[Question][Lua] Efficient digging through gravel

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Title [Question][Lua] Efficient digging through gravel

I'm trying to write a new excavation program. I really like the current one as a strip miner, but one thing bugs me. It's really inefficient digging 1 block at a time. Turtles can dig Up, Front, and Down, then move.

If anyone is interested, here's what i have so far

Sorry, the forum seems to have removed my line spacing

function digmove(times)
for i=1,times do
while not turtle.forward() do
turtle.dig()
sleep (0.2)
end
turtle.forward()
turtle.digUp()
turtle.digDown()
end
end
function dopath()
end
function gotolevel()
turtle.digDown()
turtle.down()
turtle.digDown()
turtle.down()
turtle.digDown()
segmentdone=0
end
function segment(segments)
digmove(17)
turtle.turnRight()
moveone()
turtle.turnRight()
digmove(17)
segmentdone=segmentdone+1
if segments>segmentdone then
leftturn()
end
end
function leftturn()
turtle.turnLeft()
moveone()
turtle.turnLeft()
end
function moveone()
while not turtle.forward() do
turtle.dig()
sleep (0.2)
end
turtle.forward()
turtle.digUp()
turtle.digDown()
end
gotolevel()
dotimes=1
while dotimes>segmentdone do
segment(dotimes-segmentdone)
end

(Dont worry, i dont expect anyone to dig through that to find my problem. A lot of the functions are still being debugged)

The problem here is that it's possible for gravel to fall from the top/front to the front slot. If this happens, the turtle skips a point in the digmove loop, so he ends up turning early, and ruining his pattern. To avoid this, i changed his dig/move routine to the following

while not turtle.forward() do
turtle.dig()
sleep (0.2)
end

Then once this while loop ends, he moves. If i've got it right (and i dont think i do), he should be only digging when there's something diggable in front of him, but continuing to dig until there is not.

Have I done this right? Is there a better way?

you have it perfectly, I'm just not so sure about that sleep, is it really necessary?

I usually use something like

while turtle.detect( ) do
    turtle.dig( )
    sleep( 0.5 ) -- you may have to change this according to how long it takes gravel to fall
end

but your way works equally as well

the thing is you have to wait for the gravel to fall before turtle.detect works, as soon as it is falling into the block turtle.forward returns false

*snip*

EDIT: Upon rereading, my response was very similar to KaoS

awsumben's way requires the sleep, the op's way does not. And if you don't need to sleep, you shouldn't sleep.