Problem with removeChild

[Leftyplayer]

The code below works, but I'm having two problems. The text is not formatted on the first button clip (but is on subsequent clicks) and, more importantly, the removeChild is not working, so that instead of removing text ("John") before the next one displays ("Jimmy"), it's just adding them on after the other ("JohnJimmyJohnJimmy").

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance

Oh, and any way to do this more efficiently (less code within functions themselves that still shows the text ... this isn't important, just wondering)

var textfield:TextField = new TextField();
var myformat:TextFormat = new TextFormat();
var clip:MovieClip = new MovieClip;
var transManager:TransitionManager = new TransitionManager(clip);

var XPos:uint = 24;
var YPos:uint = 12;
var offSet:uint = 24;

john_btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, funcJohn);
jimmy_btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, funcJimmy);


function formatLetters()
{
myformat.color = 0x000000;
myformat.font = "Tahoma";
myformat.size = 36;
myformat.bold = true;
textfield.setTextFormat(myformat);
textfield.background = true;
textfield.backgroundColor = 0xFFFFFF;
textfield.border = true;
textfield.autoSize = TextFieldAutoSize.LEFT;
clip.addChild(textfield);
clip.x = XPos;
clip.y = YPos;
clip.bold = true;
}



function funcJohn(evt:MouseEvent)
{
formatLetters();
textfield.appendText("John");
parent.addChild(clip);
transManager.startTransition ({type:Photo, direction:Transition.IN, duration:.3, easing:None.easeNone});
transManager.startTransition ({type:Zoom, direction:Transition.IN, duration:.3, easing:Regular.easeOut});
removeChild(clip);
}

function funcJimmy(evt:MouseEvent)
{
formatLetters();
textfield.appendText("Jimmy");
parent.addChild(clip);
transManager.startTransition ({type:Photo, direction:Transition.IN, duration:.3, easing:None.easeNone});
transManager.startTransition ({type:Zoom, direction:Transition.IN, duration:.3, easing:Regular.easeOut});
removeChild(clip);
}

I'm getting this Error but don't understand it (know it has to do with the child thing: Error #2025: The supplied DisplayObject must be a child of the caller

[5TonsOfFlax]

The reason it's appending text instead of replacing is because you are using the appendText method rather than setting the text property.

The removeChild call is completely unnecessary. Since a DisplayObject can only be a child of one parent at a time, when you call parent.addChild(clip) you are already removing it from wherever it was before. If you wanted to remove it from the displayList entirely, you would have to remove it from it's new parent, which is parent.

Instead of setting the formatting each time, you should probably just set the defaultTextFormat once at the top.

[Leftyplayer]

Thanks, I think that makes sense. I'm still learning the concepts behind the code and the parent/child thing gets me every time.