execVM: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 17:44, 4 January 2023

1.00

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Description

Description:

Compiles and adds an SQF script to the scheduler queue and returns script handle (see also Example 4). The script does not execute immediately upon running execVM command but with some delay depending on the VM's scripts queue and engine load.

ⓘ

If the same script is to be executed more than one time, declaring it as a Function is recommended to avoid recompiling and wasting performance with every execution.
The script is searched for in the following directories in that order:
- mission directory
- campaign scripts directory
- global scripts directory.
To see what VM scripts are currently in the scheduler, use diag_activeSQFScripts command.

⚠

The .sqf file extension is not mandatory but is strongly recommended as using non-standard extensions may cause problems during binarisation
If the script file is not prepared using UTF-8 encoding and contains some characters with codes > 127, they might convert incorrectly.

Groups:

Program Flow

Syntax

Syntax:: arguments execVM filename
Parameters:: arguments: Anything - arguments accessible as _this in the script
: filename: String - path to the SQF script file
Return Value:: Script Handle

Alternative Syntax

Syntax:: execVM filename
Parameters:: filename: String - path to the SQF script file
Return Value:: Script Handle

Examples

Example 1:: execVM "test.sqf";
Example 2:: _handle = player execVM "test.sqf"; waitUntil { scriptDone _handle };
The following is also possible in Arma 3:
private _handle = execVM "123.sqf"; waitUntil { isNull _handle };
Example 3:: [player, 0.75] execVM "setDamage.sqf";
setDamage.sqf:
params ["_unit", "_damage"]; _unit setDamage _damage;
Example 4:: execVM equivalence:
private _handle = _args execVM "someFile.sqf"; // is practically identical to private _handle = _args spawn compile preprocessFileLineNumbers "someFile.sqf";

Additional Information

See also:: call spawn exec execFSM scriptDone scriptNull terminate sleep uiSleep waitUntil canSuspend diag_activeScripts diag_activeSQFScripts SQF Syntax Control Structures

Notes

: Report bugs on the Feedback Tracker and/or discuss them on the Arma Discord or on the Forums.
Only post proven facts here! Add Note

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 |game5= arma3
 |version5= 0.50
+|arg= global
+|eff= local
 |gr1= Program Flow
-|descr= Compiles and adds an [[SQF Syntax|SQF]] [[Script Handle|script]] to the [[Scheduler|scheduler]] queue and returns script handle (see also {{HashLink|#Example 4}}).
+|descr= Compiles and adds an [[SQF Syntax|SQF]] [[Script Handle|script]] to the [[Scheduler|scheduler]] queue and returns script handle (see also {{Link|#Example 4}}).
 The script does not execute immediately upon running [[execVM]] command but with some delay depending on the VM's scripts queue and engine load.
 {{Feature|informative|
-* If the same script is to be executed more than one time, declaring it as a [[Arma 3: Functions Library|Function]] is recommended.
+* If the same script is to be executed more than one time, declaring it as a [[Arma 3: Functions Library|Function]] is recommended to avoid recompiling and wasting performance with every execution.
 * The script is searched for in the following directories in that order:
 ** mission directory
@@ Line 31: / Line 34: @@
 {{Feature|important|
-* The <tt>.sqf</tt> file extension is not mandatory but is strongly recommended as using non-standard extensions may cause problems during binarisation
+* The {{hl|.sqf}} file extension is not mandatory but is strongly recommended as using non-standard extensions may cause problems during binarisation
 * If the script file is not prepared using UTF-8 encoding and contains some characters [[toArray|with codes]] > 127, they might convert incorrectly.
 }}
@@ Line 37: / Line 40: @@
 |s1= arguments [[execVM]] filename
-|p1= arguments: [[Anything]] - arguments accessible as <tt>[[Magic Variables#this|_this]]</tt> in the script
+|p1= arguments: [[Anything]] - arguments accessible as {{hl|[[Magic Variables#this|_this]]}} in the script
 |p2= filename: [[String]] - path to the [[SQF Syntax|SQF]] script file
@@ Line 49: / Line 52: @@
 |r2= [[Script Handle]]
-|x1= <code>_handle = [[execVM]] "test.sqf";</code>
+|x1= <sqf>execVM "test.sqf";</sqf>
-|x2= <code>_handle = [[player]] [[execVM]] "test.sqf";
+|x2= <sqf>
-[[waitUntil]] { [[scriptDone]] _handle };</code>
+_handle = player execVM "test.sqf";
+waitUntil { scriptDone _handle };
+</sqf>
 The following is also possible in {{arma3}}:
-<code>[[private]] _handle = [[execVM]] "123.sqf";
+<sqf>
-[[waitUntil]] { [[isNull]] _handle };</code>
+private _handle = execVM "123.sqf";
+waitUntil { isNull _handle };
+</sqf>
-|x3= <code>[<nowiki/>[[player]], 0.75] [[execVM]] "setDamage.sqf";</code>
+|x3= <sqf>[player, 0.75] execVM "setDamage.sqf";</sqf>
 setDamage.sqf:
-<code>[[params]] ["_unit", "_damage"];
+<sqf>
-_unit [[setDamage]] _damage;</code>
+params ["_unit", "_damage"];
+_unit setDamage _damage;
+</sqf>
-|x4= [[execVM]] equivalence:<code>[[private]] _handle = _args [[execVM]] "someFile.sqf";
+|x4= [[execVM]] equivalence:
-{{cc|is practically identical to}}
+<sqf>
-[[private]] _handle = _args [[spawn]] [[compile]] [[preprocessFileLineNumbers]] "someFile.sqf";</code>
+private _handle = _args execVM "someFile.sqf";
+// is practically identical to
+private _handle = _args spawn compile preprocessFileLineNumbers "someFile.sqf";
+</sqf>
-|seealso= [[call]], [[spawn]], [[exec]], [[execFSM]], [[scriptDone]], [[scriptNull]], [[terminate]], [[sleep]], [[uiSleep]], [[waitUntil]], [[canSuspend]], [[diag_activeScripts]], [[diag_activeSQFScripts]], [[SQF Syntax]], [[Control Structures]]
+|seealso= [[call]] [[spawn]] [[exec]] [[execFSM]] [[scriptDone]] [[scriptNull]] [[terminate]] [[sleep]] [[uiSleep]] [[waitUntil]] [[canSuspend]] [[diag_activeScripts]] [[diag_activeSQFScripts]] [[SQF Syntax]] [[Control Structures]]
 }}