CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascriptjquery
tomtom
tomtom

Reputation: 1190

Call a method every X seconds with different parameters

FYI: I know there are many "how can you call a method every X seconds using JavaScript" questions out there; this is slightly different so please don't mark as duplicate unless it truly is.

Problem: I have a method move that takes in a direction parameter (i.e. r,l,u,or d). I want to call my move method every X seconds with one parameter, but I want it to "cancel" the current move interval that's running any other parameter. For example, if I'm running move('r') every 1 second, and then I trigger the move('d') event to run every 1 second, I want to cancel the move('r') method.

Code:

$(document).keydown(function(event) {
        if(event.which == RIGHT){
            window.setInterval(function(){
                //CANCEL OTHER CURRENT "MOVES" HERE
                move('r');
            }, 500);

        } else if (event.which == LEFT) {
            window.setInterval(function(){
                //CANCEL OTHER CURRENT "MOVES" HERE
                move('l');
            }, 500);
        } else if (event.which == UP){
            window.setInterval(function(){
                //CANCEL OTHER CURRENT "MOVES" HERE
                move('u');
            }, 500);
        } else if (event.which == DOWN){
            window.setInterval(function(){
                //CANCEL OTHER CURRENT "MOVES" HERE
                move('d');
            }, 500);
        }
    });

Edit Thanks all for the awesome answers. A slight combination of a few answers below allowed me to finish up my project (well, almost) - http://jsfiddle.net/thomasmclaughlin/8c9ww/ - Thanks again!

Upvotes: 0

Views: 317

Answers (4)

kushpf
kushpf

Reputation: 1098

Something like this would be better. Update variable simply, and pass it in the function.

$x = '';

$(document).keydown(function(event) {
    if(event.which == RIGHT){
        $x = 'r';
    } else if (event.which == LEFT) {
        $x = 'l';
    } else if (event.which == UP){
        $x = 'u';
    } else if (event.which == DOWN){
        $x = 'd';
    }
});

window.setInterval(function(){
   move($x);
}, 500);

Upvotes: 1

Firedrake969
Firedrake969

Reputation: 773

The way I'd personally go about it is completely different, but here goes a pseudocode/real code mixture:

var key = 0;
$(document).keydown(function(e) {
    //check the event.which here, and set them to 1-4 depending on the event.which
});
$(document).keyup(function() {
    key = 0;
});
$(document).ready(function() {
    setInterval(move(key), 500);
});

Upvotes: 0

durbnpoisn
durbnpoisn

Reputation: 4669

Once consideration is to change your mathod of tracking the move. I suggest keeping your "move" in one small array, x and y. Set the current move by setting the x or why you wish to modify

'u'  move=[-500,0]
'd'  move=[500,0]
'l'  move=[0,-500]
'd'  move=[0,500]

Upvotes: 0

tymeJV
tymeJV

Reputation: 104775

Have a global timer variable setup for your interval

var myInterval = null;

Now have a method to set the interval, but first checking if one is in progress:

function startInterval(r, l, u, d) {
    if (myInterval != null) clearInterval(myInterval)

    myInterval = setInterval(function() {
        move(r, l, u, d);
    }, 500);
}

Now each time you call startInterval, it will cancel the current interval if there is one and start a new one.

Upvotes: 4

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