Where's the bug?

I’m using 10.4 AppleScript Studio, but this code should work in Script Editor as well.

If I do the following, I get an error at the 5th line (

set fileList to files in folder localDirectory

)

on offloadData(machineURI)
	tell application "Finder" of machine machineURI --"eppc://username:password@192.168.80.52"
			set {localDirectory, remoteDirectory} to {"Macintosh HD:Users:localadmin:Movies:", "Video:Recent Videos:"}
			set fileList to files in folder localDirectory
			
			repeat with aFile in fileList
				set theFile to aFile as alias
				move file theFile to remoteDirectory
				try
					delete file theFile
				on error
					display dialog errormessage
				end try
			end repeat
			empty trash
	end tell
end offloadData

If I write it as the following script, I don’t have the problem.

on offloadData()
	tell application "Finder" of machine "eppc://username:password@192.168.80.52"
			set {localDirectory, remoteDirectory} to {"Macintosh HD:Users:localadmin:Movies:", "Video:Recent Videos:"}
			set fileList to files in folder localDirectory
			
			repeat with aFile in fileList
				set theFile to aFile as alias
				move file theFile to remoteDirectory
				try
					delete file theFile
				on error
					display dialog errormessage
				end try
			end repeat
			empty trash
	end tell
end offloadData

What is my bug, or is it a bug in Applescript?
If it is AppleScript, is it possible to work around it like this? I don’t get the error.

on offloadData(machineURI)
	tell application "Quicktime Broadcaster" of machine machineURI --"eppc://username:password@192.168.80.52"
		tell application "Finder"
			set {localDirectory, remoteDirectory} to {"Macintosh HD:Users:localadmin:Movies:", "Video:Recent Videos:"}
			set fileList to files in folder localDirectory
			
			repeat with aFile in fileList
				set theFile to aFile as alias
				move file theFile to remoteDirectory
				try
					delete file theFile
				on error
					display dialog errormessage
				end try
			end repeat
			empty trash
		end tell
	end tell
end offloadData

Hi

the usual syntax addressing remote applications is this

tell application "Finder" of machine machineURI
	using terms from application "Finder"
		-- do something
	end using terms from
end tell

Thanks. Somehow in all my reading I missed that. It compiles perfectly now.