Lua, ESO, or me?

[skyraker]

Issue I am trying to wrap my head around:

I have a global variable for a string spacer, spacer = " | ", however, when I view details in Zgoo ESO seems to only be recognizing this as spacer = " ". Is it because it is the pipe character and I need to use something else, or is there something being lost between my file and ESO's interpreter?

[Yssaril]

Originally Posted by skyraker Issue I am trying to wrap my head around: I have a global variable for a string spacer, spacer = " | ", however, when I view details in Zgoo ESO seems to only be recognizing this as spacer = " ". Is it because it is the pipe character and I need to use something else, or is there something being lost between my file and ESO's interpreter?

Make sure your using very unique global variables otherwise other addons or even the default UI may malfunction. Something like "addonname_spacer" usually works

Its usually best to stay away from creating globals. Less risk of other addons messing with yours and faster variable access

[Seerah]

In addition to Yss's advice on creating globals (especially generically names ones), you may need to escape the pipe character. I don't recall correctly off the top of my head though. Try using " || " instead...

[skyraker]

Yeah, looking like it was my use of the pipe. Using a dash worked.

I completely understand refraining from using globals, however as my addon stands right now it needs to access the same variable from multiple spots. I'm going to look on my next iteration about getting rid of that though.

[skyraker]

Originally Posted by skyraker Yeah, looking like it was my use of the pipe. Using a dash worked. I completely understand refraining from using globals, however as my addon stands right now it needs to access the same variable from multiple spots. I'm going to look on my next iteration about getting rid of that though.

I keep thinking about this and I still have no idea how to get those globals away. I only want the data that makes sense to update every frame, while keeping event items separate. If I remove the globals, I feel that I would need to update everything every frame. While in the grand scheme of the addon it probably isn't taking much processing to do so, trading off one bad practice for another doesn't make any sense.

For example, my toolbar updates every frame by looping through the addons saved variables and only displaying those portions that are currently selected (true). Variables that update quickly (such as position) are called only if that is one of the selected portions and is called from the function that builds the bar. For everything else, the only time the string associated with those portions of the toolbar is changed is when its associated event fires.

[Vuelhering]

Originally Posted by Yssaril Its usually best to stay away from creating globals. Less risk of other addons messing with yours and faster variable access

Is there a way to scope a variable to only your addon (across several Lua files) without making it global?

Something like...

file1:
local X=555
setup-file2(&X)
X = 444
print X => 444

file2:
local X
function setup-file2(&Y)
X = &Y
end
print X => 444 --after setting it in file1


I don't remember there being any way to equivalence two differently-scoped variables like that in Lua without doing something like a function. But calling a function would probably be slower than using a global.

[Halja]

Variable scope is always a fun question. I may have this wrong but here I go.

Game Global (G_) is a lua table and global to all

Ad-on's SavedVariable is lua table inside G_ and is global to all your add-on files.

lua file

var1 = "something" --is available to all files in the add-on
local var2 = "something" -- is scoped to the file only
local function

local var1 = "something" -- is scoped to the function call only

lua Class

local var1 = "something" -- is scoped to every thing in the class
local function

local var1 = "something" -- is scoped to the function call only

The 'include' part is the <ad-on>.txt file. I have not played with Bindings type files. So, I can not speak to the scope of those.
--halja

[Xrystal]

I believe the first var1 is classed as global across all addons and is the same as adding it to the _G table.

I am not sure if ESO has the equivalent of the addon wide data table but that would be the only way to be addon wide across all files for just a single addon.

globalVar = "All Addons can see me"
 
local localVar = "This file can see me"
 
function globalFunc = All addons can use me
global globalFunc = function() ... same as above
 
local function localFunc = Only this file can use me
local localFunc = function() .. same as above

local function aFunc()
   local localVar = "Only this function has access to me"
   return localVar  ... unless I return it so that they can use it
end

for I = 1,10 do
   local localVar1  = "available to the whole for loop"
   if I == 4 then
      local localVar2 = "available only to the if block"
   end
end

Hope these and the other comments help you understand how scope works.

[Seerah]

Originally Posted by Xrystal I believe the first var1 is classed as global across all addons and is the same as adding it to the _G table.

Correct.

Originally Posted by Xrystal I am not sure if ESO has the equivalent of the addon wide data table but that would be the only way to be addon wide across all files for just a single addon.

No, it does not.

Local variables are available at the scope they are defined and lower. Global variables are available to all things - hence being called "global". If you use a global variable called spacer, and I accidentally leak a global variable also called spacer, whichever one was defined last will overwrite the other.

If you want variables accessible throughout your entire addon, across multiple files, then use a table to store them in. Here is just one example of how you can do that.

File1.lua

MyAddonTable = {}   --define your table
local MyAddonTable = MyAddonTable   --go ahead and give it a local reference, too, for this file
MyAddonTable.var = "varForAllFiles"

File2.lua

--since File1 loaded first, MyAddonTable has already been created
local var = MyAddonTable.var   --we can copy the value of MyAddonTable.var to a local variable