Suggestion: initial() enhancement

ID:137997
 
May 20 2001, 3:49 am
Resolved
This became possible at some point:
var/obj/item/myType = /obj/item/sword
var/itemCost = initial(myType.cost)
Status: Resolved (354)
This issue has been resolved.
I don't know if this would be easy or hard... depends on how BYOND works internally. Anyway, my idea is that you could permit initial() to accept a type, like so:

var/myType = /obj/portable/outfit/male_outfit/business_suit
var/myVar = "name"
var/promptName = initial(myType, myVar)

What do you think?
Jun 26 2002, 6:34 am
Bump! Heh.

Gughunter wrote:
I don't know if this would be easy or hard... depends on how BYOND works internally. Anyway, my idea is that you could permit initial() to accept a type, like so:

var/myType = /obj/portable/outfit/male_outfit/business_suit
var/myVar = "name"
var/promptName = initial(myType, myVar)

What do you think?
Jun 27 2002, 9:08 am
Good idea. It's on the list!

--Dan
Feb 5 2007, 3:34 pm
In response to Dan
Dan wrote:
Good idea. It's on the list!

--Dan

Eheh, bump. This must be on a 4.0-esque list or something. >_>

Hiead
Feb 5 2007, 3:46 pm
In response to Hiead
Hiead wrote:
Dan wrote:
Good idea. It's on the list!

--Dan

Eheh, bump. This must be on a 4.0-esque list or something.

Unfortunately the one who knew how to do that was Dan. I may or may not be able to figure it out, but it's an investment of time best spent on other things to get 4.0 out the door.

Lummox JR

May 20 2011, 4:32 am
It would be very handy to be able to grab the initial value of a variable of a type without having to initialize the type with new().

An example possible syntax:
// Syntax:
// initial(type, "variable")

// Allows you get information about a path without having to create it
mob/verb/ReadPaths()
    for(var/datumType in typesof(/datum))
        world<<"[datumType] is derived from [initial(datumType, "parent_type")]"


// Allows you to get an item's cost without having to create it
proc/getItemCost(itemType)
    if(!ispath(itemType,/obj/Item))
        return -1
    return initial(itemType, "cost")


If the type doesn't have the passed variable associated with it, an error should be thrown.

The idea is that because you don't know what specific type you might be working with at runtime, you don't know what it might do in New(), or even what to pass it.

I guess this could be worked around by not using New(), and instead writing an Init() function of some kind that you call manually when you actually want the object to exist and aren't just using a temporary copy. However, that would be a real pain in the butt, especially for libraries that don't have control over the user's coding practices.
May 24 2011, 4:39 pm
In response to DarkCampainger
This has been on my own wish list for a while now as well. I know I've looked into it but I don't remember where it stands. I think at the time it was just considered too minor a feature to spend time on but I definitely like the idea.
Dec 18 2012, 1:02 pm
Bump.
Dec 18 2012, 4:51 pm
Wow....thats a serious bump. You should get that checked out man
Aug 21 2014, 5:12 am
DarkCampainger resolved issue with message:
This became possible at some point:
var/obj/item/myType = /obj/item/sword
var/itemCost = initial(myType.cost)
Aug 21 2014, 5:28 am
what the dan

talk about undocumented features, jeez
Aug 21 2014, 11:52 am
seriously haha but still nice