I need a little help....again

I am using the Journal library from Pixie.
It looks like it is using a stringlist called "entries"
What I want to do - When looking at the journal and there is no entry - there is a message that says that the pages are empty, else it contains notes.

My problem is that I am not sure how to say "if the StringList is empty then..."
I have been playing wit the command ListContains() and HasString(), but it honestly escapes me how to define an empty list.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

To define an empty list, myList = NewStringList(). To check if a list is empty, if (ListCount(myList) {...}.

http://quest5.net/wiki/Using_Lists
http://quest5.net/wiki/ListCount

I'm not sure what the behavior of the list is if you try StringListItem(myList, 0) when the list is empty.

Thank you George.

I have been going through Using Lists over and over, but yea not always fully grasping and obviously missed:

for (myItem, 0, ListCount(myList) - 1) {
  msg ("Current item is " + ObjectListItem(myList,myItem).name)
}

I have tried: StringListItem(myList, 0), but does not give the hoped for result. I am going to try ListCount() and report back.

Thanx again.

OK...this seems to work for the journal:

if (ListCount(journal_object.entries)>0){...}

Allthough I thought that the list will start at 0 for the first entry, but in this case it does not seem to be the case.

Anyway - the code above works like a charm.

Thank you a bunch

I struggled myself in understanding lists and dictionaries too, I think I finally get them pretty well (at least their most basic usages, anyways, lol. It took my a long time to create my travel coding at the bottom of this post, it wasn't easy for me to figure it out, laughs)

----------------------------------------

for the:

StringListItem (Object.StringList, Value)
(this entire code line above is ~ie returns~ just~only a Value actually, you need a script, ie doing an action with that Value)

I think you need either:

Do (StringListItem (Object.StringList, Value)
~OR~
Invoke (StringListItem (Object.StringList, Value)

http://quest5.net/wiki/Invoke
http://quest5.net/wiki/Do

---------------------------------------------

ListCount is literally a counting, ie: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ...

you don't start with 0 when you're counting:

how many fingers are on your hand?:

0, 1, 2, 3, 4 = ERR, WRONG!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 = DING DING, CORRECT!

it is annoying, because the List's iteration starts with 0... sighs:

<color_list type="simplestringlist">red;blue;yellow;orange;green;purple</color_list>

the List's iteration (the order of the list's items):

"red" = Do (StringListItem (Object.color_list, 0))
"blue" = Do (StringListItem (Object.color_list, 1))
"yellow" = Do (StringListItem (Object.color_list, 2))
"orange" = Do (StringListItem (Object.color_list, 3))
"green" = Do (StringListItem (Object.color_list, 4))
"purple" = Do (StringListItem (Object.color_list, 5))

Counting of the List's items:

red -> ListCount (Object.color_list) = 1
purple -> ListCount (Object.color_list) = 1
red; blue -> ListCount (Object.color_list) = 2
red; blue; yellow -> ListCount (Object.color_list) = 3
red; blue; yellow; orange -> ListCount (Object.color_list) = 4
red; blue; yellow; orange; green -> ListCount (Object.color_list) = 5
red; blue; yellow; orange; green; purple -> ListCount (Object.color_list) = 6
yellow; purple; orange; red; blue; green -> ListCount (Object.color_list) = 6

you may need "Do (...)" or "Invoke (...)" encasing the ListCount (Object.StringList), but I'm not sure.

-----------------------------

To CREATE a NEW ("Empty + then filling~adding items into it") List (via within scripting):

As a Variable:

StringList = NewStringList ()
list add (StringList, Value)

color_list = NewStringList ()
list add (color_list, "red")
list add (color_list, "blue")
list add (color_list, "yellow")
list add (color_list, "orange")
list add (color_list, "green")
list add (color_list, "purple")

As an Attribute:

Object.StringList = NewStringList ()
list add (Object.StringList, Value)

Object.color_list = NewStringList ()
list add (Object.color_list, "red")
list add (Object.color_list, "blue")
list add (Object.color_list, "yellow")
list add (Object.color_list, "orange")
list add (Object.color_list, "green")
list add (Object.color_list, "purple")

----------------------------------------

To CREATE a list (via as the Object's Attribute):

<object name="stringlist_data_object">
-> <color_list type="simplestringlist">red;blue;yellow;orange;green;purple</color_list>
-> <gender_list type="simplestringlist">male;female</gender_list>
-> <stat_list type="simplestringlist">strength;endurance;dexterity;agility;speed;luck</stat_list>
-> <race_list type="simplestringlist">human;dwarf;elf;gnome;hobbit;giant;orc</race_list>
-> <class_list type="simplestringlist">warrior;cleric;mage;thief</class_list>
-> <weapon_type_list type="simplestringlist">sword;axe;blunt;spear;staff;dagger;throwing;bow;crossbow;gun</weapon_type_list>
</object>

------------------------------

here's my travel coding (it uses stringlists and stringdictionaries), you can study it:

<asl version="540">
  <include ref="English.aslx" />
  <include ref="Core.aslx" />
  <game name="Testing Game Stuff">
    <gameid>eef801a1-4e6b-4b0a-bdbf-8f3ecfa8389c</gameid>
    <version>1.0</version>
    <firstpublished>2013</firstpublished>
    <turns type="int">0</turns>
    <statusattributes type="simplestringdictionary">turns=</statusattributes>
	<start type="script">
	  msg ("Important Note:")
	  msg ("Type in: help")
	</start>
  </game>
  <object name="homeland">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
    <object name="player">
      <inherit name="editor_object" />
      <inherit name="editor_player" />
    </object>
  </object>
  <object name="grassland">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
  </object>
  <object name="plains">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
  </object>
  <object name="desert">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
  </object>
  <object name="tundra">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
  </object>
  <object name="swampland">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
  </object>
  <object name="mountains">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
  </object>
  <object name="forest">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
  </object>
  <object name="wasteland">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
  </object>
  <object name="coastland">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
  </object>
  <object name="hills">
    <inherit name="editor_room" />
  </object>
  <command name="help_command">
    <pattern>help</pattern>
	<script>
	  help_function
	</script>
  </command>
  <command name="explore_command">
    <pattern>explore</pattern>
    <script>
      explore_function
    </script>
  </command>
  <command name="travel_command">
    <pattern>travel</pattern>
	<script>
	  travel_function
	</script>
  </command>
  <object name="data_object">
    <inherit name="editor_object" />
	<travel_string_list type="simplestringlist">homeland</travel_string_list>
    <homeland_events_string_list type="simplestringlist">grassland_discovery;plains_discovery;desert_discovery;tundra_discovery;swampland_discovery;forest_discovery;mountains_discovery;hills_discovery;wasteland_discovery;coastland_discovery</homeland_events_string_list>
    <homeland_events_script_dictionary type="scriptdictionary">
	  <item key="grassland_discovery">
	    list add (data_object.travel_string_list, "grassland")
		msg ("You've discovered the grassland! Now, you can travel to the grassland and explore it!")
	  </item>
	  <item key="plains_discovery">
	    list add (data_object.travel_string_list, "plains")
		msg ("You've discovered the plains! Now, you can travel to the plains and explore it!")
	  </item>
	  <item key="desert_discovery">
	    list add (data_object.travel_string_list, "desert")
		msg ("You've discovered the desert! Now, you can travel to the desert and explore it!")
	  </item>
	  <item key="tundra_discovery">
	    list add (data_object.travel_string_list, "tundra")
		msg ("You've discovered the tundra! Now, you can travel to the tundra and explore it!")
	  </item>
	  <item key="swampland_discovery">
	    list add (data_object.travel_string_list, "swampland")
		msg ("You've discovered the swampland! Now, you can travel to the swampland and explore it!")
	  </item>
	  <item key="forest_discovery">
	    list add (data_object.travel_string_list, "forest")
		msg ("You've discovered the forest! Now, you can travel to the forest and explore it!")
	  </item>
	  <item key="mountains_discovery">
	    list add (data_object.travel_string_list, "mountains")
		msg ("You've discovered the mountains! Now, you can travel to the mountains and explore it!")
	  </item>
	  <item key="hills_discovery">
	    list add (data_object.travel_string_list, "hills")
		msg ("You've discovered the hills! Now, you can travel to the hills and explore it!")
	  </item>
	  <item key="wasteland_discovery">
	    list add (data_object.travel_string_list, "wasteland")
		msg ("You've discovered the wasteland! Now, you can travel to the wasteland and explore it!")
	  </item>
	  <item key="coastland_discovery">
	    list add (data_object.travel_string_list, "coastland")
		msg ("You've discovered the coastland! Now, you can travel to the coastland and explore it!")
	  </item>
	</homeland_events_script_dictionary>
  </object>
  <turnscript name="global_turnscript">
    <enabled />
    <script>
      game.turns = game.turns + 1
    </script>
  </turnscript>
  <function name="help_function">
    msg ("Type 'explore' to explore your area.")
	msg ("Type 'travel' to travel to different areas.")
  </function>
  <function name="explore_function"><![CDATA[
    switch (game.pov.parent) {
	  case (homeland) {
		result_1 = ListCount (data_object.homeland_events_string_list) - 1
		if (result_1 >= 0) {
          result_2 = StringListItem (data_object.homeland_events_string_list,GetRandomInt(0,result_1))
          invoke (ScriptDictionaryItem (data_object.homeland_events_script_dictionary,result_2))
		  on ready {
		    foreach (item_x, split ("grassland_discovery;plains_discovery;desert_discovery;tundra_discovery;swampland_discovery;forest_discovery;mountains_discovery;hills_discovery;wasteland_discovery;coastland_discovery",";")) {
		      if (result_2 = item_x) {
			    list remove (data_object.homeland_events_string_list, result_2)
			  }
			}
		  }
		} else {
		  msg ("There seemingly is nothing left to explore in this area.")
		}
	  }
    }
  ]]></function>
  <function name="travel_function">
    show menu ("Where do you wish to travel?",data_object.travel_string_list,false) {
	  if (not game.pov.parent = GetObject (result)) {
	    game.pov.parent = GetObject (result)
	  } else {
	    msg ("You are already at this area.")
		ask ("Try again?") {
		  if (result=true) {
		    travel_function
		  } else {
		    msg ("You realize that you need to discover a new area to travel to first, before you can travel to that place.")
		  }
		}
	  }
	}
  </function>
</asl>

------------------------

P.S.

ListContains ( http://quest5.net/wiki/ListContains ) can be very useful too!

if (ListContains (Object.color_list, "green") {
-> msg ("most plants are green")
}

----------------------

HmmmK...I catch it now: you start counting from 1, but calling something in the list starts at slot 0.
Cool.
Thx for the travel script - I will look through it and hopefully learn something.