addeventlistener - addEventListner not working in Lua -

here's relevant functions in code, following error:

stack traceback:

[c]: in function 'error' ?: in function 'getorcreatetable' ?: in function 'addeventlistener' ?: in function 'addeventlistener' main.lua:26: in function 'createplayscreen' main.lua:79: in main chunk 

my code:

-- set forward references local spawnenemy --create play screen local function createplayscreen()     local background = display.newimage("spacebackground.jpg")     background.x = centerx     background.y = -100     background.alpha = 0     background:addeventlistener ( "tap", shipsmash )      local planet = display.newimage("earth.png")     planet.x = centerx     planet.y = display.contentheight+60     planet.alpha = .2     planet.xscale = 2     planet.yscale = 2     planet:addeventlistener ( "tap", shipsmash )      transition.to(background, {time = 2000, alpha = 1, y = centery, x = centerx})       local function showtitle()         local gametitle = display.newimage("gametitle.png")         gametitle.alpha = 0         gametitle:scale(4,4)         transition.to(gametitle, {time=500, alpha = 1, xscale = 1, yscale = 1})         spawnenemy()      end     transition.to(planet, {time = 2000, xscale = .75, yscale = .75, alpha = 1, y = centery, oncomplete = showtitle}) end  --game functions function spawnenemy()     local enemy = display.newimage("asteroid.png")     enemy.x = math.random(20, display.contentwidth-20)     enemy.y = math.random(20, display.contentheight-20)     enemy.alpha = 0     transition.to(enemy, {time = 200 , alpha =1})     enemy:addeventlistener ( "tap", shipsmash )   end local function shipsmash(event)     local obj = event.target     display.remove(obj)     return true end  createplayscreen() startgame() 

what problem here ?

you referencing local function shipsmash in addeventlistener calls (enemy:addeventlistener ( "tap", shipsmash )), function not defined @ point. need move definition of shipsmash before functions expect use it.

if run static code analyzer on file (using lua-inspect, zerobrane studio, or tool this list), you'll see these 2 warnings among other things, should give idea function not referenced:

file.lua:6: first use of unknown global variable 'shipsmash' file.lua:41: unused local function 'shipsmash'