Trying to find player's Steam ID returns 'Null'

[Zyler]

I receive this error:

database.lua:25: Tried to use a NULL entity!
1.SteamID - [C]:-1

From this piece of code:
[lua]function ply:ShortenSteamId()
local id = ply:SteamID()
local id = tostring(id)
local id string.Replace(id, "STEAM_0:0:", "")
local id string.Replace(id, "STEAM_0:1:", "")
return id
end[/lua]

Here's the whole file if you need it:
[lua]local ply = FindMetaTable("Player")
util.AddNetworkString( "database" )

local oldPrint = print
local function print(s)
oldPrint("database.lua: " .. s)
end

function ply:databaseDefault()
self:databaseSetValue( "money", 1000 )
local i = {}
i[ "testitem" ] = { ammount = 1 }
self:databaseSetValue( "inventory", i )
end

function ply:databaseNetworkedData()
local money = self:databaseGetValue( "money" )
self:SetNVInt("money", money)

self:KillSilent()
self:Spawn()
end

function ply:ShortenSteamId()
local id = ply:SteamID()
local id = tostring(id)
local id string.Replace(id, "STEAM_0:0:", "")
local id string.Replace(id, "STEAM_0:1:", "")
return id
end

function ply:databaseFolders()
return "server/customrpgamemode/players/" .. ply:ShortenSteamId() .. "/"
end

function ply:databasePath()
return self:databaseFolders() .. "database.txt"
end

function ply:databaseSet( tab )
self.database = tab
end

function ply:databaseGet()
return self.database
end

function ply:databaseCheck()
self.database = {}
local f = self.databaseExists()
if f then
self:databaseRead()
else
self:databaseCreate()
end
self:databaseSend()
self:databaseNetworkedData()
end

function ply:databaseSend()
net.Start( "database" )
net.WriteTable( self:databaseGet() )
net.Send( self )
end

function ply:databaseExists()
local f = file.Exists( ply:databasePath(), "DATA" )
return f
end

function ply:databaseRead()
local str = file.Read( ply:databasePath(), "DATA" )
self:databaseSet(util.KeyValuesToTable(str) )
end

function ply:databaseSave()
local str = util.TableToKeyValues( self.database )
local f = file.Write( ply:databasePath(), str )
self:databaseSend()
end

function ply:databaseCreate()
self:databaseDefault()
local b = file.CreateDir( self:databaseFolders() )
self:databaseSave()
end

function ply:databaseDisconnect()
self:databaseSave()
end

function ply:databaseSetValue( name, v)
if not v then return end

if type(v) == "table" then
if name == "inventory" then
for k, b in pairs(v) do
if b.ammount <= 0 then
v[k] = nil
end
end
end
end

local d = self:databaseGet()
d[name] = v

self:databaseSave()
end

function ply:databaseGetValue( name )
local d = self:databaseGet()
return d[name]
end

[/lua]

Any help would be appreciated.

[brandonj4]

Don't shorten it, instead replace the ":" with "_".

[Zyler]

[QUOTE=brandonj4;40991628]Don't shorten it, instead replace the ":" with "_".[/QUOTE]

I can do that, but the error comes from receiving the Steam ID to begin with.

Edit: [lua]function ply:ShortenSteamId()
local id = ply:SteamID()
local id = tostring(id)
local id string.Replace(id, ":", "_")
return id
end[/lua]
Still gives me the same error message.

[brandonj4]

[QUOTE=Zyler;40991639]I can do that, but the error comes from receiving the Steam ID to begin with.

Edit: [lua]function ply:ShortenSteamId()
local id = ply:SteamID()
local id = tostring(id)
local id string.Replace(id, ":", "_")
return id
end[/lua]
Still gives me the same error message.[/QUOTE]

Don't use tostring() on it, it's already a string. Are you hooking this and/or calling it anywhere else? Use "self" inside the function instead of ply.

Fixed function:
[lua]function ply:ShortenSteamId()
local id = self:SteamID()
id = string.gsub(id, ":", "_")
return id
end
[/lua]

[Wizard of Ass]

You don't know how to use Lua methods, the inside a function the subject is always called "self".

[Zyler]

[QUOTE=brandonj4;40991763]Don't use tostring() on it, it's already a string. Are you hooking this and/or calling it anywhere else? Use "self" inside the function instead of ply.

Fixed function:
[lua]function ply:ShortenSteamId()
local id = self:SteamID()
id = string.gsub(id, ":", "_")
return id
end
[/lua][/QUOTE]

I get the same error when using the fixed function. The only other place the function is called is in the next function in line in that file:
[lua]function ply:databaseFolders()
return "server/customrpgamemode/players/" .. ply:ShortenSteamId() .. "/"
end[/lua]

the full error code is:

database.lua:25: Tried to use a NULL entity!
1.SteamID - [C]:-1
2. ShortenSteamID - gamemodes/*filepath*/database/database.lua:25
3. databaseFolders - gamemodes/*filepath*/database/database.lua:31
4. databasePath - gamemodes/*filepath*/database/database.lua:35
5. databaseExists - gamemodes/*filepath*/database/database.lua:65
6. databaseCheck - gamemodes/*filepath*/database/database.lua:48
7.  unknown - gamemodes/*filepath*/init.lua:9

line 8, 9 and 10 of init.lua:
[lua]function GM:PlayerInitialSpawn( ply )
ply:databaseCheck()
end[/lua]

database.lua:
[lua]local ply = FindMetaTable("Player")
util.AddNetworkString( "database" )

local oldPrint = print
local function print(s)
oldPrint("database.lua: " .. s)
end

function ply:databaseDefault()
self:databaseSetValue( "money", 1000 )
local i = {}
i[ "testitem" ] = { ammount = 1 }
self:databaseSetValue( "inventory", i )
end

function ply:databaseNetworkedData()
local money = self:databaseGetValue( "money" )
self:SetNVInt("money", money)

self:KillSilent()
self:Spawn()
end

function ply:ShortenSteamId()
local id = self:SteamID()
id = string.gsub(id, ":", "_")
return id
end

function ply:databaseFolders()
return "server/customrpgamemode/players/" .. ply:ShortenSteamId() .. "/"
end

function ply:databasePath()
return self:databaseFolders() .. "database.txt"
end

function ply:databaseSet( tab )
self.database = tab
end

function ply:databaseGet()
return self.database
end

function ply:databaseCheck()
self.database = {}
local f = self.databaseExists()
if f then
self:databaseRead()
else
self:databaseCreate()
end
self:databaseSend()
self:databaseNetworkedData()
end

function ply:databaseSend()
net.Start( "database" )
net.WriteTable( self:databaseGet() )
net.Send( self )
end

function ply:databaseExists()
local f = file.Exists( ply:databasePath(), "DATA" )
return f
end

function ply:databaseRead()
local str = file.Read( ply:databasePath(), "DATA" )
self:databaseSet(util.KeyValuesToTable(str) )
end

function ply:databaseSave()
local str = util.TableToKeyValues( self.database )
local f = file.Write( ply:databasePath(), str )
self:databaseSend()
end

function ply:databaseCreate()
self:databaseDefault()
local b = file.CreateDir( self:databaseFolders() )
self:databaseSave()
end

function ply:databaseDisconnect()
self:databaseSave()
end

function ply:databaseSetValue( name, v)
if not v then return end

if type(v) == "table" then
if name == "inventory" then
for k, b in pairs(v) do
if b.ammount <= 0 then
v[k] = nil
end
end
end
end

local d = self:databaseGet()
d[name] = v

self:databaseSave()
end

function ply:databaseGetValue( name )
local d = self:databaseGet()
return d[name]
end

[/lua]

beginning of init.lua:
[lua]AddCSLuaFile( "cl_init.lua" )
AddCSLuaFile( "shared.lua" )
AddCSLuaFile( "database/cl_database.lua" )

include( "shared.lua" )
include( "database/database.lua" )[/lua]

[brandonj4]

You still didn't replace "ply" with "self" in all of your functions.

Put a timer delay for one second inside your "PlayerInitialSpawn" hook.

[Wizard of Ass]

[QUOTE=brandonj4;40991955]You still didn't replace "ply" with "self" in all of your functions.

Put a timer delay for one second inside your "PlayerInitialSpawn" hook.[/QUOTE]

Some functions are correct, others are not.

[~Razor~]

I would call the player meta table "playerMeta" instead of "ply", as "ply" can cause a lot of confusion, since it's normally used as a brief version of "player"

[Zyler]

Using Brandon's fixes I get this error:

gamemodes/*filepath*/database/database.lua:65: attempt to index local 'self' (a nil value)

line 64, 65, 66 and 67 respectively:
[lua]function ply:databaseExists()
local f = file.Exists( self:databasePath(), "DATA" )
return f
end[/lua]

changing 'self:databasePath()' to 'ply:databasePath()' seems to fix this, but it seems to lead to the other error I mentioned in the OP.

database.lua:
[lua]local ply = FindMetaTable("Player")
util.AddNetworkString( "database" )

local oldPrint = print
local function print(s)
oldPrint("database.lua: " .. s)
end

function ply:databaseDefault()
self:databaseSetValue( "money", 1000 )
local i = {}
i[ "testitem" ] = { ammount = 1 }
self:databaseSetValue( "inventory", i )
end

function ply:databaseNetworkedData()
local money = self:databaseGetValue( "money" )
self:SetNVInt("money", money)

self:KillSilent()
self:Spawn()
end

function ply:ShortenSteamId()
local id = self:SteamID()
id = string.gsub(id, ":", "_")
return id
end

function ply:databaseFolders()
return "server/customrpgamemode/players/" .. self:ShortenSteamId() .. "/"
end

function ply:databasePath()
return self:databaseFolders() .. "database.txt"
end

function ply:databaseSet( tab )
self.database = tab
end

function ply:databaseGet()
return self.database
end

function ply:databaseCheck()
self.database = {}
local f = self.databaseExists()
if f then
self:databaseRead()
else
self:databaseCreate()
end
self:databaseSend()
self:databaseNetworkedData()
end

function ply:databaseSend()
net.Start( "database" )
net.WriteTable( self:databaseGet() )
net.Send( self )
end

function ply:databaseExists()
local f = file.Exists( self:databasePath(), "DATA" )
return f
end

function ply:databaseRead()
local str = file.Read( self:databasePath(), "DATA" )
self:databaseSet(util.KeyValuesToTable(str) )
end

function ply:databaseSave()
local str = util.TableToKeyValues( self.database )
local f = file.Write( self:databasePath(), str )
self:databaseSend()
end

function ply:databaseCreate()
self:databaseDefault()
local b = file.CreateDir( self:databaseFolders() )
self:databaseSave()
end

function ply:databaseDisconnect()
self:databaseSave()
end

function ply:databaseSetValue( name, v)
if not v then return end

if type(v) == "table" then
if name == "inventory" then
for k, b in pairs(v) do
if b.ammount <= 0 then
v[k] = nil
end
end
end
end

local d = self:databaseGet()
d[name] = v

self:databaseSave()
end

function ply:databaseGetValue( name )
local d = self:databaseGet()
return d[name]
end

[/lua]

I don't think changing the name of the Player Meta Table will fix any of this, a side from making it less confusing to read, as it is called locally in the file.

[Jcw87]

In ply:databaseCheck(), change this

local f = self.databaseExists()

to this:

local f = self:databaseExists()

Defining a function using a colon will create an implicit 'self' argument, but in order for it to work correctly, you must either call that function with a colon, or pass the player entity to it manually.

[~Razor~]

[QUOTE=Zyler;41000559]I don't think changing the name of the Player Meta Table will fix any of this, a side from making it less confusing to read, as it is called locally in the file.[/QUOTE]

I wasn't saying that, it was just some advice.

[Zyler]

Thanks everyone, it seems to be working now.