"How do I ZScript?"

[ZZYZX]

Organizational. It's for structures that don't have specific scope and just contain data.

[Nash]

Thanks for the documentation ZZYZX. Just by reading it 1 pass, it already explains a lot. Going to have to read it a few more times in addition to writing code, but the fact that there's reference is already a huge help. Thanks again.

[Jimmy]

Can I use ZScript's menu system to:

(1) Change music in-game, i.e. with SetMusic;
(2) Load a menu with options generated from a global ACS array;
(3) Have the menu not pause gameplay;
(4) Perform actions like swapping the menu options' position and changing the contents of the global array that generated them;
(5) Generate a quantity of options dependent on the player's choice;
(6) Split the menu's options into segments, size and quantity also dependent on the player's choice;
(7) Have each option show a number of different (but connected, via the array) values per row.

No points awarded for guessing my purposes here.

1. Yes.
2. No. You need to make ZScript global vars instead.
3. Yes.
4. Maybe.
5. Yes.
6. Yes.
7. I think so.

Sounds great! So my only obstacle would seem to be ascertaining how ZScript global vars are done but I'm guessing that's super-straightforward. Setting those variables might be another issue, though, as I plan to do it from a LANGUAGE lump.

[Major Cooke]

Code: Select all

class D4DDeathStorage : Thinker
{
	//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
	// Functions
	//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
	
	D4DDeathStorage Init()
	{
		ChangeStatNum(STAT_STATIC);
		return self;
	}

	static D4DDeathStorage Get()
	{
		ThinkerIterator it = ThinkerIterator.Create("D4DDeathStorage",STAT_STATIC);
		let p = D4DDeathStorage(it.Next());
		if (p == null)
		{
			p = new("D4DDeathStorage").Init();
		}
		return p;
	}
}

You can rename D4DDeathStorage to whatever you like. Insert your own variables and such there. Then, inside of another class, do this:

Code: Select all

let globalvar = D4DDeathStorage.Get();
if (globalvar)
{
    //Stuff.
}

See D4D's github for more examples.

[Major Cooke]

So I was thinking about a potential way to grab a player's inventory for possible use in the menus...

User Cvars. I think those could ultimately solve my problem if access is granted in ZScript.

If not, then I'm out of ideas.

[Graf Zahl]

You can read the inventory as you like in the menus. It's only the writing that needs to go through the network. Like ZZYZX said, the best approach would be to install a NetworkEvent handler and then pass the info through there and do the real action in the handler's callback.

The event handler will be safely on the play side to manipulate whatever you want.

[Xaser]

Sounds great! So my only obstacle would seem to be ascertaining how ZScript global vars are done but I'm guessing that's super-straightforward. Setting those variables might be another issue, though, as I plan to do it from a LANGUAGE lump.

The "global vars" implementation is a bit more involved than you may think (see Graf's post here -- you're technically making a Singleton class), but it's a solved problem. Hopefully a library-ized one in the nebulous future.

Not sure about the flexibility of the LANGUAGE lump part exactly; for dev-folk: is it as easy as using a "$LANGUAGE_STRING" directive as before? Relatedly, is LANGUAGE-fetching supported in the new String.Format function?

[Major Cooke]

You can read the inventory as you like in the menus. It's only the writing that needs to go through the network. Like ZZYZX said, the best approach would be to install a NetworkEvent handler and then pass the info through there and do the real action in the handler's callback.

The event handler will be safely on the play side to manipulate whatever you want.

But CountInv and FindInventory doesn't work because they're part of actor, which is from thinker that's a play object. How do we go searching through the inventory? Or do you mean to have the network event both get and set the inventory?

[Graf Zahl]

Not sure about the flexibility of the LANGUAGE lump part exactly; for dev-folk: is it as easy as using a "$LANGUAGE_STRING" directive as before? Relatedly, is LANGUAGE-fetching supported in the new String.Format function?

String.Format is too low level for automated language support.
All print functions auto-localize but if you need to do calculations with the localized text you have to call Stringtable.Localize yourself.

[Graf Zahl]

But CountInv and FindInventory doesn't work because they're part of actor, which is from thinker that's a play object. How do we go searching through the inventory? Or do you mean to have the network event both get and set the inventory?

Some functions need to be cleared for external access, best make a report for any you think needs to be accessible. This part isn't done yet.

[ZZYZX]

String.Format is too low level for automated language support.
All print functions auto-localize but if you need to do calculations with the localized text you have to call Stringtable.Localize yourself.

Not exactly. String.Format parses the formats manually. You can definitely add a format letter, implicitly convert it to 's' for string format and substitute the language item.
Although I'm not sure that it's ok to do architecturally and if that's even needed.

[Major Cooke]

Done.

Now, for the network event handler, how should this be handled? I don't think I can straight up do a SendNetworkEvent since it's play (or has this been made an exception?), so should I store it all in a thinker class, and upon the menu's destruction, have that thinker update the player and destroy itself?

[ZZYZX]

SendNetworkEvent is not play, NetworkProcess is. Also there is no way to get a network event executed in the UI. Wait until CountInv/FindInventory become accessible.

[Graf Zahl]

You sent a network event by calling EventHandler.SendNetworkEvent and then implement a listener that receives it. This will automagically transfer your request past the barrier safely.

[Major Cooke]

I get the feeling they won't be stored up for mass processing in NetworkProcess, so I will have to create a thinker for the player before the start of the menu that can hold all the data being changed. The event handler will manipulate the thinker as the player does his stuff. Once the menu is destroyed, it does its duty of changing the player's inventory before destroying itself.

If that's not the way to do it, what kind of listener are we talking about?