Checking buffs periodically

[Toeler]

I'm making a simple little addon that will alert you when a fish feast is dropped with a sound, and then alert you every 15 seconds until you have the food buff. I've managed to get the sound to be played when the fish feast is first dropped, however I've spent the last 4 hours to no avail trying to get it to periodically check each 15 seconds for the buff, and if there is no buff to play the sound again.

Can anybody please help me out, it's getting rather frustrating, I've been looking at other addon codes and all over the web trying to find out how to do this.

[contramundi]

for buff checking, look at the source code from zomgbuffs or smartbuff or an addon that exists already to check buffs ^^

[tattooedpierre]

Originally Posted by contramundi for buff checking, look at the source code from zomgbuffs or smartbuff or an addon that exists already to check buffs ^^

Two addons I did, HearMeClear and SurgeOfLight check buffs. Check the latter as, iirc, its the most up-to-date. Its only a few lines of code.

[nightcracker]

Originally Posted by Toeler I'm making a simple little addon that will alert you when a fish feast is dropped with a sound, and then alert you every 15 seconds until you have the food buff. I've managed to get the sound to be played when the fish feast is first dropped, however I've spent the last 4 hours to no avail trying to get it to periodically check each 15 seconds for the buff, and if there is no buff to play the sound again. Can anybody please help me out, it's getting rather frustrating, I've been looking at other addon codes and all over the web trying to find out how to do this.

Well, this is some simple untested code(make sure you edit the SOMETHING_HERE parts:

local f = CreateFrame("Frame") -- Create the frame
f:Hide() -- Make sure the OnUpdate function doesn't instantly start
f:SetScript("OnUpdate", function(self, elapsed) -- Checks every 15 seconds for the buff, and if not active play the sound. If active hide the frame, stopping the OnUpdate script.
    self.elapsed = self.elapsed + elapsed
    if self.elapsed > 15 then
        self.elapsed = 0
        UnitBuff("Player", "THE_BUFF_YOUR_LOOKING_FOR_HERE") and self:Hide() or PlaySoundFile("SOME_SOUND_FILE_HERE")
    end
end)
f:SetScript("OnShow", function(self)
    self.elapsed = 0
end)

Whenever fish feast is dropped, call f:Show(), whenever you want the script to stop reminding, call f:Hide().

[Toeler]

Originally Posted by nightcracker Well, this is some simple untested code(make sure you edit the SOMETHING_HERE parts: Whenever fish feast is dropped, call f:Show(), whenever you want the script to stop reminding, call f:Hide().

Another noob question, but do I have to add something to the xml for the OnUpdate part?

When I used your code as it is it would break the addon. The addon was loaded but the slash commands weren't working, and nothing in it was working. As soon as I took out the UnitBuff line (I did edit the buff name and sound file location) the addon worked again but without the periodic checking, I even put a line in to print a message where the UnitBuff line was and it didn't print out the message when it was supposed to.

[Akryn]

His code will work without editing another file. As he notes:

Whenever fish feast is dropped, call f:Show(), whenever you want the script to stop reminding, call f:Hide()

f:Show will start the timer, using that code, and f:Hide will stop it. Note that whatever code calls those functions must be in the same file as his snippet, and below it. Also of course, don't use another variable called f.

I believe line 7 is a syntax error, because it's basically just writing "true" or "false" on a line (although maybe Lua allows that variation, I haven't tried it). Try turning Lua errors on (which you should do in general anyway, especially while writing an addon). While you certainly could write line 7 in that sort of way, I don't see any reason not to just do this:

if UnitBuff("Player", "THE_BUFF_YOU'RE_LOOKING_FOR_HERE") then
    self:Hide()
else
    PlaySoundFile("SOME_SOUND_FILE_HERE")
end

[Toeler]

Originally Posted by Akryn His code will work without editing another file. As he notes: f:Show will start the timer, using that code, and f:Hide will stop it. Note that whatever code calls those functions must be in the same file as his snippet, and below it. Also of course, don't use another variable called f. I believe line 7 is a syntax error, because it's basically just writing "true" or "false" on a line (although maybe Lua allows that variation, I haven't tried it). Try turning Lua errors on (which you should do in general anyway, especially while writing an addon). While you certainly could write line 7 in that sort of way, I don't see any reason not to just do this: if UnitBuff("Player", "THE_BUFF_YOU'RE_LOOKING_FOR_HERE") then     self:Hide() else     PlaySoundFile("SOME_SOUND_FILE_HERE") end

Yeah, I've got f:Show(); after the fish feast is detected in the lua. Completely forgot about turning lua errors on haha, will do that and see what it pops out.

-----

So I have it sorted now, missed the "and below it" haha. Thanks heaps Akryn and nightcracker!

[Toeler]

Alright, so I've been working on my addon a little more, and was wondering how I would add another timer that doesn't get reset every 15 seconds, but can still be checked in the script that also checks the first timer (The first timer is check using self).

I just tried to replicate the first timer except using ff.elapsed instead of self.elapsed however I got an lua error saying error trying to compare a string and an integer. So how would I go about setting up a second timer that can still be checked in the same was self.elapsed is.

[Akryn]

I'm not following what you want. Do you want a separate timer that executes code only once, or do you just want to be able to time how long it's been since something happened? If the latter then it's as easy as storing the value of time() in a variable and then later doing time() - theVariableYouUsed

[Toeler]

Originally Posted by Akryn I'm not following what you want. Do you want a separate timer that executes code only once, or do you just want to be able to time how long it's been since something happened? If the latter then it's as easy as storing the value of time() in a variable and then later doing time() - theVariableYouUsed

Hmm, I didn't consider saving the time to a variable, should be just what I need. Thanks again!

One last thing not related to this thread, but another problem I am having.

I'm trying to get a single variabled saved globally. I'm using http://www.wowwiki.com/Saving_variab..._game_sessions as my example, and have copied everything relating to what I need from it (everything minus the slash command, and anything relating to the HaveWeMetBool variable). However my variable is still not saving through sessions. The only thing I can think is that arg1 == "FishFeastAlert" isn't the right addon name, however that is only for setting it, if I set the variable it still isn't showing up in my SavedVariables folder, any ideas?

[Akryn]

Can you post the relevant line from your .toc?
Also note that the variable must be global.

Edit: As far as finding your own addon's name, that gets passed to each file in the addon as ... as of WoW 3.3. So, at the top of your file you can do:

local myName, myNamespace = ...

and later

if arg1 == myName then

[Toeler]

FishFeastAlert.toc

## Interface: 30300
## Title: Fish Feast Alert
## Notes: Plays a sound when a fish feast is dropped. /ff for config
## Author: Toez
## Dependencies:
## SavedVariables: INTERVAL_TIME
## Version: 1.0.2

FishFeastAlert.lua
FishFeastAlert.xml

FishFeastAlert.lua

local frame = CreateFrame("FRAME");
frame:RegisterEvent("ADDON_LOADED");
 
 
    function frame:OnEvent(event, arg1)
        if event == "ADDON_LOADED" and arg1 == "FishFeastAlert" then
            if INTERVAL_TIME == nil then
                INTERVAL_TIME = 20;
            end
        end
    end
    
    frame:SetScript("OnEvent", frame.OnEvent);

[Akryn]

"Fish Feast Alert" ~= "FishFeastAlert"

Edit:

if I set the variable it still isn't showing up in my SavedVariables folder

Not sure there. The only other thing that looks weird to me is the fact that you have a "##Dependencies:" line with no actual dependencies listed. AFAIK that is fine to do, but maybe it no longer is? Have you tried without that line?

[Toeler]

Originally Posted by Akryn "Fish Feast Alert" ~= "FishFeastAlert" Edit: Not sure there. The only other thing that looks weird to me is the fact that you have a "##Dependencies:" line with no actual dependencies listed. AFAIK that is fine to do, but maybe it no longer is? Have you tried without that line?

I'll take the line out and see what it does.

Originally Posted by Akryn "Fish Feast Alert" ~= "FishFeastAlert"

On the wowwiki article the Title is Have We Met? while arg1 == HaveWeMet

[Akryn]

Originally Posted by Toeler On the wowwiki article the Title is Have We Met? while arg1 == HaveWeMet

I certainly could be wrong; I generally title my addons without spaces. However I would still assume that it needs to be exact. As I posted before though, you can just use ... to get the name.

What happens if you do a /run print(INTERVAL_TIME) in game?

[Toeler]

Originally Posted by Akryn I certainly could be wrong; I generally title my addons without spaces. However I would still assume that it needs to be exact. As I posted before though, you can just use ... to get the name. What happens if you do a /run print(INTERVAL_TIME) in game?

I get nil, because it isn't being set by the function, and if I set it manually then print it then it works fine, however as soon as I relog it is back to nil.

Edit: Changing to myName it now sets the variable each time the addon loads. However I still have the problem of the veriable not saving each time I log out, so it just resets it back to the default.

[Akryn]

Are there any other instances of INTERVAL_TIME in your lua file(s)?

[Toeler]

Originally Posted by Akryn Are there any other instances of INTERVAL_TIME in your lua file(s)?

prt("Current interval is "..INTERVAL_TIME.." seconds."); -- Printing out the current integer
INTERVAL_TIME = (argT[2]); -- Setting it using a slash command
prt("You will now be notified every "..INTERVAL_TIME.." seconds to eat the fish feast."); -- Message after you set it
if INTERVAL_TIME > 0 then
if self.elapsed > INTERVAL_TIME then

That is all the other instances of INTERVAL_TIME in my lua file.

EDIT:

If you want I can upload my addon for you to have a look at it, I've gone over it multiple times and really can't see any reason for the variable to not be saving

[Phanx]

Posting your whole code would probably help.

Originally Posted by Akryn "Fish Feast Alert" ~= "FishFeastAlert"

The string passed as an argument to the ADDON_LOADED event is the addon’s “internal name” — the name of the addon’s folder/TOC — so “FishFeastAlert” is correct. It doesn’t care about the Title field in your TOC, especially since that can differ according to the user’s locale. Consider that if MyAddon.toc includes this:

## Title: Cat
## Title-esES: Gato
## Title-ruRU: Кошка

Then:

GetAddOnMeta("Title", "MyAddon")

...will return “Кошка” in a Russian client, “Gato” in a Spanish client, and “Cat” in an English client (or any other client since it defaults to English when no localized field is provided).

It would be fairly confusing to deal with all of that if ADDON_LOADED worked off your addon’s TOC Title rather than your addon's internal name.

[Toeler]

Hmm, I think I've solved my problem some how. When I first asked about why my global variable wasn't saving my code was basically the same as it is now. As an attempt to fix it a little later I declared the global variable as a local at the top of the lua, when I removed it now it is now saving. I have no idea why it decided to suddenly work but at least it is now. Yay.