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English How to ask for help.

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old important How to ask for help.

Flacko
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I've seen many people asking how to solve their scripting problems here but few of those who ask did describe their problem(s) correctly.

If the ones that are willing to help you don't understand what your problem is, they can't do much for you but to wish you good luck.

So here I'm listing the things I do whenever I feel I can't do something:

√Before asking for others' help:

•1- RTFC: Read The F*cking Console: The console is a wonderful tool that will allow us to see what errors did Lua find in our script. By default it's bound to the "conkey" (the key under the ESC key and to the left of the '1' key)
Whenever there's an error in execution or at interpreting your script, the console will show in red text something like:
Console has written
LUA ERROR: sys/lua/yourscript.lua:yourerrorline: errormessage


Where "yourscript" is the file that Lua has found an error
Where "yourerrorline" is the line that is probably causing this error.
And "errormessage" is a description of the error.

Note that in some cases the error can't be found in a file so "yourscript" and "yourerrorline" are not shown but you still get the error description.

•2- RTFM: Read The Friggin manual: The lua manual and the Programming In Lua lessons cover good part of the language (the rest is for you to figure out)
I recommend the PIL lessons for newbies and the manual as a reference for more advanced users.

PIL: http://www.lua.org/pil/
Manual (v5.1): http://www.lua.org/manual/5.1/

•3- Try to manually debug your script: use the print() function to trace the values of your variables/functions and make sure they are correct. The printed value will appear in console. If you find out that a weird/unwanted value is printed and you can't figure out why and/or how to fix it, you better ask for help describing this problem properly

•4- Use a syntax highlighter and a good coding style: By using a syntax highlighter you will find missing braces much easier, and not only that, but syntax highlighters will also highlight reserved keywords and calls to standard functions.
I recommend SCiTE and Notepad ++.

Also, make your coding style consistent specially about the usage of tabs.
First, don't press the spacebar multiple times to indent your code but use the tab key instead so the task of finding missing ends will get a lot easier. Also, you can copy-paste your code easily in forums if you do it this way.
Second, use tabs where they're needed and don't use them where they aren't. This is scripting, not ASCII art. The inconsistent usage of tabs will confuse you and will make whoever is trying to help you want to murder you while you're sleeping.

√When asking for help:

•1- Describe what you're trying to achieve: This is essential, as it allows us to understand your code better (because we won't have to guess what are you doing) and we will be able to suggest to do things in a different way for making your code simpler or more efficient,
Or (in some cases) we will sadly have to tell you that what you're trying to achieve is impossible.

•2- Post your script: I think there's no need to explain why you should post your script (or atleast part of it, in case it's too big)

•3- Describe your problem: It will never be enough with saying
Noob has written
This LUA skript not work, fix its pleaze. The cat is under the table, lololol.
[posts long copy-pasted and/or lamely modified class script]


If you write something like that I will seriously think you're mentally unable to program in Lua and I will have wasted my bandwidth and time reading your lame post.

Please, when you describe your problem use decent spelling and grammar. This is a forum, not a freaking chat.

"This doesn't work" is not a valid description, you should write a decent text that is convincent enough to make me think you're putting some effort into this. Try to articulate an english text that looks like this:
Good boy has written
Hello, I was trying to make a script that whenever X condition is met, Y thing should happen, however, when I run my script nothing happens even though X is met and this error Z is written in console. Here is my script [script]. Thanks beforehand.


There is no valid excuse like "My local language is not english", "I no use translator. You can help me? Yes or no? Translation by random-translator.com © 2011" or "I got an A in english subject at school so STFU you noob. I'm going to hack unrealsoftware because I got the HTML code muahaha".
If you say something like that you will automatically auto-label yourself as an idiot and probably you will never receive any help in this forum ever again. Not even to fix your GTA 4 glitches. Period.

•4- Make your code readable: Put tabs in your code to make it easier to read. Do never forget to put your script between the [ code ] tags. And don't name your variables in other languages, even if you say that x means y in z language, not everyone is in the mood to learn new languages for fixing scripts, you know?

•5- Choose the right title: Just that, choose the right title, no more, no less. It should be short and concise and it must describe your problem. Nobody likes surprise question-threads. Making people to enter your post just to know what is your problem is stupid. What is even more stupid is naming your post "Help" so don't fucking do this for God's sake!
You should think that not all of the users out there can actually help you (or they might not want to help you at all) depending on your problem. Don't make them waste their time entering in your post just to find out that they can't help you.

√Nobody answered my question or nobody can help:

•1- Don't push/bump your thread: Don't friggin do this. I don't like it, the rules don't like it, and the moderators of this forum don't like it.

•2- Google is your friend: Try googling around for a while longer (I'm assuming you already googled before asking, didn't you?), you might stumble with the answer you were looking for... or alteast you will learn something new.

•3- Practice makes perfect: You can leave things as they are and come back to work on them when you get some more experience with Lua. This is not a "Ok I give up." But more like a "Hasta la vista, baby."

•4- Find a workaround: Sometimes this is the only option left. Instead of changing your code you will instead be changing your goals to adapt it to what you can and what you cannot do. Basicly, this is like giving up.

√Somebody could/tried to help me:

•1- Be polite: First of all, you have to say thanks to whoever tried to help. Don't be an ass, saying "your script not work... biatch" or just leeching the script and fading away is despicable.

•2- Ask kindly to try again: If somebody tried to help you but his solution didn't work, you should tell him whatever you think that went wrong and ask him kindly if he can help you with that. If you dare to say just "doesn't work" you might not get any further help from this guy, because he's helping you, not working for you.

--
I hope some of you take this in count before asking, remember that spam isn't ecological.
edited 8×, last 17.04.11 10:33:46 am

old Re: How to ask for help.

SANTER
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really good flako thank i search help of this tipe for everywhere 1st
edited 1×, last 05.03.11 04:04:41 pm

old Re: How to ask for help.

Heartless Soldier
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Very helpful Flacko, thank you. ( and congratz for the sticky )
edited 1×, last 05.03.11 04:05:46 pm

Admin/mod comment

removed non english comment. other languages are forbidden here. please read the rules.

old Re: How to ask for help.

Flacko
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FN_Linkin Park has written
Nice, tough u forgot, that u can download Scite to find errors too.

Right, I just added that

old Re: How to ask for help.

ohaz
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Some additions which should be added:
• under "nobody answered" put a "Don't push your thread". It's forbidden by the rules, but nobody reads them
• perhaps you should add a section for guys who come here and just say "HEY, I NEED A SCRIPT, GIVE IT TO ME!" guys. Something like how to use the file archive and how to ask when you really don't find anything there

old Re: How to ask for help.

Yates
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C'mon, you really think someone with no knowledge about how to ask for help is going to search? And if there is one smart enough he/she will search "Help" ?

old Re: How to ask for help.

Flacko
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Yes, I know, the "give me a script that does xyz while I eat crisps and drink soda on my sofa" are the most annoying type of posts because of the huge ammount of blood thirst they awaken in me when I read them.

I don't think there's much that we can do about this but to hope that every script that they ask for decreases their life span by ten years.

Btw, I just added a "plz don't bump threads" tip

old Re: How to ask for help.

DannyDeth
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Flacko has written
Btw, I just added a "plz don't bump threads" tip

Let's hope that people actually read this part!

old Re: How to ask for help.

JJ5x5
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user Yates has written
We should bump this thread everyday so everyone looks at it!
lol and some noob advertizes their script problem and the reason for the problem is he used numbers as letters

old Re: How to ask for help.

LazyGuy
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Theres alot, of users doesn't use their brain to use search, It's kinda funny you make a thread like this. But it's helpfull thanks.
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