WoW:API getglobal: Difference between revisions

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WoW:API getglobal (source)

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-{{wowapi}} __NOTOC__
+{{wowapi}}
+''Note: getglobal and [[API_setglobal|setglobal]] are deprecated and replaced with _G[]<ref>http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=25626580975&sid=1</ref>. Change all references of getglobal and setglobal:''
-<!-- Describe the purpose of the function, exhausting detail can be saved for a later section -->
+  var = getglobal(varName)        --getglobal deprecated
-Get a global variable, from a string.
+  var = _G[varName]               --new syntax to get a global
-<!-- List return values and arguments as well as function name, follow Blizzard usage convention for args -->
+  setglobal(otherName, otherVar)  --setglobal deprecated
- getglobal("globalName")
+  _G[otherName] = otherVar        --new syntax to set a global
+== Description ==
+Get a global variable, from a string.
+ local targetGlobal = getglobal("globalName")
-== Parameters ==
+== Arguments ==
-=== Arguments ===
-<!-- List each argument, together with its type -->
 :("globalName")
 :;globalName : String - Name of the global you want to get.
-=== Returns ===
+== Returns ==
-<!-- List each return value, together with its type -->
+:;The value from the given string, or nil if not found
-<!-- :isTrue, retVal1, retVal2-->  <!-- remove this line if it's just one value -->
-:;The object from the given string.
 == Details ==
 This function is used to get an object if you generate the name of the object manually in your script:
+  -- i = some_dynamic_number
-  i = some_dynamic_number;
   local curFrame = getglobal("myFrame"..i)
-You can immitate getglobal() by using the following script:
+As of the introduction of [[API getfenv|getfenv]]() into the API (as well as direct access to the table _G as a global), setglobal() and [[API getglobal|getglobal]]() are somewhat superfluous. You can always do something along the lines of:
+  local _G = getfenv()
+  local prevval = _G["MyVariable"]   ''-- "getglobal()"''
+  _G["MyVariable"] = 1234            ''-- "setglobal()"''
+Function calls always cost some overhead, so if a large number of getglobal calls are being made, the global table will be a faster route.  Note that for few or infrequent calls the performance gain of this method is negligible (but given the lack of any loss of functionality, recommended).
- _G = getfenv()         -- set _G to the global environment once at the beginning of your script
+''Note:'' Accessing the global table through the function getfenv() was common within addons presumably because the global '[[Dump_G|_G]]' (the direct global table) was hidden from the WoW environment. It seems to have since been uncovered, and now calling it directly for global access is possible:
-   ...
+   local _G = _G   -- a local speeds up access to [[Dump_G|_G]] slightly. negligible for infrequent calls.
- myvar = _G[globalName] -- this is what getglobal() does
+  local prevval = _G["MyVariable"]   ''-- "getglobal()"''
+  _G["MyVariable"] = 1234            ''-- "setglobal()"''