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getElementData

Client-side
Server-side
Shared

Pair: setElementData

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This function retrieves element data attached to an element under a certain key.

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Syntax 

var getElementData ( element theElement, string key, [ bool inherit = true ] )
Required Arguments
  • theElement: This is the element with data you want to retrieve.
  • key: The name of the element data entry you want to retrieve. (Maximum 31 characters.)
Optional Arguments

NOTE: When using optional arguments, you might need to supply all arguments before the one you wish to use.

  • inherit (default: true): - toggles whether or not the function should go up the hierarchy to find the requested key in case the specified element doesn't have it.

Returns

  • var: value

This function returns a variable containing the requested element data, or false if the element or the element data does not exist. When getting data corresponding to a XML attribute, this is always a string .

Code Examples

shared 
function joinTime ( )
    setElementData ( source, "joinTime", getTickCount() ) -- Store the current tick count in the player's data with the key 'joinTime'
end
-- Make our 'joinTime' function be called when a player joins
addEventHandler ( "onPlayerJoin", root, joinTime )


function showJoinTime ( source, commandName, playerName )
  if ( playerName ) then -- see if a player was specified
    thePlayer = getPlayerFromName ( playerName ) -- get the player element for the specified player
    if ( thePlayer ) then -- if one was found...
      local timeOnline = (getTickCount() - getElementData ( thePlayer, "joinTime" )) / 1000 -- calculates the time since join
      outputChatBox ( getPlayerName ( thePlayer ).." joined "..timeOnline.." seconds ago", source ) -- output the player's join time
    else
      outputChatBox ( "Couldn't find '" .. playerName .. "'", source ) -- display an error
    end
  else
    -- display when the player who used the function joined and inform how to see other people's join time
    local timeOnline = (getTickCount() - getElementData ( source, "joinTime" )) / 1000 -- calculate the time since join
    outputChatBox ( "You joined " ..timeOnline.." seconds ago", source )
    outputChatBox ( "Use 'join_time <player name>' to see other people's join time", source )
  end
end
-- Add a console command joinTime, that takes an optional parameter of a player's name
addCommandHandler ( "joinTime", showJoinTime )

See Also

Element Functions
Element Events
Reference