A problem with a loop changing another var for no reason.

ID:264503
 
Aug 17 2009, 1:22 pm (Edited on Aug 17 2009, 1:43 pm)
Code:
    proc/timeloop()
        while(src)
            src.seconds++
            var/text 
            if(!text) text=seconds //this is just for the first iteration of the loop
                                //however it keeps getting turned back into seconds
            var/minutes
            if(seconds==60)
                minutes++
                seconds=0
                seconds=time2text(seconds, ":ss")
                text="[minutes][seconds]" //rewrite text to read as 1:00 (for example)
                            //but that only happens for one iteration of the loop, why?
                world<<"Timer: [text]"
            else world<<"Timer: [text]"
            sleep(10)


Problem description:
It should only change text to equal timer if text is null... why is it doing that each time?

To explain, each time 1:00 appears, the loop immediate goes back to outputting 1, 2, etc. Why?

Aug 17 2009, 1:53 pm (Edited on Aug 17 2009, 2:02 pm)
You're defining "text" inside of the while loop, so everytime the loop finishes running the statement, and goes to run it again, the text variable is discarded, and then redefined (and so is back to a null value).

You need to change the scope of the text variable so that it exists outside of the loop. Just define it before the while(src).

There are also some other problems, where you keep switching seconds between being a number and text.

Try this:
    proc/timeloop()
        var/text="[seconds]"
        if(seconds<10) text="0[text]"
        text="0:[text]"
        var/minutes=0
        for()
            seconds++
            if(seconds>=60)
                minutes++
                seconds-=60
                text="[seconds]"
                if(seconds<10) text="0[text]"
                text="[minutes]:[text]"
            world<<"Timer: [text]"
            sleep(10)


I assume you have seconds defined elsewhere? Any particular reason for that?
Aug 17 2009, 2:08 pm
In response to DarkCampainger
You aught to put that sleep() at the beginning of the loop, otherwise you lose your first second. You could probably steamline the proc so it's easier to read if it looked more like this: 
proc
    timeloop()
        var
            seconds=0
            minutes=0
            output=""
        while(1)
            sleep(10)
            seconds++
            if(seconds>=60)
                seconds-=60
                minutes++
            if(seconds<10)output="0[seconds]"
            else output=seconds
            world<<"Timer: [minutes]:[output]"
Aug 17 2009, 4:03 pm
In response to SuperAntx
Alternatively:

proc/timeloop()
    var/seconds = 0
    var/minutes = 0
    do
        for(seconds = 0 to 60)
            world << "[minutes?("[minutes]:"):""][round(seconds/10)][seconds%10]"
            sleep(10)
    while(++minutes)


But an important question here is, "do you actually need to be doing this"?
Aug 17 2009, 4:50 pm
In response to Garthor
Garthor wrote:
But an important question here is, "do you actually need to be doing this"?

Judging from Vic's post it would be easier for him to follow and learn from. So in a way, yes.