Help! How to Run a Timer and Other Commands at the Same Time?

[MatthewZMD]

What is it you are trying to achieve?
I am making a game, I want to make the user click on an image for a number of times within a limited time.


What is the problem you are having?
I cannot make the timer and clicking image run at the same time.


Describe what you have tried to solve this problem
I tried to create a loop for the timer and then write the codes for clicking the button, but the program will run the timer first...
I also tried to make everything into 1 loop, but the timer and the clicking button countdown decrease at the same pace...

Post any relevant code (You may choose to attach the file instead of posting the code if it is too long)
<Answer Here>

Turing:

%First try var rangeX, rangeY, button : int var ending : boolean := false var healthPoint, timeLeft : int var notused1, notused2 : int healthPoint := 50 timeLeft := 20 loop     timeLeft := timeLeft - 1     put healthPoint     put timeLeft     delay (1000)     cls end loop loop     buttonwait ("down", rangeX, rangeY, notused1, notused2)     drawfillbox (250, 300, 600, 700, blue)     View.Update     if rangeX >= 250 and rangeX <= 600 and rangeY >= 300 and rangeY <= 700 then         healthPoint := healthPoint - 1     end if     exit when healthPoint < 1 end loop %Second try var rangeX, rangeY, button : int var ending : boolean := false var healthPoint, timeLeft : int var notused1, notused2 : int healthPoint := 50 timeLeft := 20 loop     buttonwait ("down", rangeX, rangeY, notused1, notused2)     timeLeft := timeLeft - 1     drawfillbox (250, 300, 600, 700, blue)     put healthPoint     put timeLeft     View.Update     if rangeX >= 250 and rangeX <= 600 and rangeY >= 300 and rangeY <= 700 then         healthPoint := healthPoint - 1     end if     exit when healthPoint < 1     delay (1000)     cls end loop

Please specify what version of Turing you are using
Open Turing newest version I suppose

[Tony]

I love that you posted both of your attempts -- this is a question well asked!

You are on the right path with your idea of putting both steps into a single loop. You want this loop to quickly check one of the steps, then another, then back to first. What you have getting in the way of the "quickly" part are "blocking calls" -- calling some functions that will block / wait.

E.g. of something that will block a loop:

code:

loop    % main loop of a game    get user_input end loop

Because the loop stops and waits for a person to type in that input, asking for just one word from a 60 words-per-minute typist will make the game run no faster than 1 FPS. Unacceptable!

Lucky, you can make some changes in your code:

From buttonwait to Mouse.Where
From delay(1000) to delay(much_smaller_number)

[MatthewZMD]

Thank you! The problem is currently fixed now.