Quick Help: '(' expected near 'GM'

Garry's Mod coding
#1

So I’m trying to learn GLua and I’ve tried to make a simple script, however upon loading it, the script doesn’t work and gives the error



[ERROR] lua/autorun/test.lua:14: '(' expected near 'GM'
  1. unknown - lua/autorun/test.lua:0

My lua code



funnyColor = Color(255, 0, 0, 255)

function GM:OnPlayerChat( player, strText, bTeamOnly, bPlayerIsDead )
  if ( IsValid( player )) then
    player:SetColor( funnyColor )
    print("Yes")
  else
    player:SetColor( funnyColor )
    print("No!")
  return true
  end
end

hook.Add("OnPlayerChat","PlayerChatHook", function GM.OnPlayerChat() end )

I have no idea what I’m doing wrong. Thanks in advance for the help

#2

This isn’t how you add hooks.



funnyColor = Color(255, 0, 0, 255)

function UniqueNameForYourHook( player, strText, bTeamOnly, bPlayerIsDead )
  if ( IsValid( player )) then
    player:SetColor( funnyColor )
    print("Yes")
  else
    player:SetColor( funnyColor )
    print("No!")
  return true
  end
end

hook.Add("OnPlayerChat","PlayerChatHook", UniqueNameForYourHook )

In your previous code, you were creating a function in the GM table, which will effectively be called as a hook, but this is terrible practice as it overwrites the core gamemode hook, and will lead to problems and even conflicts between addons.

Instead, you name it as a unique function, and pass that to the hook.Add function as its 3rd argument.

On a side note, the variable funnyColor need not be global, prefix it with "local ". Also, you should not return a value within a hook as this will stop all other hooks from being called (this will also cause conflicts with other addons).

Here is a more concise version of your code:



local funnyColor = Color(255, 0, 0, 255)

function UniqueNameForYourHook( player )

  if ( isValid(player ) ) then
    print( "Yes" )
    player:SetColor( funnyColor )
    return nil
  end

  print( "No!" )
  -- Do not color an invalid player
end

hook.Add("OnPlayerChat","PlayerChatHook", UniqueNameForYourHook )
#3 


function() GM.OnPlayerChat() end
#4

You don’t even need to add the hook through hook.Add considering your overriding the gamemode hook.

#5

You don’t want to override GM functions unless you’re creating your own gamemode. You should use hooks instead:
[lua]local function LocalizedFunction()
– do stuff
end

hook.Add(“EventName”, “Unique name for this hook”, LocalizedFunction) – referenced the funtion declared above[/lua]or[lua]hook.Add(“EventName”, “Unique name”, function()
– do stuff
end) – used anonymous function[/lua]
In your example, you’re doing both (overriding the GM function and trying to add it as a hook, which you shouldn’t do).

Also there’s no reason not to localize the funnyColor variable.

[editline]8th November 2017[/editline]

There’s no reason to ever do anything like this, and moreover, in this case it wouldn’t even work.

#6

Doesn’t matter - the syntax error is fixed, which actually answers the first question. As for the logic behind actually doing it that way in the first place - I chose not to answer that.