# Setting text field properties dynamically

To use ActionScript to set the properties of a text field, you must assign the text field an instance name. If you create the text field on the Stage with the Text tool, you can assign the instance name in the Property inspector. If you create the text field dynamically, you can assign an instance name as a parameter of the `createTextField` method.

To set text field properties dynamically:

1. Select Window > Actions to open the Actions panel if it isn't already open.
2. Do one of the following to create a text field:

- Select the Text tool and draw a text field on the Stage. Assign the text field an instance name in the Property inspector. For this example, enter the instance name myText.
- Double-click the `createTextField` method of the MovieClip object in the Actions toolbox to add it to the Script pane in the Actions panel. See Creating text in Using Flash. For this example, enter the instance name myText as a parameter of the `createTextField` method.

3. Do one of the following to place text in the text field:

- Enter text into the text field on the Stage.
- Set the `text` property of the TextField object. See Creating text in Using Flash.

4. In the Actions toolbox, select the Objects category, then select the Movie category, then select the TextField category, then select the Property category, then double-click the `multiline` property.
5. Enter the following parameters:

- `Object` is the instance name of the text field whose property you want to set.
- Value is the value of the property.

6. Repeat step 4 for the `wordWrap` and `border` properties. The following code displays in the Script pane:

    mytext.multiline = true;
    mytext.wordWrap = true;
    mytext.border = true;

For a complete list of TextField object methods and detailed descriptions of each, see the TextField object entry in the online ActionScript Dictionary in the Help menu.