Crazy Command Prompt Spam

[GStricto]

Recently, while messing with RPG mod, I encountered the following problems:
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Notice the abnormal ammount of spam generated by the server, this coincides with the recursive world function and some other scheduled calls.  I do not know why, it is not dbecho().

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This image is the only clue I have as to why such spam would begin.  The first few files execute appropriately, no spam.  Normal.  This leads me to believe that Accessory.cs sets some kind of mistake that leads to spam, or the beginning of Weapons.cs causes some sort of freak bug.

This would not bother me so much, except for the fact that output or echo() to the command prompt is a painfully slow function, and with all the spam showing up, it would lead to server lag.  OpenGL frames are faster than a simple "Hello, world!" to a prompt.  (In part from gfx card, in part from converting from the default API).

If anyone has ideas, I would greatly appreciate it.  I'm going to take a 30 min break, then search those 2 files top to bottom... again.

[Artorius]

format c

[GStricto]

format c

Do me a favor, read the title of this section of the forums.  If you can't, here it is:

Particle's Custom RPG Forum Index -> Assistance

 Thus, it is intended for people that have questions or need help.  This could also be used for people with genuine help to offer to problems.

AKA: KEEP YOUR DUMBASS COMMENTS TO YOURSELF.

[Lidge Farkley]

Figure anything out?

[Lidge Farkley]

I just looked in accessory.cs... and I have not had any real programming classes, but I did notice the following lines in a few of the first accessory functions I looked at:

Code: [Select]

dbecho($dbechoMode, "GetAccessoryVar(" @ %item @ ", " @ %type @ ")");
dbecho($dbechoMode, "getCroppedItem(" @ %item @ ")");
dbecho($dbechoMode, "GetAccessoryList(" @ %clientId @ ", " @ %type @ ", " @ %filter @ ")");


What would that type of dbecho() do in these cases?

Maybe the global variable "$dbechoMode" is getting turned on some how and not turning back off?

I honestly don't know if I am right about anything I mentioned... but I figured I would point it out in case it was important or overlooked.

[Lidge Farkley]

I found the following when searching scripts.vol... they are located in globals.cs:

Code: [Select]

if($dbechoMode == "") $dbechoMode = 2;
if($dbechoMode2 == "") $dbechoMode2 = 2;


Maybe... commenting out the lines which are like the ones in my last post might elliminate the spam?

[GStricto]

Thanks for the help.  Something in weapons.cs was setting the variables to enable that spam...  I finally bit the bullet a few weeks back and removed every line of dbecho in the entire vol file.  Took me an hour, but it does gurantee no freak accidents again.

[Lidge Farkley]

Cool.  I am glad you got it figured out.

Have you run it since removing the dbecho lines with success?

I cannot fathom why it would dbecho all that crap, but if it does not lessen game performance or functionality, awesome!

I actually wondered about removing that stuff before... but never got around to it.  I am famouse for claiming to start rewriting tribes code and only getting a few pages in to it before firing up counter strike... I guess the lack of pay keeps me from working too hard.
;-)

Peace.

[GStricto]

Yeah, it ran fine once I removed it all.  I was concerned at first when it spammed because command prompt echo(); is a notoriously slow function and I was getting about 50 per world cycle thing (every 2 sec).  This was with an emptry server, every thing a player would be doing would have also spammed so you might see why I needed it to be gone.

As for re-working code, I get on sprees (like this past weekend) where I program 11+ hours in one day and forget to eat and sleep because I am enjoying it so much.  Then I won't go back to coding for a few days, perhaps weeks.  Keeps it fresh and I don't get burnt out as quickly.

[UnderGod]

The point of dbecho is to let an administrator know what is going on in the server for debugging purposes or monitoring purposes. The echo call does not generate any lag at all unless your CPU is maybe a 300mhz.

The easiest way to solve this problem is to put an echo($dbechomode); in server.cs (Or whatever the file name is). Put this in right after this starts happening. If $dbechomode is not 2 then there is a problem. It was mostlikely changed to 1 which would result in everything being logged.

Damn I can't believe I still know this malarkey after not doing anything for 2 years.

EDIT: Now that I reread your post I can see how that could have lagged. It is still a simple fix.

[GStricto]

Yeah, simple fix but just annoying...  I know from C++ code that anything sending output to the prompt (cout << or printf or whatnot) are much slower functions than anything else built in.  It may be the libraries or something it was built around, but I try to avoid unnecessary output calls.