multi/Documentation.md

Table of contents

[TOC] Multi static variables

multi.Version = "12.3.0" multi.Priority_Core -- Highest level of pirority that can be given to a process multi.Priority_High multi.Priority_Above_Normal multi.Priority_Normal -- The default level of pirority that is given to a process multi.Priority_Below_Normal multi.Priority_Low multi.Priority_Idle -- Lowest level of pirority that can be given to a process

Multi Runners

multi:mainloop(TABLE: settings) -- This runs the mainloop by having its own internal while loop running multi:threadloop(TABLE: settings) -- This runs the mainloop by having its own internal while loop running, but prioritizes threads over multi-objects multi:uManager(TABLE: settings) -- This runs the mainloop, but does not have its own while loop and thus needs to be within a loop of some kind.

Multi Settings

Note: Most settings have been fined tuned to be at the peak of performance already, however preLoop, protect (Which drastically lowers preformance), and stopOnError should be used freely to fit your needs.

Setting	Type: default	Purpose
preLoop	function: nil	This is a function that is called after all the important components of the library are loaded. This is called once only. The first and only argument passed is a reference to itself.
protect	boolean: false	This runs code within a protected call. To catch when errors happen see built in connections
stopOnError	boolean: false	This setting is used with protect. If an object crashes due to some error should it be paused?
priority	number: 0	This sets the priority scheme. Look at the P-Charts below for examples.
auto_priority	boolean: false	Note: This overrides any value set for priority! If auto priority is enabled then priority scheme 3 is used and processes are considered for "recheck" after a certain amount of time. If a process isn't taking too long to complete anymore then it will be reset to core, if it starts to take a lot of time all of a sudden it will be set to idle.
auto_stretch	number: 1	For use with auto_priority. Modifies the internal reperesentation of idle time by multiplying multi.Priority_Idle by the value given
auto_delay	number: 3	For use with auto_priority. This changes the time in seconds that process are "rechecked"
auto_lowerbound	number: multi.Priority_Idle	For use with auto_priority. The lowerbound is what is considered to be idle time. A higher value combined with auto_stretch allows one to fine tune how pirority is managed.

P-Chart: Priority 1

P1 follows a forumla that resembles this: ~n=I*PRank where n is the amount of steps given to an object with PRank and where I is the idle time see chart below. The aim of this priority scheme was to make core objects run fastest while letting idle processes get decent time as well.

Priority: n	PRank	Formula
Core: 3322269	7	n = ~I*7
High: 2847660	6	n = ~I*6
Above_Normal: 2373050	5	n = ~I*5
Normal: 1898440	4	n = ~I*4
Below_Normal: 1423830	3	n = ~I*3
Low: 949220	2	n = ~I*2
Idle: 474610	1	n = ~I*1

General Rule: ~n=I*PRank

P-Chart: Priority 2

P2 follows a formula that resembles this: ~n=n*4 where n starts as the initial idle time, see chart below. The goal of this one was to make core process’ higher while keeping idle process’ low.

Priority: n
Core: 6700821
High: 1675205
Above_Normal: 418801
Normal: 104700
Below_Normal: 26175
Low: 6543
Idle: 1635

General Rule: ~n=n*4 Where the inital n = I

P-Chart: Priority 3

P3 Ignores using a basic formula and instead bases its processing time on the amount of cpu time is there. If cpu-time is low and a process is set at a lower priority it will get its time reduced. There is no formula, at idle almost all process work at the same speed!

There are 2 settings for this: Core and Idle. If a process takes too long then it is set to idle. Otherwise it will stay core.

Example of settings:

settings = {
	preLoop = function(m)
    	print("All settings have been loaded!")
    end,
    protect = false,
    stopOnError = false,
    priority = 0,
    auto_priority = false,
    auto_stretch = 1,
    auto_delay = 3,
    auto_lowerbound = multi.Priority_Idle
}

-- Below are how the runners work

multi:mainloop(settings)

-- or

multi:threadloop(settings)

-- or

while true do
	multi:uManager(settings)
end

Multi constructors - Multi-Objs

Processors proc = multi:newProcessor(STRING: file [nil])

Non-Actors timer = multi:newTimer() conn = multi:newConnection(BOOLEAN: protect [true]) nil = multi:newJob(FUNCTION: func, STRING: name) range = multi:newRange() cond = multi:newCondition(FUNCTION: func)

Actors event = multi:newEvent(FUNCTION: task) updater = multi:newUpdater(NUMBER: skip [1]) alarm = multi:newAlarm(NUMBER: [0]) loop = multi:newLoop(FUNCTION: func) tloop = multi:newTLoop(FUNCTION: func ,NUMBER: set [1]) func = multi:newFunction(FUNCTION: func) step = multi:newStep(NUMBER: start, NUMBER: reset, NUMBER: count [1], NUMBER: skip [0]) tstep = multi:newStep(NUMBER: start, NUMBER: reset, NUMBER: count [1], NUMBER: set [1]) trigger = multi:newTrigger(FUNCTION: func) stamper = multi:newTimeStamper() watcher = multi:newWatcher(STRING name) watcher = multi:newWatcher(TABLE namespace, STRING name) cobj = multi:newCustomObject(TABLE objRef, BOOLEAN isActor)

Note: A lot of methods will return self as a return. This is due to the ability to chain that was added in 12.x.x

Processor

proc = multi:newProcessor(STRING: file [nil]) Creates a processor runner that acts like the multi runner. Actors and Non-Actors can be created on these objects. Pausing a process pauses all objects that are running on that process.

An optional argument file is used if you want to load a file containing the processor data. Note: This isn't portable on all areas where lua is used. Some interperters disable loadstring so it is not encouraged to use the file method for creating processors

loop = Processor:getController() -- returns the loop that runs the "runner" that drives this processor self = Processor:Start() -- Starts the processor self = Processor:Pause() -- Pauses the processor self = Processor:Resume() -- Resumes a paused processor nil = Processor:Destroy() -- Destroys the processor and all of the Actors running on it

Example

multi = require("multi")
proc = multi:newProcessor()
proc:newTLoop(function() -- create a t loop that runs every second
	print("Hi!")
end,1) -- where we set the 1 second
proc:Start() -- let's start the processor
multi:mainloop() -- the main runner that drives everything

Timers

timer = multi:newTimer() Creates a timer object that can keep track of time

self = timer:Start() -- Starts the timer time_elapsed = timer:Get() -- Returns the time elapsed since timer:Start() was called boolean = timer:isPaused() -- Returns if the timer is paused or not self = timer:Pause() -- Pauses the timer, it skips time that would be counted during the time that it is paused self = timer:Resume() -- Resumes a paused timer. See note below self = timer:tofile(STRING path) -- Saves the object to a file at location path

Note: If a timer was paused after 1 second then resumed a second later and Get() was called a second later, timer would have 2 seconds counted though 3 really have passed.

Connections

Arguable my favorite object in this library, next to threads

conn = multi:newConnection(BOOLEAN: protect [true]) Creates a connection object and defaults to a protective state. All calls will run within pcall()

self = conn:HoldUT(NUMBER n [0]) -- Will hold futhur execution of the thread until the connection was triggered. If n is supplied the connection must be triggered n times before it will allow ececution to continue. self = conn:FConnect(FUNCTION func) -- Creates a connection that is forced to execute when Fire() is called. Deprecated returns or nil = conn:Fire(...) -- Triggers the connection with arguments ..., "returns" if non-nil is a table containing return values from the triggered connections. self = conn:Bind(TABLE t) -- sets the table to hold the connections. Leaving it alone is best unless you know what you are doing self = conn:Remove() -- removes the bind that was put in place. This will also destroy all connections that existed before. Link = conn:connect(FUNCTION func, STRING name [nil], NUMBER [#conns+1]) -- Connects to the object using function func which will recieve the arguments passed by Fire(...). You can name a connection, which allows you to use conn:getConnection(name). Names must be unique! num is simple the position in the order in which connections are triggered. The return Link is the link to the connected event that was made. You can remove this event or even trigger it specifically if need be. Link:Fire(...) -- Fires the created event bool = Link:Destroy() -- returns true if success. subConn = conn:getConnection(STRING name, BOOLEAN ingore) -- returns the sub connection which matches name. returns or nil subConn:Fire() -- "returns" if non-nil is a table containing return values from the triggered connections. self = conn:tofile(STRING path) -- Saves the object to a file at location path

The connect feature has some syntax sugar to it as seen below Link = conn(FUNCTION func, STRING name [nil], NUMBER [#conns+1])

Example:

local multi = require("multi")
-- Let’s create the events
yawn={}
OnCustomSafeEvent=multi:newConnection(true) -- lets pcall the calls in case something goes wrong default
OnCustomEvent=multi:newConnection(false) -- let’s not pcall the calls and let errors happen.
OnCustomEvent:Bind(yawn) -- create the connection lookup data in yawn

-- Let’s connect to them, a recent update adds a nice syntax to connect to these
cd1=OnCustomSafeEvent:Connect(function(arg1,arg2,...)
  print("CSE1",arg1,arg2,...)
end,"bob") -- let’s give this connection a name
cd2=OnCustomSafeEvent:Connect(function(arg1,arg2,...)
  print("CSE2",arg1,arg2,...)
end,"joe") -- let’s give this connection a name
cd3=OnCustomSafeEvent:Connect(function(arg1,arg2,...)
  print("CSE3",arg1,arg2,...)
end) -- let’s not give this connection a name

-- Using syntax sugar
OnCustomEvent(function(arg1,arg2,...)
  print(arg1,arg2,...)
end)

-- Now within some loop/other object you trigger the connection like
OnCustomEvent:Fire(1,2,"Hello!!!") -- fire all connections

-- You may have noticed that some events have names! See the following example!
OnCustomSafeEvent:getConnection("bob"):Fire(1,100,"Bye!") -- fire only bob!
OnCustomSafeEvent:getConnection("joe"):Fire(1,100,"Hello!") -- fire only joe!!
OnCustomSafeEvent:Fire(1,100,"Hi Ya Folks!!!") -- fire them all!!!

-- Connections have more to them than that though!
-- As seen above cd1-cd3 these are hooks to the connection object. This allows you to remove a connection
-- For Example:
cd1:Remove() -- remove this connection from the master connection object
print("------")
OnCustomSafeEvent:Fire(1,100,"Hi Ya Folks!!!") -- fire them all again!!!
-- To remove all connections use:
OnCustomSafeEvent:Remove()
print("------")
OnCustomSafeEvent:Fire(1,100,"Hi Ya Folks!!!") -- fire them all again!!!

Jobs

nil = multi:newJob(FUNCTION: func, STRING: name) -- Adds a job to a queue of jobs that get executed after some time. func is the job that is being ran, name is the name of the job. nil = multi:setJobSpeed(NUMBER n) -- seconds between when each job should be done. bool, number = multi:hasJobs() -- returns true if there are jobs to be processed. And the number of jobs to be processed num = multi:getJobs() -- returns the number of jobs left to be processed. number = multi:removeJob(name) -- removes all jobs of name, name. Returns the number of jobs removed

Note: Jobs may be turned into actual objects in the future.

Example:

local multi = require("multi")
print(multi:hasJobs())
multi:setJobSpeed(1) -- set job speed to 1 second
multi:newJob(function()
    print("A job!")
end,"test")

multi:newJob(function()
    print("Another job!")
    multi:removeJob("test") -- removes all jobs with name "test"
end,"test")

multi:newJob(function()
    print("Almost done!")
end,"test")

multi:newJob(function()
    print("Final job!")
end,"test")
print(multi:hasJobs())
print("There are "..multi:getJobs().." jobs in the queue!")
multi:mainloop()

Ranges

Conditions