[SOLVED] Flags and If Statement Issues

[Ramunai]

I've just started using Ren'Py about a week ago and I'm currently having some problems with the If statement. I'm not really good with technology and stuff so it's really hurting my head trying to figure out what's wrong so help (and easy explanations) would much be appreciated (Q___Q)

When I first used the flag ($) for the first menu I typed and then the 'If' statement for whichever chosen option everything went well, but when it came to the following branches from the first 'If' statement, I kept getting errors like a '____' not being defined although I've already defined it in this way:

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$ ____ = "True"

This is the error that I keep getting:

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I'm sorry, but an uncaught exception occurred.

While running game code:
  File "game/script.rpy", line 542, in script
  File "game/script.rpy", line 542, in python
NameError: name 'mettoushi' is not defined

A Ren'Py Game 0.0

I followed tutorials and all so I really don't know what I'm doing wrong here...please help?

PS: I can send you the whole WIP script in note format if you'd like (Yes, I'm that desperate to know what I've done wrong and to set things right OTL)

[Suwamoto]

Try to either put them under an init block like this

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init:
    $ variable = True

Or declare them at the beginning of label start o.o

[Ramunai]

Try to either put them under an init block like this

Code: Select all

init:
    $ variable = True

Or declare them at the beginning of label start o.o

OMG thank you! It worked! I'm not getting that error trace back anymore~ But, I now have another issue...after I put them under an init block, what about the 'If' Statement? I ran the game but it showed all the following scenes no matter what option initially picked at the previous menu...OTL

EDIT: Also, if there a way just to use the normal flag and 'If' statement for the whole script?

[RangerDanger]

Try to either put them under an init block like this

Code: Select all

init:
    $ variable = True

Or declare them at the beginning of label start o.o

OMG thank you! It worked! I'm not getting that error trace back anymore~ But, I now have another issue...after I put them under an init block, what about the 'If' Statement? I ran the game but it showed all the following scenes no matter what option initially picked at the previous menu...OTL

Are you using the values True and False or "True" and "False"?

If the latter, then you should be using the former.

[Ramunai]

Are you using the values True and False or "True" and "False"?

If the latter, then you should be using the former.

When I use the normal flag ($ variable = True) and the 'If' statement, I've tried with and without the quote marks but the same error of the variable not being defined just pops up...
And when I use the init block, it showed all the following scenes no matter what option initially picked at the previous menu.
Could I perhaps just send you part of the script in note format so you could check? I have a feeling that I'll be troubling you and other users more if I continue trying to solve this by myself, but it's alright if you're busy...! I've already taken enough people's time with this issues of mine.

[Suwamoto]

Just post the script on here o.o That would make it easier XD

[Ramunai]

Just post the script on here o.o That would make it easier XD

Alright! Though it'll be quite a long one since I don't where I went wrong. Sorry for troubling all of you (Q____Q)

Here's the script:

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 EDIT: This huge block of script has been removed due to Ramunai's paranoia x'D 

I've been cracking my head with this for days before I gave up and came here to seek for help OTL

[pwisaguacate]

Try to either put them under an init block like this

Code: Select all

init:
    $ variable = True

Or declare them at the beginning of label start o.o

OMG thank you! It worked! I'm not getting that error trace back anymore~ But, I now have another issue...after I put them under an init block, what about the 'If' Statement? I ran the game but it showed all the following scenes no matter what option initially picked at the previous menu...OTL

EDIT: Also, if there a way just to use the normal flag and 'If' statement for the whole script?

I'm hoping you didn't literally initialize all of them to True, since that would make the condition checks return True thus enabling the scenes.

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init:
    $ myVariable1 = False # For booleans that stay False until toggled True
    $ myVariable2 = "" # For strings that will be given a value later

[Suwamoto]

The way you've got it right now is in short this:

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label start:
    menu what_to_do:
        "Do Homework":
            $ homework = "done"
        "Don't do Homework":
            $ homework = "not done"
    
    # In this case, the variable "$ homework" exists for sure, because you had to make a choice before this,
    # and no matter what your choice was, a variable with the name "homework" was created
    
    if homework == "done":
        # Here you create the variable "$ mettoushi" for the first time, but only elements of this block will know it
        # This block can only be reached if you have done your homework
    
        $ mettoushi = True
    else:
        # Same as with "$ mettoushi"
        
        $ methiro = True
    
    # Everything under here is in a different block than the if statements above
    # So if you did your homework, you created the variable "$ mettoushi = True" but never created the variable "$ methiro = True"
    # Since in both cases, a variable is missing, Ren'Py will give you an error
    
    if mettoushi == True:
        # I know mettoushi but Idk  methiro so I will give an error after this
    
    if methiro == True:
        # I know methiro but Idk mettoushi so I will give an error before this

I tried to explain XD' *fails at it*
To fix it, simply declare all variables before you start the game. Like this:

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# Set them to None and False so the stuffs don't happen if they are True
init:
    $ homework = None
    $ methiro = False
    $ mettoushi = False
    
label start:
    menu what_to_do:
        "Do Homework":
            $ homework = "done"
        "Don't do Homework":
            $ homework = "not done"
    
    # And the whole rest.... etc.

I think I wrote to much XD' *shot*
Hope it kinda helped you understand that better though.

[Anima]

You shouldn't declare variables in the init block, the changes won't be saved.
Declare them right under the start label.

[pwisaguacate]

[...]

[Removed]

EDIT: Ah. appending to lists... I'm still a confused failure, so I'm just going to drop it for awhile.

[Anima]

They are not saved if the changes are in place.
If you have something like:
$ flag = True
it will be saved, since it's pretty much a new declaration.
But if you have a list for example and append things to it, the changes won't survive restarting the game.

So it's a good idea to keep all variable declaration (constants are a different matter) out of init blocks.
And yes I tested it just now with the current version, so it hasn't changed.

[trooper6]

I was looking through the documentation about saving variable data during game saves and rollbacks and the like, and I think I understand the difference...but I'd love to have you veterans confirm:

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init:
    $ cookies = 2
    $ cakes = 1
    $ poisons = 10

label start:
    
    "Mary Goody-TwoShoes looked in her picnic basket...she found..."

So, if I understand correctly, in this instance, no variables are saved on the saved game and rollback data. Though...a question I have is...wouldn't you still have the initial values from the init block when the game is started up?

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init:
    $ cookies = 2
    $ cakes = 1
    $ poisons = 10

label start:
    $ cookies = 1
    "Mary Goody-TwoShoes looked in her picnic basket...she found..."
    $ cookies = 0
    $ poison = 21

So in this instance if you save right before the "Mary Goody-TwoShoes" line the only data you save is cookies = 1, if you save at the end of the block, your saved variables are cookies = 0 and poison = 21. Right? But when you load the game, would the cake still be at default of 1?

My last question on this matter is, with this code:

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label start:
    $ cookies = 2
    $ cakes = 1
    $ poisons = 10

    "Mary Goody-TwoShoes looked in her picnic basket...she found..."

label grandma:

    if cookies == 0:
        m "Grandma, have some poison...um...cake."

Will that work? In other words, if you declare a variable in a start label block, can you refer to it in a different label block? Or, if you declare it in the start block, can you only refer to it in the start block? Because if so, it would make sense to declare in an init block so you can access the data in all blocks.

Lists seem to be the big red flag since appending seems to work differently than declaring...so none of that would be changed in saves. But generally, can you access the data declared under one label in a different label if the item wasn't declared in an init block?

I'd try it out myself, but I'm at work and away from Ren'Py!

Veterans, any insight in the details on this?

[Anima]

The init blocks are executed every time you start the program, so yes for 1.
So the same goes for 2.
3 will work as well. You can access them from any label. Just pay attention to the order, since you can't use a variable that's declared in a label that has not run yet.

There is also a different reason for not declaring in the init section.

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init:
    $ hitpoints = 100

label start:
    "A bug attacks! You loose 90 hitpoints!"
    $ hitpoints -= 90
    if hitpoints > 0:
        "Run for your life!"
    else:
        "Don't start a new game without restarting the program."

You can probably guess what happens. Bottom line, don't declare variables in init blocks, it probably will come back to bit you in various body parts.

[pwisaguacate]

I'm sorry for causing such a hullabaloo. I'm not what anyone should call a "veteran", ha.

No matter what I did, I couldn't get hitpoints from the above post to accidentally become -80 or reset to 100.

I wrote the script below, to test variables placed in an init block, and observed. myString behaved as expected. Saving retains its value, and saves are independent from each other. Starting a new game, whether or not Ren'Py was restarted, will reset the value to "default".

However, Anima was right about lists. myList acted bizarrely! It did not respect saves, i.e. loading from anywhere will display the same list of values. When a new game is started without restarting Ren'Py, the same list still shows. When Ren'Py is restarted, it resets to ["default"].

(Ugh, I didn't include numbers.)

Anyways, placing all non-constants after the start label does look better to me now.

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init:
    myString = "default"
    myList = ["default"]

label start:
    "DEMO: testing the saving of variables declared within in init block"

    menu:
        "Pick which variable to deal with."

        "myString":
            jump test_string

        "myList":
            jump test_list

label test_string:
    menu:
        "Set value of myString":
            $ myString = renpy.input("Enter value for myString:")

        "Pass (do nothing)":
            pass

    "myString = \"[myString]\""

    jump end

label test_list:
    menu:
        "Append value to myList":
            $ myList.append(renpy.input("Enter value append to myList:"))

        "Remove value from myList":
            $ remover = renpy.input("Enter value to remove from myList:")

            if remover in myList:
                $ myList.remove(remover)

            else:
                "ValueError: list.remove(x): x not in list"

        "Pass (do nothing)":
            pass

    "myList = [myList]"

    jump end

label end:
    menu:
        "Jump back to start":
            jump start

        "Return to main menu":
            return