Passing constructor parameters for MXML-based custom Flex components

I did a simple bootstrap similar to Borek (see below). I would love to get rid of the mxml file, but if I don't have it, I don't get any of the standard themes that come with Flex (haloclassic.swc, etc). Does anybody know how to do what Theo suggests and still have the standard themes applied?

Here's my simplified bootstrapping method:

main.mxml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<custom:ApplicationClass xmlns:custom="components.*"/>

ApplicationClass.as

package components {
    import mx.core.Application;
    import mx.events.FlexEvent;
    import flash.events.MouseEvent;
    import mx.controls.Alert;
    import mx.controls.Button;

    public class ApplicationClass extends Application {
        public function ApplicationClass () {
            addEventListener (FlexEvent.CREATION_COMPLETE, handleComplete);
        }
        private function handleComplete( event : FlexEvent ) : void {
            var button : Button = new Button();
            button.label = "My favorite button";
            button.styleName="halo"
            button.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, handleClick);
            addChild( button );
        }
        private function handleClick(e:MouseEvent):void {
            Alert.show("You clicked on the button!", "Clickity");
        }
    }
}

Here are the necessary updates to use it with Flex 4:

main.mxml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<local:MyApplication xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009" xmlns:local="components.*" />

MyApplication.as

package components {
    import flash.events.MouseEvent;
    import mx.controls.Alert;
    import mx.events.FlexEvent;
    import spark.components.Application;
    import spark.components.Button;

    public class MyApplication extends Application {
        public function MyApplication() {
              addEventListener(FlexEvent.CREATION_COMPLETE, creationHandler);
        }
        private function creationHandler(e:FlexEvent):void {
            var button : Button = new Button();
            button.label = "My favorite button";
            button.styleName="halo"
            button.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, handleClick);
            addElement( button );
        }
        private function handleClick(e:MouseEvent):void {
            Alert.show("You clicked it!", "Clickity!");
        }
    }
}

You will have to add a DisplayObject for you overlay and insure when you call updateDisplayList that it is place on the top of the other.

        public var overlayEnabled:Boolean;

        public overlayHolder:(whatever display object you want to use)

        override protected updateDisplayList(...) {
            super.updateDisplayList(...)
            if (overlayEnabled) {
                if (overlayHolder.parent != this){
                 addChild(overlayHolder);
                } else {
                  if (numChildren > 0)
                     setChildIndex(overlayHolder, numChildren-1);
                }
                var g:Graphics = overlayHolder.graphics;     
                g.beginFill(0xFF0000, 0.5);
                g.drawRect(0, 0, width, height);
                g.endFill();
            } else if (overlayHolder.parent == this) {
              removeChild(overlayHolder);
            }
        }

Edit: One property you can use to add your overlay to the display list can be the rawchildren:

package {
    import flash.display.Graphics;
    import flash.display.Sprite;

    import mx.containers.VBox;

    public class MyVBox extends VBox {
        public var overlayEnabled : Boolean = true;
        public var overlay : Sprite = new Sprite();

        public function MyVBox() {
            super();
        }

        protected override function updateDisplayList(unscaledWidth : Number, unscaledHeight : Number) : void {
            super.updateDisplayList(unscaledWidth, unscaledHeight);
            if (overlayEnabled) {
                if (overlay.parent != this) {
                    rawChildren.addChild(overlay);
                } else {
                    if (rawChildren.numChildren > 0)
                        rawChildren.setChildIndex(overlay, rawChildren.numChildren - 1);
                }
                var g : Graphics = overlay.graphics;
                g.beginFill(0xFF0000, 0.5);
                g.drawRect(0, 0, width, height);
                g.endFill();
            } else if (overlay.parent == this) {
                rawChildren.removeChild(overlay);
            }
        }
    }
}