Code for a kgPanel

[Aanson]

If event "WHATEVER_THE_EVENT_MAY_BE" then
MyPanel:Show()
end

How do i code MyPanel to hide again after, say, 10 seconds of the event firing?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

[Seerah]

You'll need to give it an OnUpdate script.

http://www.wowpedia.org/UIHANDLER_OnUpdate
http://www.wowpedia.org/Using_OnUpdate_correctly

[Aanson]

Hia. Thanks for your reply. Although I'm making quite a bit of progress with learning how to script, those links havnt helped much. I understand the principle, I just can't seem to put it into practice .

Would anyone be able to give me a wee hand with an example?

Thanks in advance and sorry to bother!

[Phanx]

I'm not that familiar with kgPanels, but presumably you're registering for events in an OnLoad script for the panel:

self:RegisterEvent("WHATEVER_THE_EVENT_MAY_BE")

In the same place, make sure your panel is hidden, if you're not already:

self:Hide()
self:RegisterEvent("WHATEVER_THE_EVENT_MAY_BE")

And set up a counter for keeping track of the time:

self.counter = 0
self:Hide()
self:RegisterEvent("WHATEVER_THE_EVENT_MAY_BE")

Then set an OnUpdate script for the panel. OnUpdate scripts are run every time a new video frame is drawn (10-100 or more times per second, depending on your hardware capability and video settings), but only when the frame they are set on is shown on the screen. So, setting the frame to hidden immediately makes sure the script won't be running.

In this case, we want the OnUpdate script to count to 10 seconds, and then hide the frame. Assuming kgPanels uses the standard argument names, your OnUpdate script will receive an argument named elapsed, which contains the amount of time that has elapsed since the last OnUpdate run. You'll use the counter we set up earlier to keep a running total of all these tiny increments of time.

-- Make sure you have kgPanels r403 or higher; this is required
-- because of a variable naming issue in older versions.
self.counter = self.counter + elapsed
if self.counter >= 10 then
     -- 10 seconds have passed!
     self:Hide()
end

Now, you'll need to modify your OnEvent script a little bit to use the counter:

if event == "WHATEVER_THE_EVENT_MAY_BE" then
    -- First, reset the counter:
    self.counter = 0
    -- Then, show the frame:
    self:Show()
end

It's important to reset the counter first. Otherwise, it will still be at 10 when you show the panel, so it will immediately get hidden again.

I chose to reset the counter in the OnEvent script, instead of in the OnUpdate script (eg. right after you hide the frame) so that if the event fires again before the 10 seconds are up, it resets the counter and keeps the panel visible for 10 seconds after the last event, not the first one. This may not be relevant for your event (eg. PLAYER_LEVEL_UP) but even if it's not, it doesn't hurt anything to do it this way.

[Aanson]

Thanks so much for that reply mate. I'm learning more and more every day.

I don't think kgPanels is allowing it though

I set it up exactly as instructed, but when the panel shows, the frame rate drops by about 3 quarters.

Through trial and error, I've narrowed it down to 'elapsed'. As soon as I add that word, the FPS plummets. I take it away and it shoots back up again.

Does that symptom suggest that I've maybe done something wrong or do you think that it is a kgPanel limitation after all?

I'm surprised, I'd always thought that kgPanels didn't have any code limitations. Perhaps that is naive of me.

[Phanx]

After looking at the code of kgPanels, I see the problem. Rather than using the standard variable name "elapsed", the author of kgPanels chose to use the variable name "time", which in addition to breaking with convention also overrides the global function name "time", preventing it from being used inside panels' OnUpdate scripts.

This means that the code I previously posted was looking up a global variable "elapsed" with every frame, which is slower in general, and is probably generating tons of errors if it's nil or contains some value type other than a number.

Replace "elapsed" with "time" in the OnUpdate script I posted before, and it should work. I'll also update the code in my post.

I also posted a bug report ticket on kgPanels, but given the number of outstanding tickets, I'm not hopeful it will be addressed anytime soon, if ever.

[Aanson]

That's great Phanx thanks. I'm surprised you went to the effort to do that.

I know of the addons that you've authored so thanks for taking what little spare, spare time you have to check into this. I'll give it a try and let you know.

[jeffy162]

Originally Posted by Phanx I also posted a bug report ticket on kgPanels, but given the number of outstanding tickets, I'm not hopeful it will be addressed anytime soon, if ever.

It actually DID work, and pretty quickly too. Your ticket was filed on 2/21 and the update was released on 2/21 also.

You have to get the latest Alpha version (r403 from their WoWAce page) and I don't know how that part works but this:

r403 Date: 2/21/2012 6:53:39 PM Type: Alpha ------------------------------------------------------------------------ r403 | kagaro | 2012-02-21 23:52:27 +0000 (Tue, 21 Feb 2012) | 2 lines Changed paths: M /trunk/kgPanels.lua fix ticket #41 passed in variable is now called elapsed instead of time.

is the update log from the Curse Client about it.

[Phanx]

Edited the code in my other post again.

Aanson, if you update kgPanels, don't forget to change "time" back to "elapsed" in the OnUpdate script.