problem passing a variable from one function to another AS3

Hi
it is my first try of writing in AS3 in a class format. so i`m building a gallery and i built a grid so now i wanted to insert the dynamic values in. i bring the xml into flash (it works) and i want the number of "images" to take its value from the xml. but i cannot make it work.
i have the value from the xml store in a variable but i cannot take it and pass it into another method.

i attach my code as a whole because maybe the problem is with my writing of the class.

best regards

ron

package{
	
	import flash.display.MovieClip;
	import flash.net.URLLoader;
	import flash.net.URLRequest;
	import flash.display.Loader;
	import flash.events.Event;
	import flash.display.Sprite;
	
	
	public class SGclass extends MovieClip{
		
		private var siteLoader:URLLoader;
		private var siteRequest:URLRequest;
		private var imageLoader:Loader;
		private var doxml:XML;
		private var boxNum:int;
		private var cols:int= 6;
		private var rows:int = Math.ceil(boxNum / cols);
		private var boxCount:int = 0;
		private var box:Sprite;
		
		
		public function SGclass(){
			
			siteLoader = new URLLoader();
			siteRequest = new URLRequest("sites2.xml");
			siteLoader.load(siteRequest);
			
			siteLoader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE , takesites);
			placeImages();
			//trace(boxNum);
			
		}
		
		
		public function takesites (e:Event):void {
			
			doxml = XML(e.target.data);
			//trace(doxml.site);
			
			boxNum = doxml.site.length();
			//trace(boxNum);
			
			
		
		}
		
	private function placeImages(){
			
			for (var py:int = 0; py < rows; py ++) {
				for (var px:int = 0 ; px < cols ; px ++) {
					//see that you are not exiding the boxNum variable
					if(boxCount < boxNum){
						box= new Sprite();
						box.graphics.beginFill(0xCCCCCC);
						box.graphics.drawRoundRect(0,0,80,80,15,15);
						box.graphics.endFill();
						box.buttonMode = true;
						box.x = 100 + px * (box.width + 10);
						box.y = 40 + py * (box.height+ 10);
						addChild(box);
						boxCount++;
						
						}
					}
				}
				
			
 
		}
 
		
		
	}
	
}

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