Overloading(?) functions for development?

[IAMK]

I had a few ideas to make writing scripts easier and cleaner. However, this will be done through creating functions to call a function which already exists. Is this a stupid idea? Or is the benefit to development better than the loss to functionality? Note: At any time, I could just use the default function.

E.g. The left side will call a function which will execute the right side.

Click($x, $y) = MouseClick("Primary", $x, $y, 1, 0)
Click("Help") = MouseClick("Primary", $helpX, $helpY, 1, 0) ;$helpX and $helpY would be predefined in the function's file. E.g. position of the help button.
TT($msg) = ToolTip($msg, 0, 0)
TT($msg, 1) = ToolTip($msg) ;location of cursor
Inc($var) = ($var = $var + 1)
Check("Help") = (PixelGetColor($helpX, $helpY) = $helpColor) ;the color of the help button when it is available will be predefined in the function's file.

Then, instead of code like this:

While(PixelGetColor(250, 100) = 13547645)
    If(PixelGetColour(300, 150) = 15245343) Then
        MouseClick("Primary", 300, 150, 1, 0)
        ToolTip("Clicked 300, 150", 0, 0)
        Sleep(100)
    EndIf
WEnd

It would become:

While(Check("Help"))
    If(Check("Continue")) Then
        Click(300, 150)
        TT("Clicked 300, 150")
        Sleep(100)
    EndIf
WEnd

Also, the plan is to have all the predefined things, e.g. $helpX, $helpY and $helpColor, in the function file, so that all my scripts can #include it. Then, if any of the variables' values ever change, I can just change the 1 file and build all my scripts again.

 

Is this what I should be doing? I believe it will make development, and even more, maintenance, much easier.
However, this unnecessarily duplicates function calls, so is it worth implementing?

Also, if I do implement this, should I have every overloaded function in 1 file? (Assume I have 50+)
Or should I group them and have 5 per file so that I don't #include every function and their moms when not needed?

 

Thank you in advance.

[jdelaney]

You will kill the intelisense. ..the part that pops up and tells you what variable does what while typing in scite .   you can add in your function to do the same, but that requires edits to files in each developer station.

 

I don't see a point in creating any function that only does one thing. ..why not just call that one wrapped function to begin with?

Edited August 15, 2018 by jdelaney

[BrewManNH]

37 minutes ago, jdelaney said:

I don't see a point in creating any function that only does one thing.

That's called Functional programming, each function does one thing, and if you need it to do more, you have it call the other helper functions that do that. Keeps you from recreating code inside functions that already exist elsewhere, and allows your code to be modular.

[IAMK]

3 hours ago, jdelaney said:

why not just call that one wrapped function to begin with?

I'm not sure what this means. Could you please explain?

2 hours ago, BrewManNH said:

allows your code to be modular.

This is the goal, because currently, my boss asks for 1 script, then another, and another. Each script is basically a few changes to previous existing scripts. With modules, I can choose which things I want and basically just plug them into my code where needed.

[jdelaney]

5 hours ago, BrewManNH said:

That's called Functional programming, each function does one thing, and if you need it to do more, you have it call the other helper functions that do that. Keeps you from recreating code inside functions that already exist elsewhere, and allows your code to be modular.

I understand this, but for what he's doing, there is no code, or recurring script.  He is taking a function, and doing nothing more than wrapping his own function around it.  I suppose this allows you, in the future, to then make a change in your function that would be done every time it was called, but at this point, it seems like needless overhead:

 

Func TT($s)
    ToolTip($s)
EndFunc

 

If you planned on doing at least two things, then sure, wrap away...do you want the tooltip right where your mouse is everytime?  That makes sense to wrap:

Func TT($s)
    Local $a = MouseGetPos()
    If IsArray($a) Then
        ToolTip($s, $a[0], $a[1])
    Else
        ToolTip($s)
    EndIf
EndFunc

 

 

You can create your own repository of functions that you call, by using #include.

#include

https://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/keywords/include.htm

 

Then, you just include that file, and you can have a shared set of functions.

Edited August 16, 2018 by jdelaney

[junkew]

Assigning function to var could also be helpfull as you then later can implement it by just pointing the var to a different function.

$tt=tooltip

 

[IAMK]

Okay, I will try that.

Thank you.