E is for E4X

E4X stands for ECMAScript for XML. (Remember that ActionScript is ECMAScript.)

E4X makes XML a first-class citizen in ActionScript.

   var xmlAlbum:XML =
  <album name="Sky Blue Sky" artist="Wilco">
     <tracks>
        <track name="Either Way" seconds="187"/>
        <track name="You Are My Face" seconds="278"/>
        <track name="Impossible Germany" seconds="358"/>
        <track name="Sky Blue Sky" seconds="203"/>
        <track name="Side With The Seeds" seconds="256"/>
        <track name="Shake It Off" seconds="342"/>
        <track name="Please Be Patient With Me" seconds="199"/>
        <track name="Hate It Here" seconds="273"/>
        <track name="Leave Me (Like You Found Me)" seconds=""/>
        <track name="Walken" seconds="267"/>
        <track name="What Light" seconds="216"/>
        <track name="On And On And On" seconds=""/>
     </tracks>
  

Notice in the example that you are not wrapping the XML in quotes or treating it as a string. Just type the XML as a literal.

Learn more about Flex and ActionScript support for XML via E4X at Flex After Dark...