On value commit in a TextArea, display value by reference its id
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <mx:Application xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark" xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"> <mx:Script> import mx.controls.Alert; public function showMsg(msg:String):void { Alert.show(msg); } </mx:Script> <mx:Panel title="Profile" verticalCenter="0" horizontalCenter="0"> <s:Label text="Profile Summary" fontWeight="bold" /> <mx:TextArea id="aboutYou" textAlign="center" width="100%" height="40" valueCommit="showMsg(aboutYou.text)" /> </mx:Panel> </mx:Application>