Function Template Feedback with createMarker example.

[Vigil Vindex 64]

I have been trying to improve my template for making functions. I wanted my functions to have optional arguments and not be tied to a numerical index so I can have a bit more flexibility in how I call the function with arguments. So I switched to making all my arguments arrays with an alphabetical index. I am more or less happy with it so I thought I would post it here and see if I can get some feedback on what can be improved, if I am doing anything wrong, or I am missing out on some best practice I am not aware of.

 

One thing I am not sure about is the part at the end where we set all the variables to nil. If I pass an object or group to the function at the end can I just set the private variable that refers to it to nil and not worry about it trying to delete the group or object outside of the function?

 

I'm also unsure about BIS_fnc_param and the length validation. On the wiki it sounds like it only checks array sizes. Does it work on string and number sizes too? - https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/BIS_fnc_param

 

Also on line 62 where we iterate through the arguments and log their values I am using _forEachIndex and logging "_param index = value". Is there a better way so I can log the variable name instead?

 

As for the createMarker function itself, I haven't used the new Polyline markers yet so it probably doesn't work for those.

 

I am defining MISSION_ROOT in description.ext as explained by Killzone Kid here - http://killzonekid.com/arma-scripting-tutorials-mission-root/

__EXEC (MISSION_ROOT = __FILE__ select [0, count __FILE__ - 15])

/* Name: fn_createMarker.sqf
Description: Creates a marker.
Authors: vigil.vindex@gmail.com
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Created: 2016/08/24 Updated: 2016/08/24 Version: 0.0.1
Dependencies: n/a
Arguments: index name (default) TYPE {Required} min,max "values"
  d  debug    (false)   BOOLEAN {N} false,true "Disabled","Enabled"
  n  name     ("Name")  STRING  {Y} *          "Name"    http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/createMarker
  p  position ([0,0,0]) ARRAY   {Y} *          "[x,y,z]" http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/setMarkerPos
  r  rotation (0)       SCALAR  {N} 0,360      "Degrees" http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/setMarkerDir
  s  size     ([1,1])   ARRAY   {N} *          "[x,y]"   http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/setMarkerSize
  t  text     ("Text")  STRING  {N} *          "Text"    http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/setMarkerText
  a  alpha    (1)       SCALAR  {N} 0,1        "Alpha"   http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/setMarkerAlpha
  b  brush    (1)       SCALAR  {N} 0,10       "Brush"   http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/setMarkerBrush
  c  colour   (0)       SCALAR  {N} 0,25       "Colour"  http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/setMarkerColor
  sh shape    (0)       SCALAR  {N} 0,3        "Shape"   http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/setMarkerShape
  ty type     (14)      SCALAR  {N} 0,168      "Type"    http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/cfgMarkers
Returns: OBJECT on success. FALSE on failure.
Usage: _marker = [["n","Marker1"],["p",[0,0,0]]] call vv_fnc_createMarker;
*/
if (isNil "_this") exitWith {["%1 Function called without arguments.",time] call BIS_fnc_error;false};
if !(_this isEqualType []) exitWith {["%1 Function called without arguments array.",time] call BIS_fnc_error;false};
private ["_debug","_name","_position","_rotation","_size","_text","_alpha","_brush","_colour","_shape","_type","_brushes","_colours","_shapes","_types","_return"];
{ if (_x isEqualType []) then {
    if (_x select 0 isEqualType "") then {
      switch (toLower (_x select 0)) do {
        case "d": { _debug = [[_x select 1],0,false,[true]] call BIS_fnc_param; };
        case "n": { _name = [[_x select 1],0,false,[""]] call BIS_fnc_param; };
        case "p": { _position = [[_x select 1],0,false,[[]],[2,3]] call BIS_fnc_param; };
        case "r": { _rotation = [[_x select 1],0,0,[0],360] call BIS_fnc_param; };
        case "s": { _size = [[_x select 1],0,[1,1],[[]],2] call BIS_fnc_param; };
        case "t": { _text = [[_x select 1],0,"",[""]] call BIS_fnc_param; };
        case "a": { _alpha = [[_x select 1],0,1,[0],1] call BIS_fnc_param; };
        case "b": { _brush = [[_x select 1],0,1,[0],10] call BIS_fnc_param; };
        case "c": { _colour = [[_x select 1],0,0,[0],25] call BIS_fnc_param; };
        case "sh": { _shape = [[_x select 1],0,0,[0],3] call BIS_fnc_param; };
        case "ty": { _type = [[_x select 1],0,14,[0],168] call BIS_fnc_param; };
      };
    };
  };
} forEach _this;
if (isNil "_position") exitWith {["%1 Function called without required argument.",time] call BIS_fnc_error;false};
if (_position isEqualType false) exitWith {["%1 Function called without required argument.",time] call BIS_fnc_error;false};
if (isNil "_name") exitWith {["%1 Function called without required argument.",time] call BIS_fnc_error;false};
if (_name isEqualType false) exitWith {["%1 Function called without required argument.",time] call BIS_fnc_error;false};
{ if (isNil _x) then {
    switch (_forEachIndex) do {
      case 0: { _debug = false; };
      case 1: { _rotation = 0; };
      case 2: { _size = [1,1]; };
      case 3: { _text = ""; };
      case 4: { _alpha = 1; };
      case 5: { _brush = 1; };
      case 6: { _colour = 0; };
      case 7: { _shape = 0; };
      case 8: { _type = 14; };
    };
  };
} forEach ["_debug","_rotation","_size","_text","_alpha","_brush","_colour","_shape","_type"];
if (_debug) then {
  { diag_log format ["# %1 # %2 # %3 # _param %4 = %5 #",time,__FILE__ select [count (parsingNamespace getVariable "MISSION_ROOT")],__LINE__,_forEachIndex,_x];
  } forEach [_debug,_name,_position,_rotation,_size,_text,_alpha,_brush,_colour,_shape,_type];
};
_brushes = ["BDiagonal","Border","Cross","DiagGrid","FDiagonal","Grid","Horizontal","Solid","SolidBorder","SolidFull","Vertical"];
_colours = ["Default","ColorBlack","ColorBlue","ColorBrown","ColorGreen","ColorGrey","ColorKhaki","ColorOrange","ColorPink","ColorRed","ColorWhite","ColorYellow","ColorEAST","ColorWEST","ColorGUER","ColorCIV","ColorUNKNOWN","colorOPFOR","colorBLUFOR","colorIndependent","colorCivilian","Color1_FD_F","Color2_FD_F","Color3_FD_F","Color4_FD_F","Color5_FD_F"];
_shapes = ["ICON","RECTANGLE","ELLIPSE","POLYLINE"];
_types = ["Empty","hd_objective","hd_marker","hd_flag","hd_arrow","mil_arrow2","hd_ambush","hd_destroy","hd_start","hd_end","hd_pickup","hd_join","hd_warning","hd_unknown","hd_dot","mil_box","mil_triangle","mil_dot","mil_objective","mil_flag","mil_arrow","mil_ambush","mil_destroy","mil_start","mil_end","mil_pickup","mil_join","mil_warning","mil_unknown","b_unknown","o_unknown","n_unknown","b_inf","o_inf","n_inf","b_motor_inf","o_motor_inf","n_motor_inf","b_mech_inf","o_mech_inf","n_mech_inf","b_armor","o_armor","n_armor","b_recon","o_recon","n_recon","b_air","o_air","n_air","b_plane","o_plane","n_plane","b_uav","o_uav","n_uav","b_naval","o_naval","n_naval","b_med","o_med","n_med","b_art","o_art","n_art","b_hq","o_hq","n_hq","b_support","o_support","n_support","b_maint","o_maint","n_maint","b_service","o_service","n_service","b_installation","o_installation","n_installation","u_installation","c_unknown","c_car","c_ship","c_air","c_plane","group0","group1","group2","group3","group4","group5","group6","group7","group8","group9","group10","group11","respawn_unknown","respawn_inf","respawn_motor","respawn_armor","respawn_air","respawn_plane","respawn_naval","respawn_para","loc_Tree","loc_smallTree","loc_Bush","loc_Church","loc_Chapel","loc_Cross","loc_Rock","loc_Bunker","loc_Fountain","loc_ViewTower","loc_Lighthouse","loc_Quay","loc_Fuelstation","loc_Hospital","loc_BusStop","loc_Transmitter","loc_Stack","loc_Ruin","loc_Tourism","loc_WaterTower","loc_Power","loc_PowerSolar","loc_PowerWave","loc_PowerWind","flag_NATO","flag_CSAT","flag_AAF","flag_Altis","flag_AltisColonial","flag_FIA","flag_EU","flag_UN","flag_Belgium","flag_Canada","flag_Croatia","flag_CzechRepublic","flag_Denmark","flag_France","flag_Georgia","flag_Germany","flag_Greece","flag_Hungary","flag_Iceland","flag_Italy","flag_Luxembourg","flag_Netherlands","flag_Norway","flag_Poland","flag_Slovakia","flag_Slovenia","flag_Spain","flag_UK","flag_USA","select","waypoint","selector_selectable","selector_selectedEnemy","selector_selectedFriendly","selector_selectedMission","KIA","Minefield","MinefieldAP"];
_brush = _brushes select _brush;
_colour = _colours select _colour;
_shape = _shapes select _shape;
_type = _types select _type;
_return = createMarker [_name,_position];
_return setMarkerText _text;
_return setMarkerSize _size;
_return setMarkerDir _rotation;
_return setMarkerAlpha _alpha;
_return setMarkerColor _colour;
_return setMarkerShape _shape;
if (_shape == "ICON") then {
  _return setMarkerType _type;
} else {
  _return setMarkerBrush _brush;
};
if (_debug) then { diag_log format ["# %1 # %2 # %3 # _return = %4 #",time,__FILE__ select [count (parsingNamespace getVariable "MISSION_ROOT")],__LINE__,_return]; };
{_x = nil;} forEach [_debug,_name,_position,_rotation,_size,_text,_alpha,_brush,_colour,_shape,_type,_brushes,_colours,_shapes,_types];
_return;