Table or array (the title wasn't long enough to let me post)

[PunkNoodle]

Note: This is a repost from another forum because I know here it gets more visibility, also if possible I'd like @Shadow himself to have a look and give an opinion about it.

Which one of these two methods is better and why?
I'm not interested to know which one is better as much as knowing why one is actually better. Keep that in mind before replying


1. Keeping players in an array. Shadow's method

Code Select Expand

playerson <- [];

function onPlayerJoin( player )
{
playerson.push( player.ID );
}

function onPlayerPart( player, reason )
{
playerson.remove( player.ID );
}


2. Keeping players in a table. himselfe's method

Code Select Expand

players <- {};

function onPlayerJoin( player )
{
players.rawset(player.Name,player);
}

function onPlayerPart( player, reason )
{
players.rawdelete(player.Name);
}


[vito]

What is means 'better'? It depends what do you need to do. Arrays should be faster anyway.

[DizzasTeR]

Tables is my personal pick

[KAKAN]

playerson.push( player ) instead of ID, is better.


use tables if you need to, for ex, an account system. Store the information and if the player joins the server again, instead of fetching the data from the database, you can use the table to retrieve it much quicker( since it stores the data on RAM. ). While, for ex, storing the list of online administrators or something similiar will be better with a array, than in a table, since you don't need key-value thingy there.

What is means 'better'? It depends what do you need to do. Arrays should be faster anyway.

Yes they're, but only if you got like a million rows or they're nearly equal.
Arrays are better when you got less RAM and have to store more data, but instead of using multi-dimensional array for key-value storing, you may use tables instead.

[vito]

Also which symbols is allowed to be a key? I've checked even numbers is allowed.

use tables if you need to, for ex, an account system. Store the information and if the player joins the server again, instead of fetching the data from the database,

I am sure most of vc-mp servers is not using such architecture currently.

[KAKAN]

I am sure most of vc-mp servers is not using such architecture currently.

Couldn't understand.

Also which symbols is allowed to be a key? I've checked even numbers is allowed.

I guess its allowed...

[vito]

Couldn't understand.

People here usually using an array for player's data and when player disconnecting they removing this data. Unfortunately storing player's data when he is offline is too hard for most of server's developers.

I guess its allowed...

So no any limits for name of key in tables?

[DizzasTeR]

You can use strings as well as numbers for keys in Tables, that has always annoyed me in case of arrays.

[vito]

You can use strings as well as numbers for keys in Tables, that has always annoyed me in case of arrays.

Well, I have tested

Code Select Expand

players <- {};
local arr = ["a", "1a", "фы", "`", "\"", ".", 0x01, false, [], ""];
for(local i = 0; i < arr.len(); i++){
players.rawset(arr[i],(arr[i] +"-"+ i));
print(players.rawget(arr[i]));
}
it seems only 'null' can't be a key. Everything else is fine.

Very strange for me.

[KAKAN]

Couldn't understand.

People here usually using an array for player's data and when player disconnecting they removing this data. Unfortunately storing player's data when he is offline is too hard for most of server's developers.

For a normal VCMP server, this won't be needed since you're not going to have more than 1000 people. But for old, popular servers, this might be a necessity. For ex, LW: it has around 100k players registered.

it seems only 'null' can't be a key. Everything else is fine.

Very strange for me.

I don't understand how that's strange.

[jWeb]

playerson.push( player ) instead of ID, is better.

That approach is flawed because of http://forum.vc-mp.org/?topic=2997.0 This implementation was further discussed here http://vcmp.liberty-unleashed.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2419.0 but doesn't work because the developers failed to understand or know what one of the main questions in that topic meant "Is the Player instance ever changed by the server without notification? So that I can switch the key to the new instance.".

Code Select Expand

players <- {};

function onPlayerJoin( player )
{
players.rawset(player.Name,player);
}

function onPlayerPart( player, reason )
{
players.rawdelete(player.Name);
}


That also is flawed. Not in general. But only for VC:MP scripters. Because you know.

Why? Well, let's say that player 1 changes name from "looser" too "bigger looser" and player 2 changes name from "tiny looser" to "looser". Well then. A simple mistake in forgetting to update a table and your server logic is f*ed. And don't say you won't forget. Because you will. Somehow, somewhere.


And last but not least. Any answer given to you here is a total waste of time. Why? Because you don't understand the differences between tables and arrays. And because again, you're asking the wrong question. You shouldn't strive to understand which one is better. You should strive to understand how they work and then you'll inherently know which one is better for a certain situation.

Code Select Expand

playerson <- [];

function onPlayerJoin( player )
{
playerson.push( player.ID );
}

function onPlayerPart( player, reason )
{
playerson.remove( player.ID );
}


This again proves that you don't know how they work. Because if you use push instead of direct indexing then you're going to have to perform a manual search to find a certain ID.

I'm not even sure wtf this question is about anymore. Storing numbers, storing strings or storing players.

[vito]

For a normal VCMP server, this won't be needed since you're not going to have more than 1000 people. But for old, popular servers, this might be a necessity. For ex, LW: it has around 100k players registered.

There is only 40k total accounts in PAC, but tables can be used not only for cache.

[KAKAN]

For a normal VCMP server, this won't be needed since you're not going to have more than 1000 people. But for old, popular servers, this might be a necessity. For ex, LW: it has around 100k players registered.

There is only 40k total accounts in PAC, but tables can be used not only for cache.

whatever, it was just for an example.