Best way to use timers?

[skyblader]

I realised I never use timers, and after I tried to do so, I have no idea how to use timers efficiently. What is the best way? What I'm currently doing is creating a timer variable, and pause it when I want it to stop(if it's a repeating timwer) and do nothing if it's a one shot timer. Do timers leak? Do we have to clear it?

 

[KaerfNomekop]

I think you should, but one timer can be used again and again, so it's better to clear them in case you recycle a timer and forget to change the time.

 

[Sajin]

Always use one shots because repeating are harder to manage if you need it to repeat use a integer to count its uses every time it expires and then start a new one. Makes it much easier to manage then pausing and starting when you exit the loop though make sure to destroy the timer(idk if its needed but I like to destroy it as a safeguard ^.^)

also I believe timers used to leak, Idk if they do or not anymore though

 

[Sevion]

Um...

Repeating timers are beast when handled correctly.

And it's a simple if (stop) then statement.

Not sure what you guys are doing wrong, but manually stopping and starting a timer with a counter is less efficient than using a repeating timer.

Besides, a single repeating timer can be used for every single need of timers in your entire map.

 

[Sajin]

Hmm. I've always had problems using repeating timers so i try to stay away from them. I was probably doing something wrong though lol

 

[skyblader]

No no.. That's not what I meant actually. When I use repeating timers, it's something like this:

Trigger 1
Start timer as a repeating timer that expires in 1 second.

Trigger 2
When timer expires

If integer = 100
Then pause timer
Else
Set integer = integer + 1
Do my actions


What I'm trying to ask is... That's all? If there's a need to destroy a timer, how, which way? That kind of thing.

 

[Ayanami]

I believe for GUI, if you wouldn't want to destroy a timer. Let's say you do:

• Actions
  • Custom script: call DestroyTimer(udg_MyTimer)

Then, you'll have no way to do "Create Timer", at least not in GUI actions, for "MyTimer". So in GUI, all you have to do is pause/start timers.

However, honestly, I dislike using Timers in GUI for spells, etc. Unlike v/JASS, you can't make a timer call function every time it expires. You need a separate event for each timer expiration. The only time I did use timers were for Countdown Timers (with the countdown window). Other than that, didn't touch GUI timer functions.

 

[skyblader]

Hmmm.. Okay so you use JASS Timers for JASS spells? If so, could you teach me how? Like a simple way to do it.

Edit: How about a way to deal damage every second? It's not accurate to use periodic event because it is every 1 second of game time, and not every one second since the spell has been casted.

 

[Ayanami]

Hmmm.. Okay so you use JASS Timers for JASS spells? If so, could you teach me how? Like a simple way to do it.

Edit: How about a way to deal damage every second? It's not accurate to use periodic event because it is every 1 second of game time, and not every one second since the spell has been casted.

Well, yes, Timers are far better in v/JASS and there's a lot of systems involving timers too.

As for dealing damage every second, perhaps you can use a faster periodic rate to deal damage. Perhaps something like 0.05 seconds or 0.10 seconds. After 1.00 second, the damage dealt will still be the same. However, for some reason, if you really want to deal damage every second, and not every 0.05 seconds, maybe you could use a 0.05 seconds timer, counting a real variable until 1.00 second. That way, it's more accurate than doing every 1.00 second.

 

[skyblader]

Hmmm.. Okay so I should still stick to hashtables. Okay

 

[Sevion]

Sorry, what do Hashtables have to do with Timers? '

 

[skyblader]

Meaning use hashtables instead of timers.

 

[Sevion]

Again, what do Hashtables have to do with Timers? They have completely different purposes and uses.

 

[skyblader]

They have nothing to do with each other... But Ayanami is suggesting I just use hashtables instead of timers for GUI.

 

[Sevion]

I'm still having trouble understanding what the connection is...

 

[Romek]

Timers run code at a given frequency. Hashtables store data. I'm as confused as Sevion in this matter.

 

[Sajin]

He was wondering the efficiency of timer. but since Timers aren't very efficient in GUI he's going to keep using hashtables instead

 

[Sevion]

Timers run code at a given frequency. Hashtables store data. I'm as confused as [del]Sevion[/del] Romek in this matter.

They do two different things. How can they be compared? '

 

[Ayanami]

They do two different things. How can they be compared? '

Well, in GUI, you can't run a function every interval with a timer. You need a separate event to detect expiration of specific timers. Thus, these "Countdown Timers" are really inefficient, especially for MUI purposes. Might as well just use the Periodic Event. That's why skyblader decided to use Hashtables to periodically update the tick value and run the code, rather than using a "Countdown Timer".

 

[Sevion]

That's why you learn vJASS ;3

Though, using custom scripts, you could actually do so.