[Scripting] 'Numeric type expected' error

[_mental_]

Since merging of scripting branch a bunch of 'Numeric type expected' errors are printed into the console when running Adventure of Square.

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Script error, "square1.pk3:actors/square/base/scenery/fountains.txt" line 14:
Numeric type expected
Script error, "square1.pk3:actors/square/base/scenery/fountains.txt" line 44:
Numeric type expected
Script error, "square1.pk3:actors/square/base/scenery/smokeandexplosion.txt" line 105:
Numeric type expected
Script error, "square1.pk3:actors/square/base/scenery/goop.txt" line 14:
Numeric type expected
Script error, "square1.pk3:actors/square/base/scenery/lighting.txt" line 95:
Numeric type expected
Script error, "square1.pk3:actors/square/base/scenery/lighting.txt" line 107:
Numeric type expected
Script error, "square1.pk3:actors/square/base/scenery/lighting.txt" line 119:
Numeric type expected
Script error, "square1.pk3:actors/square/base/scenery/lighting.txt" line 131:
Numeric type expected
Script error, "square1.pk3:actors/square/base/scenery/lighting.txt" line 143:
Numeric type expected
Script error, "square1.pk3:actors/square/base/scenery/lighting.txt" line 155:
Numeric type expected

The issue is related to the second parameter of A_PlaySound(), which is a string literal in all error cases but it should be an integer.
However the affected actors are playing back sounds just fine using ZDoom 2.8.0. I suppose an index of a string literal is treated as an integer and this integer is used as a sound slot.

I made a fix for this problem, although I would really like to hear a word from Randi about all this.
To reproduce the issue run with the following command line and check fountain's sound:

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-iwad square1.pk3 +map e1a1 +summon SquareFountain

[AFADoomer]

Possibly related: I get a similar error on initial parsing while running the Wolf3D TC, only the game never finishes loading and a hard crash follows...

The error message isn't occurring for the same line/file every time, either. Very occasionally, the game will actually load, and just dump 'Attempted to pass a non-value' to the console, for additional different lines and files. The common thread seems to be that the lines of Decorate code all have ACS_NamedExecuteWithResult calls.



EDIT: Something changed between the GZDoom 2.2pre build, where everything works as expected, and the current build, where things are broken (gzdoom-g2.2pre-353-g760db90.7z). Not sure if that was the pre/post scripting merge point. I haven't backtracked ZDoom versions, yet.

I may need to post this as a separate thread, given Gez's post below...

[Gez]

Since merging of scripting branch a bunch of 'Numeric type expected' errors are printed into the console when running Adventure of Square.

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Script error, "square1.pk3:actors/square/base/scenery/fountains.txt" line 14:
Numeric type expected
Script error, "square1.pk3:actors/square/base/scenery/fountains.txt" line 44:

Yeah it's a real user error:

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	TNT1 A 0 A_PlaySound("ambience/fountain", "SoundSlot5", 0.5, 1)  

They basically confused the API for [wiki]A_PlaySound[/wiki] and [wiki]A_PlaySoundEx[/wiki]. APSX uses string names for the channels, APS uses constant identifiers. What they did never worked right; and if a workaround is added to make it load anyway it should still at least print a warning.

[Graf Zahl]

I don't see how this can be fixed without breaking the parser.

[Graf Zahl]

and if a workaround is added to make it load anyway it should still at least print a warning.

That it already does. Here's only one course of action: Fix the mod, leave the parser alone.

[_mental_]

What they did never worked right; and if a workaround is added to make it load anyway it should still at least print a warning.

The problem is that it's working in 2.7.1 and 2.8.0. I agree that it must not work. But who knows how many mods are exploiting this bug.

[wildweasel]

Shit, I wonder how many of my mods are doing this by accident.

[Graf Zahl]

What they did never worked right; and if a workaround is added to make it load anyway it should still at least print a warning.

The problem is that it's working in 2.7.1 and 2.8.0. I agree that it must not work. But who knows how many mods are exploiting this bug.

What? It selected slot 5? Really? I'd rather think it did the same as it does now: Selecting slot 0!

[Ed the Bat]

Shit, I wonder how many of my mods are doing this by accident.

None of the ones I've worked on for you, I promise.

[HavoX]

Here's only one course of action: Fix the mod, leave the parser alone.

So be it, we'd say.

[Edward-san]

Well, considering everything, it's not that bad. The old mods will work till 2.8, then the new mods must take account of the changes. The 3-episode adventure of square game is in development, isn't it? isn't it?

... maybe it's worth considering the next version being 3.0..

[Graf Zahl]

These constructs do not work correctly in 2.8.0. The game never defines a constant "SoundSlot", so it's inevitably 0, meaning it'll play on the first free channel (a.k.a. CHAN_AUTO)

The only question is: What does the scripting branch do? Play nothing or play something wrong?

[_mental_]

The only question is: What does the scripting branch do? Play nothing or play something wrong?

If you mean the post-merge master branch it plays nothing. Before merge it played sounds, at wrong slot I guess.

[Graf Zahl]

Ok. This is still a modding bug, though. I'll check if the parser allows quoted strings as constant names and if that's not the case re-add it, because I wouldn't be surprised if that mistake was made more often. Then adding a new SoundSlot5 constant to patch this over would be a minor addition.

But don't expect me to do such things for every occurence like this.

[Xaser]

I've logged this issue in Square's Trello board. We'll get it fixed mod-side, though I've no idea who else might be affected by this.