Improving this? in Developer Help

ID:156014
 
Jan 15 2011, 5:27 am
A friend of mine made this for me about two years ago and recently I've been wondering if it could be... well, improved somehow (efficiency-wise, coding-wise, etc).

mob
    effects
        verb
            Tornado()
                set category = "Effects"
                if(tornado)
                    tornado = FALSE
                    return FALSE
                else
                    var
                        radius = input("Radius?", "Radius") as null | num
                    if(radius && radius <= world.view)
                        tornado = TRUE

                    while(tornado)
                        for(var/atom/movable/O in view(radius))
                            if(O.anchor)
                                continue
                            var
                                _x = O.x - x
                                _y = O.y - y
                                _dir = get_dir(loc, O.loc)
                            switch(_dir)
                                if(NORTH)
                                    O.x--
                                if(WEST)
                                    O.y--
                                if(SOUTH)
                                    O.x++
                                if(EAST)
                                    O.y++
                                if(NORTHEAST)
                                    if(_y > _x)
                                        O.x--
                                    if(_x > _y)
                                        O.y++
                                    if(abs(_x) == abs(_y))
                                        O.x--
                                if(NORTHWEST)
                                    if(abs(_y) > abs(_x))
                                        O.x--
                                    if(abs(_x) > abs(_y))
                                        O.y--
                                    if(abs(_x) == abs(_y))
                                        O.y--
                                if(SOUTHWEST)
                                    if(abs(_y) > abs(_x))
                                        O.x++
                                    if(abs(_x) > abs(_y))
                                        O.y--
                                    if(abs(_x) == abs(_y))
                                        O.x++
                                if(SOUTHEAST)
                                    if(abs(_y) > abs(_x))
                                        O.x++
                                    if(abs(_x) > abs(_y))
                                        O.y++
                                    if(abs(_x) == abs(_y))
                                        O.y++
                        sleep(1)
#1 Jan 18 2011, 6:13 am
To be honest, I don't know what this code is supposed to go for other than doing customized movement of some sort. If you explain what it is supposed to do, maybe one of us could help you.
#2 Jan 18 2011, 2:29 pm
One thing you can definitley do is comebine some of those statements.

Ex.

 if(SOUTHEAST)
                                    if(abs(_y) > abs(_x))
                                        O.x++
                                    if((abs(_x) > abs(_y)) || (abs(_x) == abs(_y)))