problem with my lua script :(

[jms 0]

hi guys,
i've been slowly teaching myself lua over the last little while but i'm stumped at the moment.
my script doesn't seem to work.
at the moment, all i want to do is create an external file and put two variables in it.  i'm taking small steps at the moment, but i've run into trouble.
can anybody see what's wrong with this?




--#-package:031EBA61# -- package signature

-- Process a file

thisCity  = 0

-------
DataFile = [[Apps\DataFile.dat]]

function Create_DataFile(filename)
 local exist = io.open(filename)                   --open file
 if not(exist) then                                --if file doesn't exit, create one with this data...
  io.output(filename)
  io.write("$beginfile","\n")
 -- io.write("$nextregion","\n")
  io.write("$endfile","\n")
  io.flush()
  io.output()
 end
end

Create_DataFile(DataFile)

--functions---

function WriteCrime()
    io.output(DataFile)
    io.write(game.trend_value(game.g_police_funding_p, 0) .. "\n")      -- these are just here to test which format is the correct way to write
    io.write(game.g_police_funding_p, 0) .. "\n")                                        -- they are the same variable
    io.flush()
    io.output()
end 

function Proj_main()
     thisCity = 1
 
     if (thisCity == 1) then
         WriteCrime()
     end
 return false
end

a = create_advice_cityplanning('162ea2b5')
a.type = advice_types.ENVIRONMENT
a.trigger  = "(thisCity == 0)"                --triggers at the start of the game until thisCity is given a value
a.frequency = 1
a.timeout = 20000
a.title = [[text@4a4e15a1]]
a.message   = [[text@4a4e15a2]] 
a.priority  = 100                                                                                                         
a.mood = advice_moods.GREAT_JOB                                                                                           
a.once = 0

[Daeley 46]

you should NEVER use global variables with the same name as my globals. If you do, you will either

a) screw up my mods

or

b) screw up your mods

so when you copy my stuff => RENAME THE GLOBAL VARIABLES <=

In this case I'm using "thisCity" in a totally different way then you, so there's a big chance b) is happening. Rename it and try again. In the case I'm sounding a bit harsh, sorry but I want to exclude the possibility of a) at all cost.

edit: also, writing to files is not exactly beginner's stuff... I suggest you try something (a lot) easier first, like showing stuff in a query window...

[jms 0]

hi daeley, i've already shown stuff in query windows and i found it to be quite basic. the only reason i've taken some of your code/variables is because there's no other example of this sort of stuff for sim city.  I am fluent with IO for c, c++, java and i don't find it to be difficult at all.  the only problem with programming in lua in this case is that there is no compiler.  so when it doesn't work, you have no idea what the problem is!

when i tested this mod, i had removed every other mod i had (of course), so i'm pretty sure the name of the variable has nothing to do with why it's not working. anyway, i'm sure i'll work it out today, but i have two more questions...

what exactly does a.type = advice_types.ENVIRONMENT do?

and also, in your mod you've got a small threading function, i was just wondering why you needed to thread in your script? it doesn't look like there are two things trying to run concurrently at all.

help would be greatly appreciated as i'm not actually doing this for myself, i'm doing this as part of a work experiment.

[qurlix 20]

I can field the first question...

Nearly all lua-based mods involving triggers use news items because they have the simplest syntax and there aren't many other known methods. When you are creating a news element it must fall under a specific advisor or it will not work correctly. "type" is the property of advice_cityplanning objects that determines what category it is in. Thus "a.type=advice_types.ENVIRONMENT" sets the news item you are using as a trigger for your output to fall under the environmental advisor, meaning her face will appear next to the message by default, the message will be found under her submenu, et cetera.

-qurlix

[jms 0]

beautiful, thankyou.

ok, i simplified my script to the following (just to test out basic functionality) and it still doesn't seem to work. is there something i'm missing?

--#-package:0bac31a1# -- package signature

DataFile = [[Apps\DataFile.dat]]

function ProjMain(filename)

local exist = io.open(filename) --open file

if not(exist) then --if file doesn't exit, create one with this data...

io.output(DataFile.dat)

io.write("hello!","\n")

io.flush()

io.output()

end

end

ProjMain(DataFile)

[Daeley 46]

you got a io.output(DataFile.dat) there, that should probably be io.output(filename)

other than that, it looks fine at first sight....

[jms 0]

oh my god, how did i overlook that.

thanks daeley, it's working fine now.