Weird Array Pop() Behaviour

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Started by Rink27 9 posts View original ↗
  1. Rink27
    #1 Source
    I've been working on a plugin I created and noticed something odd.
    The following is a representation of piece of my code:

    Code:
    var array = $gameVariables.value(x);
var array2 = $gameVariables.value(y); // x and y were given the same values

//EDIT: I meant x and y represent different numbers, but these game variables contain the same value.

var id = array.pop();
console.log("Array: "+$gameVariables.value(x));
console.log("Array: "+$gameVariables.value(y));

    The arrays for BOTH game variables (x and y) are decreasing as I pop out values from "array".
    Firstly, I thought only the new variable "array" would be affected, but $gameVariables.value(x) is also being affected.
    Secondly, I don't understand why a different variable is also being affected.

    I tested giving $gameVariables.value(y) a different array value and it was unaffected though. Does anyone recognise this issue?
  2. Poryg
    #2 Source
    That's not weird at all. When x and y are given the same values, it means that x = y.
    Therefore
    $gameVariables.value(x) is the same as
    $gameVariables.value(y)

    and therefore since you pop one, you pop the other one as well.

    As for why if you pop array, $gameVariables.value(x) also gets popped:

    There are two major things to talk about: reference and value assignment.
    Assignment happens when you either deal with immutable objects (numbers, letters) or with where you call the constructor function.
    So you can freely say x = 3 and x = 5. Numbers are immutable, in other words 5 is always 5 and cannot be changed.
    However, arrays are mutable. Therefore when you want to make a new one, you need to call a constructor function. There are multiple ways you create an array, one of them is via the new Array, but the most common is via these [] brackets.
    When you do x = an already existing array, you reference the already existing array and therefore what influences the first one, influences the second one as well.
  3. Rink27
    #3 Source
    Poryg said:
    That's not weird at all. When x and y are given the same values, it means that x = y.
    Therefore
    $gameVariables.value(x) is the same as
    $gameVariables.value(y)

    and therefore since you pop one, you pop the other one as well.

    Thank you for the quick reply. I was wondering if it had to do with references - I'm familiar with the concept.
    Um, one mistake on my part. When I said x and y were the same, I meant, for example:
    $gameVariables.value(1) and $gameVariables.value(2) were both given the same values.
    My bad; I didn't make that clear at all.

    Is this behaviour still normal with my updated explanation?
  4. Poryg
    #4 Source
    And how did you make the $gameVariables.value(1) and $gameVariables.value(2) arrays?
  5. Rink27
    #5 Source
    Poryg said:
    And how did you make the $gameVariables.value(1) and $gameVariables.value(2) arrays?

    A prior piece of code performs:
    $gameVariables.setValue(1,theArray);
    $gameVariables.setValue(2,theArray);

    Edit: So I'm using the slice() method to clone the array, eliminating the need of the second variable ($gameVariables.value(2)) - I can preserve the array after popping it. Still curious where my understanding is flawed though with my updated explanation.
  6. Poryg
    #6 Source
    And is theArray an already created array?
    Like is it this format:
    Code:
    var theArray = [1,2,3];
$gameVariables.setValue(1, theArray);
$gameVariables.setValue(2, theArray);

    if yes, it is reference, not assignment and therefore it would be normal.
  7. Rink27
    #7 Source
    @Poryg

    The code goes like:
    Code:
    var theArray = [];

// segment of code that pushes values into it

$gameVariables.setValue(1,theArray);
$gameVariables.setValue(2,theArray);

    So I guess it's a reference still - thanks. I also edited my previous comment stating that I'm using the slice() method to solve my issue. Thanks for your time.
  8. Poryg
    #8 Source
    Yup, slice method returns a new array, so that is completely fine. And that is the difference between reference and assignment.
  9. Kes
    #9 Source
    [closed]IgnoreMe[/closed]