get the letter which was pressed.

You can take a look at my SpecificKeys class for an example. Or just use it.
http://cosmodro.me/blog/2008/sep/2/specific-keys/

Thanks flax. What is the .me extension on your url?

Technically, .me belongs to Montenegro. But it's one of those open country code top-level domains that sell to anyone. I just liked having "cosmodrome" for a url. I also got "gimmegimmegim.me", but haven't done anything with it and it's going to expire soon.

I found a way to easily make individual letters/keys wired up as event listeners/triggers for actions. I didn't come up with this myself, I found it listed on a website...somewhere... i really should find out exactly where to give them credit.

Anyway...

import flash.ui.Keyboard;
import flash.events.KeyboardEvent;

stage.addEventListener(KeyboardEvent.KEY_DOWN, functionName);

function functionName(keyEvent:KeyboardEvent)
{
switch(keyEvent.keyCode){
case keyEvent.keyCode = 81:
** Insert your action here **
break;
}
}

Now, this keyCode = 81 translates to the letter 'Q' key.
The top row keyCodes are:
Q, W, E, R, T, Y, U, I, O, P

81, 87, 69, 82, 84, 89, 85, 73, 79, 80

here's the URL that showed me how to assign keyboard presses as event triggers:
http://www.kirupa.com/developer/as3/...yboard_as3.htm