Applescript trouble - testing against Label Index

[Terminal Frost]

I'm at my wits end trying to do something that seems rather simple. Over and over in examples throughout many forums, I've seen examples of the below code used:

set theFile to "path" as alias
if label index of theFile is 0 then

It seems obvious to me that this would be the correct syntax, but particularly maddening is the fact that this syntax appears to work for everyone else except me! But every time, the editor highlights "index" and returns

Expected “then”, etc. but found property.

The interpreter appears to be confused by the fact that the 'label index' property has two words. Are all the examples I'm reading old? The machine has Lion installed.

Help me, obi wans kenobi. You guys are my only hope.

[Red Menace]

The label index is a Finder term, and needs to be in a Finder tell statement.

[Terminal Frost]

Pardon me while I kill myself.