Loop until $variable is something

[Ellie]

I have a client server model, and basically the client sends a request to the server saying "I want variable a now". The server sends variable a back to the client.

This comes in in the form $requested_variable, let's say.

The problem I have is there will be a brief wait until $requested_variable is set to the new variable.


Imagine I have this function:

def get_var(a)

  # send request to server, blahdeblah, it comes back eventually as $requested_variable

  return $requested_variable

Since $requested_variable isn't set right until it comes back from the server, I'm kind of stuck here as $requested_variable will just be nil.



What I tried was this:

When the variable comes back, set $gotanewvariable = true

Then,

def get_var(a)

  # send request to server, comes back as $requested_var

  while $gotanewvariable != true

    # do nothing

  end

  $gotanewvariable = false

  return $requested_variable

end

This didn't work. The game just hung and nothing happened ($requested_variable never came through).



Anyone got any ideas how I should handle this situation?

 

[EJlol]

threads. not easy, lots of work. watch out for deadlocks and shit <_<

 

[Ellie]

I cheated and just dumped the code that checks socket messages in the while loop. It's dirty but it works.

I don't have time to learn threads right now and understand they're mindboggling but I will in the future! Honest hdear:

 

[Glitchfinder]

Instead of waiting until the variable is returned, I recommend returning an empty value instead. This prevents hangup if the server doesn't respond.

 

[DeM0nFiRe]

No, you shouldn't just return an empty value, but you should add a timeout. If I understand what you want correctly, what you should do is

while !($requested_variable = #getfromserver)

     if(too much time has gone by)

          return nil

     end

end

return $reuqested_variable

I am not sure how you communicate with your server, but you may have to adjust the conditional statement for the while loop. Like if the server gives you -1 if nothing is there yet, you'd adjust it to be
while ($requested_variable = #getfromserver) == -1