Incrementing a variable name each time it is called

Question

Hi everyone,

I am trying to let users report bugs or suggestions while reading the story. In each passage, readers may click a link to prompt a window that let them write their comment. However, I am struggling in how to store these comments during the story (note that I am quite a newbie in programming).

I am using Harlowe 2.1.0.

Right now, I have a footer passage with this code:

(set: $currentpassage to (passage:)'s name)

(link: "Report a bug")[(set: $ncomment to it + 1)(set: $usercomment to (prompt: "Your comment", ""))(set: $comment to ("$currentpassage") + ("$ncomment") + ("$usercomment"))]

This allows me to precisely trace the comment. However, my issue is that each comment is erased with each new one. 

Is there a way to change the last (set: $comment) to call a different variable with each call? For instance, is there a way to set a variable name with something like: (set: ("$comment+$ncomment") to ...)?

Or do you have another idea that would work?

Thanks!

Lou

Answer 1

You could use an Array story variable to store the comments the user enters.

1. Initialise the Array in your project's startup tagged special Passage using the (a:) macro.

(set: $userComments to (a:))

2. Use TwineScript like the following to obtain the comment from the user and to add it to the Array.

warning: The (prompt:) macro will return an empty String value if the user either selects the 'Cancel' option or selects the 'OK' option without entering a value into the field. You can use the (unless:) macro to make sure you are only adding actual comments to the Array.

(link-repeat: "Report a bug")[{
	(set: _userComment to (prompt: "Your comment", ""))
	(unless: _userComment is "")[
		(set: $userComments to it + (a: _userComment))
	]
}]

3. Displaying the comments (elements) contained within the Array using the (for:) macro.

warning: The (for:) macro will show an error if it is passed an empty Array, you can use an (unless:) macro to check the Array's length value to make sure it contains elements.

{
	(unless: $userComments's length is 0)[
		(set: $counter to 0)
		(for: each _comment, ...$userComments)[
			(set: $counter to it + 1)
			<br>$counter: _comment
		]
	]
}

4. Combining the asking for a comment and the displaying of the contents of the Array in the same Passage.

The following example consists of two passages:

a. The first passage (named whatever you like) displays the "Report a bug" link and the contents of the Array.

(link-repeat: "Report a bug")[{
	(set: _userComment to (prompt: "Your comment", ""))
	(unless: _userComment is "")[
		(set: $userComments to it + (a: _userComment))
	]
	(replace: ?comments)[(display: "List User Commments")]
}]

{
User Comments: ((link-repeat: "Refresh")[(replace: ?comments)[(display: "List User Commments")]])
|comments>[(display: "List User Commments")]
}

b. The second passage (named List User Commments in this example) contains the TwineScript from the above Point 3.

note: You will notice that I added a (replace:) macro within the associated hook of the the "Report a bug" link, this causes the User Comments list to be automatically updated each it a new comment is added to the Array. If you don't want that to happen then simply remove that (replace:) macro.

Comments

Sorry for the delay in my answer and thanks you for your help. Your answer was very complete and precise. Your code works perfectly and I managed to also add the passage's name information by following the same logic.

Thanks again!