Net library is not working for me

[Paku596]

I am using the net library for the first time and it really does not work for me

In lua-loading file (pas_init.lua)

util.AddNetworkString( "ToolsTest" )

--Include Server Files
include("pas/server/settings.lua")
include("pas/pas.lua")
include("pas/propprotection.lua")

--Add Client Side Files
AddCSLuaFile("autorun/client/pas_init.lua")
AddCSLuaFile("pas/client/hud.lua")
AddCSLuaFile("pas/client/panel.lua")

In the Server File (settings.lua)

function FirstSpawn( ply )

	net.Start( "ToolsTest" )
		net.WriteString("teststring!")
	net.Broadcast()
 
end
 
hook.Add( "PlayerInitialSpawn", "playerInitialSpawn", FirstSpawn )

In the client File (panel.lua)
Called when the player presses a button.

net.Receive( "ToolsTest", function(len)
		
		MsgN("RECEIVE!")

end)

But it does not show "RECEIVE!"
And i don't know why O.o

[Netheous]

Restart the server or do changelevel.
When adding a network string via util.AddNetworkString, it sometimes glitches and requires a total reload.

[Paku596]

thank you for your answer.

But I just tried this several times and it still shows nothing in my client console :/

[Netheous]

BTW. I see you sending the cl files via AddCSLuaFiles, but I don't see you including them in any cl file :P.

[Paku596]

Oh I never heard of that.. I am quite new to LUA-Coding ^^

so I just have to insert IncludeClientFile("name") in each client lua file?

Edit: Oh, yes.. sorry.. i forgot! I also have a cl_pas_init with this code:

--Include Client Files
include("pas/client/panel.lua")
include("pas/client/hud.lua")

[Netheous]

[QUOTE=Paku596;42262044]Oh I never heard of that.. I am quite new to LUA-Coding ^^

so I just have to insert IncludeClientFile("name") in each client lua file?[/QUOTE]

Nope, just in the main cl file (like cl_init), do
include('file/here.lua')
It's just like in serverside files

[Paku596]

So.. this also was not the problem.

I really can't find out what I did wrong -.-

[EvacX]

There's more wrong than that.

Let's start from the beginning, the file structure.

What you want to do is have your "pas_init.lua" file in the "lua/autorun/" folder, but just for simplicity's sake we'll have that file handle both the server and client initialization.

Something like this would suffice:
[lua]
AddCSLuaFile() -- Make the client download this file.
AddCSLuaFile( "pas/cl_test.lua" ) -- Make the client download your "pas/cl_test.lua" file.

if SERVER then
include( "pas/test.lua" ) -- Run the serverside "pas/test.lua" file.
else
include( "pas/cl_test.lua" ) -- Run the clientside "pas/cl_test.lua" file.
end
[/lua]
The "AddCSLuaFile()" function is a valid function on both the client and the serverside environment, but it won't do anything on the client.

Next, make 2 files; "pas/test.lua" and "pas/cl_test.lua". You can change that to whatever you want accordingly.

[I]test.lua[/I]
[lua]
util.AddNetworkString( "test" ) -- Cache the net message.

local function Test( ply )
net.Start( "test" )
net.WriteString( "Hello, your name is: " .. ply:Nick() )
net.Send( ply )
end

hook.Add( "PlayerInitialSpawn", "Test", Test )
[/lua]
This will send a net message with the string "Hello, your name is: <name>" to any player who has just joined.

[I]cl_test.lua[/I]
[lua]
local function Test()
local str = net.ReadString() -- Here, we read the string that was sent from the server
chat.AddText( str ) -- And here we print it to the chat
end

net.Receive( "test", Test )
[/lua]
And here we specify that whenever the client receives the net message 'test', it'll read 1 string from that net message and then print it into the chat.

What you were doing is creating the above function whenever the player clicked on a button which is wrong, it's like punching your mailbox expecting letters to appear. The letter appears after the post office has sent the letter to you.

Also, note that I localized both functions 'Test', there's no reason to pollute the global environment with generic functions like that at all. Always localize variables/functions/whatever unless you absolutely need them to be global.

[Paku596]

OMG thank you for your amazing answer.

I did everything like you wrote and it works now! I just have to change everything how I need it and everything works perfect!

Big thanks! :D

[Netheous]

And just a tip.
If you are making a mod, it's always good to put your functions into a table so they don't collide with other mods that might have the same name for a function.

For example, if you got a function called LoadDatabase and some other mod has such a function then yours or his will get repleaced (only one function of such name can exist).

So it's easier to create a table and keep functions in here, I personally prefer making 3 tables for each envirnoment.

sv_MM = {}
cl_MM = {}
sh_MM = {}

-- MM stands for My Mod.

Just create them at the top of main files (for example, do "local sv_MM = {}" on top of init.lua).
This way, you can name your function whatever you want and it will never collide. The function creating will just look a bit different:

sv_MM.Initialization()

PS. You can also do local function to prevent the collision, but it's just better to make a local table