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SubAdmin Joined: 18 Nov 2001 Posts: 5182

Let me open with the simple statement that this script will not solve anything by itself. There are many interface steps that have to be preformed by other scripts you write. This is only a queue implementation and a question system to build low level data for the queue.

On that note, here is some of the interface things you have to do.
PQueueAdd command
PQueueDo
and also setting character state flags.

SubAdmin Joined: 18 Nov 2001 Posts: 5182

Editted in 2 updates.

One was a correction to PQueueAdd. I noticed that when I hastily changed it around last night to support multiple parameter additions saving time on the %sort, that I had not shifted everything around the right way. It was causing severe multiple additions and a really nasty delay with adding. Having cleared that up it runs much better.

Next is a huge improvement. I finally figured out a good was to do a list union test with %regex. This allowed that the #WHILE loop that previously worked through the list and did a lot of variable thrashing has been replaced by a single messy %regex in a single #IF. Initial testing after kicking the queue up to 16 items showed the new method to be just about twice as fast as the old. I got a rather consistent 500ms using items that preform flag adjustments and command replacements. So that is a very sizeable improvment over the old which tested around 900ms for the same queue. I am sure I will a few more spots to squeeze out some speed, but the worst offender in the system has been dealt with.

Wanderer Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 70

Another amazing script, as usual. I'll try to make an objective post with ideas later.

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 3:35 am

ummm, can ya actually tell me what the heck this is actually supposed to do?
Tho I'm willing to bet the real answer is, "If ya have to ask, then you don't need it" ";)

SubAdmin Joined: 18 Nov 2001 Posts: 5182

Well a queue is like a waiting line at a fast food restaraunt. Firsy come first served. The priority queue is like having someone monitoring that waiting line for the starving people, and telling them they can go first instead. My design also includes status flags, allowing another reasoning layer to skipping commands, kind of like giving that monitor guy the abiltity to see if a person waiting to buy food has enough money.

The way it all works is commands are preregistered either by hand or through the PQueueCreate alias, then as your script wants to do things it can use PQueueAdd to put the commands in the queue. PQueueDo then can be called to execute all the commands possible at that time by the priority sequence specified when the commands were registered. Anything that doesn't meet its flag requirements is skipped.

In the example test data I included 3 commands are used. 2 of them don't actually meet the flag requirements set for them at the time PQueueDo is called. They do qualify though because commands can use up a flag, and also give a flag. So the 'sdk' command uses up the flag 'x' which I called 'full balance', and then gives the flags 'l' and 'r'. This makes the upc and upc2 commands valid as they are tested later based on thier priority.

I hope this helps you to understand the purpose of the script.

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 4:34 pm

"If ya have to ask, then you don't need it"
*snicker*
Or, I kinda see what you mean, and it's so far above me that I prolly won't use it :-)
But thanks for the explanation!

Wizard Joined: 11 Jul 2002 Posts: 1265 Location: USA

Note: This information is a part of another post that I made in this thread before it was split and part of it was moved over to the CMud forums. Here is a link to that other thread.

For those of you that are intimidated by this script here is a bit more explanation.

The PQueue variable is in the following format.

Skill Name=Priority Number, Balance Requirements [string List], Uses these balances [and thus removes them] [string list], Gives these balances [string list], Keep this item as a priority until it is confirmed [0 or 1] <-<< This last one is not fully implemented and I suggest that you leave it as 0

Example
Vitality=P-90,R-A|e|G|N|S|V|x,U-e|V,G-,C-0

Skill Name: Vitality
Priority Number: 90
Balance Requirements: A|e|G|N|S|V|x
Uses these balances: e|V
Gives these Balances: None
Keep on list:0

Priorities=PriorityN-Skill
Priorities=00090-Vitality

The variable PQueueFlags is a string list that the PQueueDo alias checks for these requirements if a
requirement is not found in this list then the item is not performed and remains in the queue.

The variable PQFlagDef has a list of what each letter represents.
Key=vitality balance
Value=V
Key=awake
Value=A
etc.

The variable PQueueData holds the list of recognized skills and their info.
Key=vitality
Value=P-90,R-e|x|G|N|V|A|S,U-e|V,G-,C-0
key=sdk
Value=P-120,R-e|x|A|S,U-x,G-l|r,C-0

This should look familiar as it is almost the same format as the PQueue variable.
The only difference is that there is no Priorities key.

Finally the PQueueMapping variable.
Key=Skill Name
Value=Skill Long hand command

Example.
Key=sdk
Value=sdk @target