execVM: Difference between revisions

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|gr1= Program Flow
|gr1= Program Flow


|descr= Compiles and adds [[SQF Syntax|SQF]] [[Script]] to the [[Scheduler|scheduler]] queue and returns script handle. The script is first searched for in the mission folder, then in the campaign scripts folder and finally in the global scripts folder. The script does not execute immediately upon running [[execVM]] command, but with some delay. How much delay is unknown as it largely depends on how many other scripts there are in the queue and how busy is VM. The optional argument is passed to the script in [[private]] variable <tt>_this</tt>. In {{arma3}} the script handle is also passed to the script in <tt>_thisScript</tt> variable.<br><br>
|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}}).
The script does not execute immediately upon running [[execVM]] command but with some delay depending on the VM's scripts queue and engine load.


In order to understand [[execVM]] consider the following comparison:
{{Feature|informative|
<code>[[private]] _handle = _args [[execVM]] "someFile.sqf";
* If the same script is to be executed more than one time, declaring it as a [[Arma 3: Functions Library|Function]] is recommended.
{{cc|is practically identical to}}
* The script is searched for in the following directories in that order:
[[private]] _handle = _args [[spawn]] [[compile]] [[preprocessFileLineNumbers]] "someFile.sqf";</code>
** mission directory
 
** campaign scripts directory
So if you need multiple execution of the same file, you might want to store it in a function ([[Arma 3: Functions Library|Functions Library]]), otherwise, for a single execution, [[execVM]] is a good choice.<br><br>
** global scripts directory.
* To see what VM scripts are currently in the scheduler, use [[diag_activeSQFScripts]] command.
}}


To see what VM scripts are currently in the scheduler, use [[diag_activeSQFScripts]] command.
{{Feature|important|
{{Feature | Warning | If the file you are executing is not prepared using UTF-8 encoding and contains some characters [[toArray | with codes]] > 127, they might convert incorrectly}}
* The <tt>.sqf</tt> 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.
}}


|s1= arguments [[execVM]] filename
|s1= arguments [[execVM]] filename
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|p1= arguments: [[Anything]] - arguments accessible as <tt>[[Magic Variables#this|_this]]</tt> in the script
|p1= arguments: [[Anything]] - arguments accessible as <tt>[[Magic Variables#this|_this]]</tt> in the script


|p2= filename: [[String]] - file with sqf code (doesn't have to have .sqf extension, but not using standard extensions may cause problems later during binarisation)
|p2= filename: [[String]] - path to the [[SQF Syntax|SQF]] script file


|r1= [[Script]] - script handle, can be used to determine (via [[scriptDone]] (also via [[isNull]] in Arma 3)) when the execVMed script has finished. In Arma 3, the handle is also available inside the execVMed script in <tt>_thisScript</tt> variable.
|r1= [[Script (Handle)]]


|s2= [[execVM]] filename
|s2= [[execVM]] filename


|p21= filename: [[String]] - file with sqf code (doesn't have to have .sqf extension, but not using standard extensions may cause problems later, during binarisation)
|p21= filename: [[String]] - path to the [[SQF Syntax|SQF]] script file


|r2= [[Script]] - script handle, can be used to determine (via [[scriptDone]] (also via [[isNull]] in Arma 3)) when the execVMed script has finished. In Arma 3, the handle is also available inside the execVMed script in <tt>_thisScript</tt> variable.
|r2= [[Script (Handle)]]


|x1= <code>_handle = [[execVM]] "test.sqf";</code>
|x1= <code>_handle = [[execVM]] "test.sqf";</code>
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|x2= <code>_handle = [[player]] [[execVM]] "test.sqf";
|x2= <code>_handle = [[player]] [[execVM]] "test.sqf";
[[waitUntil]] { [[scriptDone]] _handle };</code>
[[waitUntil]] { [[scriptDone]] _handle };</code>
The following is also possible in {{arma3}}:
<code>[[private]] _handle = [[execVM]] "123.sqf";
[[waitUntil]] { [[isNull]] _handle };</code>


|x3= In {{arma3}} this is also possible:
|x3= <code>[<nowiki/>[[player]], 0.75] [[execVM]] "setDamage.sqf";</code>
<code>_handle = [[execVM]] "123.sqf";
setDamage.sqf:
[[waitUntil]] { [[isNull]] _handle };</code>
<code>[[params]] ["_unit", "_damage"];
_unit [[setDamage]] _damage;</code>


|x4= <code>[4] [[execVM]] "showDamage.sqf";
|x4= [[execVM]] equivalence:<code>[[private]] _handle = _args [[execVM]] "someFile.sqf";
{{cc|showDamage.sqf}}
{{cc|is practically identical to}}
[[private]] _damage = _this [[select]] 0;
[[private]] _handle = _args [[spawn]] [[compile]] [[preprocessFileLineNumbers]] "someFile.sqf";</code>
[[hint]] [[format]] ["%1", _damage];</code>


|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]]
}}
}}

Revision as of 16:10, 28 August 2021

Hover & click on the images for description

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.
  • 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:
_handle = 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:
callspawnexecexecFSMscriptDonescriptNullterminatesleepuiSleepwaitUntilcanSuspenddiag_activeScriptsdiag_activeSQFScriptsSQF SyntaxControl Structures

Notes

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