Suddenly Playmaker Query is Annoyed by NULL Text Cells

[westingtyler]

Suddenly today, after 2 years of working with no problems, I get this error any time I try to launch my Unity scene. The Query Single Row playmaker command checks to find the contents of a cell under column IsAxis, and brings back the TEXT as a string. To avoid tedium, sometimes the cells are just left empty as NULLS to equal NO or NONE. Unity never had a problem with this and returned an empty string, until today. 

I need a way to check "is cell Null?" and if cell IS null, return a blank string or empty string. going through thousands of database entries just to add the word NO or N/A or NONE or adding "blankness" to them seems pointless, especially since game players will be able to modify the tables, and that's one more thing they can screw up. Is there a possible action that could test if a Cell is null, or could such a test and a 'send event' option be added to the Query actions?

Here is the error. Why would Unity SUDDENLY care about this and start throwing errors when yesterday and for years it was fine?


Startup InputPrefs Loadup : InputPrefs Loadup : QUERY isAxis : SimpleSQL_Query_SingleRow : There was an error trying to store the results. Be sure your result variable types match the query results
UnityEngine.Debug:LogError(Object, Object)
HutongGames.PlayMaker.FsmLog:AddEntry(FsmLogEntry, Boolean) (at C:/Projects/Playmaker_1.9.0/Projects/Playmaker.source.unity/Assets/PlayMaker/Classes/FsmLog.cs:172)
HutongGames.PlayMaker.FsmLog:LogAction(FsmLogType, String, Boolean) (at C:/Projects/Playmaker_1.9.0/Projects/Playmaker.source.unity/Assets/PlayMaker/Classes/FsmLog.cs:361)
HutongGames.PlayMaker.FsmStateAction:LogError(String) (at C:/Projects/Playmaker_1.9.0/Projects/Playmaker.source.unity/Assets/PlayMaker/Classes/FsmStateAction.cs:280)
SimpleSQL_Query_SingleRow:DoQuery() (at Assets/PlayMaker/Actions/SimpleSQL/SimpleSQL_Query_SingleRow.cs:140)
SimpleSQL_Query_SingleRow:OnEnter() (at Assets/PlayMaker/Actions/SimpleSQL/SimpleSQL_Query_SingleRow.cs:29)
HutongGames.PlayMaker.FsmState:ActivateActions(Int32) (at C:/Projects/Playmaker_1.9.0/Projects/Playmaker.source.unity/Assets/PlayMaker/Classes/FsmState.cs:205)
HutongGames.PlayMaker.FsmState:OnEnter() (at C:/Projects/Playmaker_1.9.0/Projects/Playmaker.source.unity/Assets/PlayMaker/Classes/FsmState.cs:175)
HutongGames.PlayMaker.Fsm:EnterState(FsmState) (at C:/Projects/Playmaker_1.9.0/Projects/Playmaker.source.unity/Assets/PlayMaker/Classes/Fsm.cs:2771)
HutongGames.PlayMaker.Fsm:SwitchState(FsmState) (at C:/Projects/Playmaker_1.9.0/Projects/Playmaker.source.unity/Assets/PlayMaker/Classes/Fsm.cs:2718)
HutongGames.PlayMaker.Fsm:UpdateStateChanges() (at C:/Projects/Playmaker_1.9.0/Projects/Playmaker.source.unity/Assets/PlayMaker/Classes/Fsm.cs:2643)
HutongGames.PlayMaker.Fsm:UpdateState(FsmState) (at C:/Projects/Playmaker_1.9.0/Projects/Playmaker.source.unity/Assets/PlayMaker/Classes/Fsm.cs:2787)
HutongGames.PlayMaker.Fsm:Update() (at C:/Projects/Playmaker_1.9.0/Projects/Playmaker.source.unity/Assets/PlayMaker/Classes/Fsm.cs:1995)
PlayMakerFSM:Update() (at C:/Projects/Playmaker_1.9.0/Projects/Playmaker.source.unity/Assets/PlayMaker/PlayMakerFSM.cs:589)

[echo17]

I'm not sure what might have changed. You can use the sqlite syntax IFNULL to check if a null exists and modify the result if so. This works not only on TEXT fields, but INT as well. Example:

SELECT StringFieldA, IFNULL(IntFieldA, -1), IFNULL(StringFieldB, '') FROM MyTable

See this link for more info: link

[westingtyler]

Excellent.

So if I need to query a row cell:

SELECT RiggedModelName FROM CharactersRegistry WHERE CharacterNameInternal = ?

adding the IFNULL would cause it to look like this right?

SELECT IFNULL(RiggedModelName, 'n/a') RiggedModelName FROM CharactersRegistry WHERE CharacterNameInternal = ?

PS. SimpleSQL is amazing and awesome. On the store page for the awesome EndlessBook addon, it says you guys are making your own fantasy game? Is there somewhere we can see/read more of that game? Also, does EndlessBook work in VR, in deferred rendering, and in URP? It looks amazing! A tutorial for making new book models (I need a thin book and a school folder) would be awesome.

Keep up the great work!

[echo17]

Mar 25, 2020 8:05:08 GMT westingtyler said:

Excellent.

So if I need to query a row cell:

SELECT RiggedModelName FROM CharactersRegistry WHERE CharacterNameInternal = ?

adding the IFNULL would cause it to look like this right?

SELECT IFNULL(RiggedModelName, 'n/a') RiggedModelName FROM CharactersRegistry WHERE CharacterNameInternal = ?

Yep, you got it.

Mar 25, 2020 8:05:08 GMT westingtyler said:

PS. SimpleSQL is amazing and awesome.

Thanks, I appreciate the kind words!

Mar 25, 2020 8:05:08 GMT westingtyler said:

On the store page for the awesome EndlessBook addon, it says you guys are making your own fantasy game? Is there somewhere we can see/read more of that game?

I'm working on a turn-based strategy magic game using EndlessBook. It's a passion project, so it is likely to never get released, but it is fun to tinker with now and then. I wanted a book that I could have moving images in since the book itself is a magic book. Thus, EndlessBook was born. I don't have any public information for that game, unfortunately.

Mar 25, 2020 8:05:08 GMT westingtyler said:

Also, does EndlessBook work in VR, in deferred rendering, and in URP? It looks amazing! A tutorial for making new book models (I need a thin book and a school folder) would be awesome.

I don't have any experience with VR or URP so I wouldn't be able to answer that question. The book is just a 3D animated model, so if that works in VR, then EndlessBook should too.

[westingtyler]

Okay, then I think EndlessBook would work in VR. Using models with URP in a Unity project just requires hitting a button to convert the material shaders to URP ones. Interacting in VR would probably just be about ray casting onto the page collider to turn the page. I definitely plan on getting EndlessBook once I'm at that point to need it, as my game is all about immersion, and I want characters to be able to read old fairy tales by sitting in a chair anywhere and reading a book. Anyway, thanks and keep up the great work!