[JASS] Timers instead of waits

[Wizardum]

Hey!
I started learning JASS about two days ago, and I've been messing with it using natives instead of BJ's and so on.
And I got a problem.
I don't wish to use waits. I know the evil they're.
I read posts saying "use timers instead of waits".

can somebody tell me how to do this? or at least show me a tutorial or a simple example code?

Thanks in advance

 

[Element of Water]

function MyFunc2 takes nothing returns nothing
    //declare locals
    call DestroyTimer(GetExpiredTimer())
    //carry on with the code
endfunction

function MyFunc takes nothing returns nothing
    local timer t=CreateTimer()
    //do code
    call TimerStart(t, <duration>, false, function MyFunc2)
    //here you can do more code which won't be interrupted by the wait
    set t=null
    //clean leaks blahblahblah
endfunction

This is kinda the basic code for using a timer instead of a wait. Where it says <duration> you put how long you want to wait for. The main problem with this is the issue of transferring variables to the other function. For this, if you do not wish to make it MUI, you can store the values in global variables, or you can use some kind of timer attachment system.

Hope I helped!

 

[Marcelo Hossomi]

function Spell_TIMER takes nothing returns nothing
    // Do whatever after the "Wait"
    call DestroyTimer( GetExpiredTimer() )
endfunction

function Spell takes nothing returns nothing
 local timer T = CreateTimer()
    // Instead of "Wait 10.0 seconds"
    call TimerStart( T, 10.0, false, function Spell_TIMER )
    // "false" means "one-shot timer"
endfunction

Spell would be your trigger Actions function. It creates a timer and then starts it, executing another function with the rest of the Actions.

The problem is that, without Local Handle Vars or CSCache or any similar system, you won't be able to get any Event Response like GetTriggerUnit() unless you use globals. However, this way, it won't be MUI...

EDIT: Element was faster and remembered/reminded me of destroying the timer xD
(Just forgot which word to use: remembered or reminded? o.o' )

 

[Element of Water]

Beat you to it

 

[GhostWolf]

For non-expiring timers it's usually just best to use global arrays (at least for physic-kind-of-functions, like a knockback, a parabola, and stuff like that).

Also note that if it's a non-expiring timer (as in the boolean isn't false), do not destroy it in the callback, or it will just run once.

 

[Wizardum]

oops forgot to say one thing.
I want to make something happen every second, and reason I mentioned waits it's because the only way I thought to do it, was to add a wait inside a loop.

sorry for that, but it still taught me about timers thanks +rep

 

[Deaod]

Next one to suggest destroying timers in his post deserves global ignorance.

Seriously. We have TimerUtils for a reason. And theres NO reason to not use TimerUtils.

http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/f269/how-pass-triggering-unit-116821/
Last few posts might interest you.

 

[Saishy]

You can do something like

globals
    unit array MySpell_TempUnit[10]
endglobals

function FindNullSpace takes unit tu returns nothing
     local integer i
     loop
     if MySpell_TempUnit[i] == null then
          set MySpell_TempUnit[i] = tu
          set i = 10
     exitwhen i == 10
     endloop
endfunction

And make another function that runs every 1s doing actions to all units of the array. Or use a unitgroup, depending of what you want will save you some time and a cleaner code.

 

[Wizardum]

what I wish to know is how I can do something every 1 s.

 

[Justify]

Okay, I'm going to use Element of Water's example^^

function MyFunc2 takes nothing returns nothing
    //declare locals
    call DestroyTimer(GetExpiredTimer())
    //carry on with the code
endfunction

function MyFunc takes nothing returns nothing
    local timer t=CreateTimer()
    //do code
    call TimerStart(t, <duration>, false, function MyFunc2)
    //here you can do more code which won't be interrupted by the wait
    set t=null
    //clean leaks blahblahblah
endfunction

Now you can see the line

call TimerStart(t, <duration>, false, function MyFunc2)

't' is the timer itself. 'Duration' is the timeout, meaning after 'duration' seconds the callback is called.
'function MyFunc2' is the callback. Whenever the timer runs out the callback is called.
The 'false' you can see there is a boolean that stands for the repeating. If it's true, the timer will run again and again with that duration.

Now a timer that should do something every second would look like this:

call TimerStart(t, 1., true, function MyFunc2)

 

[Deaod]

CreateTimer()->NewTimer()
DestroyTimer()->ReleaseTimer()

 

[Wizardum]

thanks a lot Justify for solving my problem, and thanks to other people that tried to help too. +rep

A mod could close this thread now I guess.

 

[Element of Water]

For god's sake Deaod that's TimerUtils. He doesn't want to start doing stuff like that yet, not until he's actually learned Jass in the first place.

 

[HINDYhat]

Why not show him the right way to do stuff first, instead of making him screw up and come asking more questions?

 

[Saishy]

Why not show him the right way to do stuff first, instead of making him screw up and come asking more questions?

Don't you like answering questions?

 

[HINDYhat]

No. owait

 

[Element of Water]

Why not show him the right way to do stuff first, instead of making him screw up and come asking more questions?

If we tell him about TimerUtils now, he'll just come back asking questions about why his map won't save when he uses them...

 

[Justify]

And then we show him the beautiful world of vJass... the advantage of knowing Jass before is minimalistic... someone should write an "GUI to vJass" tutorial. For example the globals block is easy to understand, but freaking usefull.

 

[Element of Water]

Yeah, but there's a whole lot more to vJass than the globals block...

 

[Justify]

That was just an example to show that starting with vJass isn't a bad idea.
I know it by myself, I learned new stuff as fast as I was able to. GUI, crappy BJ-Jass, leakless game cache Jass and afterwards vJass. I rewrote my map a million times and stopped working because it annoyed me like hell. Realy, start with vJass and skip that useless normal Jass^^

 

[Deaod]

if he learns how to use TimerUtils NOW, theres no need to ask questions in the future. I think its better if he asks questions about TimerUtils now, instead of just destroying Timers and then wondering why his map malfunctions.

And the basics of vJass are not that hard to understand.
globals block, libraries, scopes and textmacro. Heck, even structs are not that hard to understand.

 

[Element of Water]

It all depends if you've any other object-orientated programming before. Before I came to wc3 I knew c++, so Jass and vJass weren't that hard to understand. I think I would have had to ask loads of questions all over the place about vJass before I understood it fully had I not already known C++.

 

[HINDYhat]

Well shit, it's not that complicated. What do you need to use TimerUtils? A library 'requires' keyword? ffs spare them the bugs and teach the RIGHT way first.

 

[Element of Water]

Ok, ok. I'm just saying, you should learn the basics first before you go into all the advanced vJass and stuff.

I have to concede though, TimerUtils isn't too advanced, even if it does include vJass.

 

[Wizardum]

I already use globals blocks I guess, so if you want to teach me TimerUtils, I'll do my best to learn it properly. I'm learning a programming language at school, it isn't C++, but it helped me a lot understanding the basics of JASS. ^^

 

[Justify]

Wc3 campaigns is down :/
Well, the idea behind TimerUltis is simple:
Normaly you create and destroy timers whenever you need them.
TimerUltis has only two functions:
NewTimer, that returns a free timer (one that isn't used) or creates a new one if all timers are used at the moment.
ReleaseTimer, that marks a timer as "free".
Destroying timers can mess up the handle stack or something... it's bad
This is the most performant way of fixing this, also creating a new timer needs more time then getting a freed one (afaik )

 

[Saishy]

blablabla textmacro. blablabla

I don't f* now what are textmacros and I'm happy with that... oh wait, I'm not

@Element of Water
Well, C++ is not really object-oriented, its just commonly used that way...

 

[HINDYhat]

well, c++ is not really object-oriented [...]

o rly

Also, textmacros are easy as hell. You should try reading the JassHelper readme.

 

[Wizardum]

but do I use TimerUtils with the same objective as I use 'normal' timers?

 

[Justify]

Yes, the only difference is the way the timers are created/stored

 

[Wizardum]

oh cool .
It doesn't seem that hard, except the fact that I don't know the functions names and parameters, but I will eventually.

 

[Thanathos]

Hey guys,
I´ve had the same problem as Wizardrum, and i think this thread will help me a lot to get to know how to use the timers instead of TriggerSleep.

But hey wait a sec problem solved but another one created. If i understood everything right we use the callback of the timers and this means we are not able to use any parameters and unless we dont want to use globals we need CSgamechache(). Ok the next problem is how to use a gamcache…ill try to solve that by myself. Anyway thanx 4 your help. Ill add some +REP.

 

[Deaod]

if you dont want to use globals, youre doing something wrong.
Go get JNGP and the latest JassHelper, then read JH's manual.
Then read TimerUtils' manual, and figure out how to attach an integer to a timer.

 

[Thanathos]

Ye ye i already knew that but unfortunatly my windows dislikes the program…i cant make it run .But im working on a method that allows me to move data through the memory into other functions…
Ok the method i mentioned is attatching (dident know it already had that name). And more good news…now im able to use Jass Helper that means i´ll look up the manuals.