passing parameters getting returns problem

[stuguy 15]

I am very familiar with programming and I have been experimenting how ARMA passes variables to functions.  I think I understand how params and param work, but I am having difficulty calling a function to return a desired result.  This below code is simply trying to call on a function that requires the input of a group, in this instance, I am sending it "group player" with the call function.  From what I understand, the function returns the last line, so the count should return the number of men in the group.  However, it sends an error stating that it is expecting a number, but is getting type string.  This is confusing because I am sending it Group Player, an array of men to be counted.  Just writing a count out with "_num = count units group player" works without a hitch.  So why is it I am unable to pass it the _grp parameter?

 

getGrpCount = {
    param ["_grp"];
    count units _grp;
};
_num = [group player] call getGrpCount;
hint format ["%1",_num];

no workie

 

_num = count units group player;
hint format ["%1",_num];

works
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[stuguy 15]

I figured it out.  It was passing an array when the code is expecting an object type.  I simply erased the [] before call and used _this.  Though, I am still confused why param ["_grp"] doesn't seem to want to work even with the array fix.

getGrpCount = {
    count units _this;
};
_num = group player call getGrpCount;
hint format ["%1",_num];

 

[stuguy 15]

deleted

[johnnyboy 3741]

Try changing "param" to "params".

[killzone_kid 1326]

https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/param there is your answer, follow the syntax

[stuguy 15]

5 hours ago, killzone_kid said:

https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/param there is your answer, follow the syntax

I RTFM.  The way I understood it was that param "extracts a single value with given index from input argument".  I had thought I was passing in a single variable and thus only needed to use param.

[killzone_kid 1326]

The syntax is clear, you need to pass index with param minimum. Index is NUMBER you were pasing STRING. I don't see how this could be misinterpreted in any way.

[stuguy 15]

that makes much more since.  I didn't even realize that error.  Come to think of it, the debuger mentioned something about string.  Thank you for the clarification.  Keep in mind, I only started getting back into arma scripting only yesterday, so I don't see as clearly as you do. 

[killzone_kid 1326]

18 minutes ago, stuguy said:

that makes much more since.  I didn't even realize that error.  Come to think of it, the debuger mentioned something about string.  Thank you for the clarification.  Keep in mind, I only started getting back into arma scripting only yesterday, so I don't see as clearly as you do. 

In this case, always run Arma with -showScriptErrors and pay extra attention to data types you are passing to the commands. You can check datatype with 
 

hint typeName _yourvariable

 

[stuguy 15]

2 hours ago, killzone_kid said:

In this case, always run Arma with -showScriptErrors and pay extra attention to data types you are passing to the commands. You can check datatype with 
 

hint typeName _yourvariable

 

oh man.  that's a big help.  I was relying solely on the mission editor command exec utility, and the errors are teeny weeny and not always easy to read.  I started using hints more as I tested my functions, I will be sure to use typeName, good call.  Thanks for the advice.

[mrcurry 470]

The errors are also printed to log file in User\AppData\Local\Arma 3 with extension .rpt.  It's good for errors appearing in quick succession since only one message is displayed at a time.