Sleep() drops scope!

[Tigairius]

I know this has been reported before, but I couldn't find it, so I'm going to report it here again. It's definitely something to fix in the NPC-Server.

I have a level NPC that joins to a class, inside of the class I have:

PHP Code:

function onPlayerEnters() {
  testFunc();
}

function testFunc() {
  for (temp.i=1;temp.i<4;temp.i++){
    sendrpgmessage(temp.i);
    sleep(1);
  }
} 


It sends the RPG message to me as:

1

If I remove the sleep from the for loop, it will return:

1
2
3

Which is correct.

Now, if I do:

PHP Code:

function onPlayerEnters() {
  testFunc();
}

function testFunc() {
  for (temp.i=1;temp.i<4;temp.i++){
    findplayer("Tigairius").sendrpgmessage(temp.i);
    sleep(1);
  }
} 


It returns:

1
2
3

No problem! (Thanks Ziro for helping me figure that out.) Sleep is causing the function to lose scope of the player. I spent hours trying to figure this out. Time I could have spent progressing further in the script!

It definitely needs to be fixed please!!!

[cbk1994]

Agreed.

[Frankie]

this used to piss me off all the time and I could never figure out how to fix it D:

[Switch]

Definitely needs to be fixed. I had a system that, since I had no clue about what I was doing wrong, had to not use a loop, which sucked because only a number was changing.
Also, maybe sleep could not be interrupted (or keep going) when using another function?

[LoneAngelIbesu]

The first example seems to work fine for me. I'm using a WNPC. Would that make a difference?

[xXziroXx]

Originally Posted by Tigairius

I spent hours trying to figure this out.

Should've come to me sooner!

Originally Posted by LoneAngelIbesu

The first example seems to work fine for me. I'm using a WNPC. Would that make a difference?

I assume you were doing it on serverside, obviously it would never loose the player scope clientside.

[Inverness]

Yea I noticed this a long time ago myself. And I don't remember reporting it either; my attitude towards the lack of updates is probably why.

[Skyld]

The loss of scope when using sleep has been a problem with the script engine since day one, I am not sure how easy it is to fix if it is some kind of delayed scheduling. Does it also occur while using waitfor?

[cbk1994]

Originally Posted by Skyld

Does it also occur while using waitfor?

I'm fairly certain it does not.

[FreezeBurnX]

You could use scheduleEvent() alternatively, couldn't you?

[cbk1994]

Originally Posted by FreezeBurnX

You could use scheduleEvent() alternatively, couldn't you?

Yes, but scheduleevent is inconvenient because it is harder to keep track of loops.

[FreezeBurnX]

Maybe there's a way to store the reference to the player? I don't know exactly how it is done on graal, but something amongst the lines...

PHP Code:

function onPlayerEnters(eventPlayer) {
  testFunc(eventPlayer);
}

function testFunc(player) {
  for (temp.i=1;temp.i<4;temp.i++){
    player.sendrpgmessage(temp.i);
    sleep(1);
  }
} 


[Tigairius]

Originally Posted by FreezeBurnX

Maybe there's a way to store the reference to the player? I don't know exactly how it is done on graal, but something amongst the lines...

PHP Code:

function onPlayerEnters(eventPlayer) {
  testFunc(eventPlayer);
}

function testFunc(player) {
  for (temp.i=1;temp.i<4;temp.i++){
    player.sendrpgmessage(temp.i);
    sleep(1);
  }
} 


Yes, that's basically what I did, but it can cause a lot of problems for people who aren't aware of this problem.

[Admins]

Yes you can also do temp.pl = player and then use temp.pl.
Currently triggered events are keeping care of the player scope (scheduleevent, trigger, etc.) but not functions that suspend the script executing (sleep, waitfor). This has always been like that, but might be good to fix it someday.

[TESTRETIS]

I almost find this scary. Sure, there are workarounds, but it's a bit frightening how it loses scope like that.

[WhiteDragon]

Well, at least this way people will be dissuaded from using sleep, which increases the chance of weird and even more confusing things happening to scripters, like race conditions.

That said, a bug should never be a feature, so fix it please.

[DustyPorViva]

On a slightly somewhat perhaps related note, I have often had problems where temp.vars lose their value in a for loop.

[cbk1994]

Originally Posted by DustyPorViva

On a slightly somewhat perhaps related note, I have often had problems where temp.vars lose their value in a for loop.

Are you declaring them inside the loop?

PHP Code:

temp.b = 0;

for (temp.item : array) {
  echo(b);
  b ++;
} 


has always worked for me

[WhiteDragon]

Originally Posted by DustyPorViva

On a slightly somewhat perhaps related note, I have often had problems where temp.vars lose their value in a for loop.

Is the script getting suspended in the middle (i.e., sleep, waitfor), or is it just a straight-up for loop?

I have literally no technical data on how GScript works, such as threading, etc. or how scripts execute based on what they are waiting for (i.e., do all of them lock if one is waiting on I/O), so I can only speculate.

Even if you aren't suspending the script, it's possible that another script runs and pushes some variables out of the memory, or perhaps the garbage collector is going haywire for some reason.

[DustyPorViva]

It's not exactly that simple of a scenario. I can't do so right now, but I will pull up an example of a script where I have had the problem.

[DustyPorViva]

Here is a script I've had the problem with... it may have to do with function temp vars or something:

PHP Code:

function HitWall(k,speed,wall) {
  temp.foo = k;
  for (temp.i=0;i<speed;i+=1/16) {
    if (onwall2(check[k][0]+vecx(k)*i,check[k][1]+vecy(k)*i,check[k][2],check[k][3])) {
      if (k in {0,2}) {
        player.y += vecy(k)*i;
        player.y = int(player.y+.5);
      } else {
        player.chat = k;
        player.x += vecx(k)*i;
        player.x = int(player.x)+.5;
      }
      break;
    }
  }
} 


var foo handles the value proper, var k does not. Player chat will return 0.

I've had the problem more than once, as well.

[devilsknite1]

Reviving this thread after a good 3 years in hopes of reminding Stefan that this is still an issue. >.>

[Pandar]

Originally Posted by devilsknite1

Reviving this thread after a good 3 years in hopes of reminding Stefan that this is still an issue. >.>

This, this, forever more, holy ****, it's one of the most ANNOYING things in GS2.

[Emera]

I've had it a couple of times. I agree it ****ing annoying.

[Emera]

Bump. Are you every going to get around to fixing this Stefan? It's doing my head in.

[fowlplay4]

Originally Posted by Emera

Bump. Are you every going to get around to fixing this Stefan? It's doing my head in.

Store the player object before calling sleep.

I.e.

PHP Code:

temp.pl = player;
sleep(5);
echo(temp.pl.account); 


This same issue occurs when loading TServerPlayer objects as well.