attempt to call nil

Hi

I am trying to create a program using the player detector from misc peripherals. The program is supposed to get the names of the player, insert that name into the table and then print the table to the monitor.

When i run the code i get detector:1: attempt to call nil

I am new to programming and iv only just started using tables. All help is appreciated.

Here is the pastebin link http://pastebin.com/PL4UBRcC

Thankyou in advance
Beechey

Split into new topic.

You have to set Side before using it. By the way I think that the error is on line 3 - there is no actual code on line 1.
AND You have to use a = on line 5 before {}.
AND table.insert needs only two parameters - the table and the value - it will insert the value to the end of the table.
AND on line 11, player should be in quotations, since it's a string.
AND on line 13, you get the Num-th entry of NameCollection using NameCollection[Num].
AND after table.insert you have update Num using Num = #NameCollection - it won't update itself.

Some notes with your code

mon = peripheral.wrap(Side) --# you need to specify a side as a string here
Side = mon.getSide() --# there is no getSide function on the mon peripheral

NameCollection {} --# you're missing an = here
Num = #NameCollection

mon.write("Touch detector to input name.")

while true do
  event, playerName = os.pullEvent()
  if event == player then --# player is not a valid variable, you're missing the quotes to make it check if it is a player event
	table.insert(NameCollection, Num + 1, playerName) --# this will always insert in the same index, not at the end
	mon.write(NameCollection, Num +1) --# we cannot print a table in this way, also if this did work it would print the same name each time as you never increment Num
  end
end

this is how the program should be done

local mon = peripheral.wrap("left")
local nameCollection = {}

mon.write( "Touch detector to input name." )

while true do
  local event, playerName = os.pullEvent()
  if event == "player" then
	table.insert(nameCollection, playerName)
	-- or this
	-- nameCollection[#nameCollection + 1] = playerName
	mon.write( "Added "..playerName )
	-- or as I think you were meaning
	mon.write( "Added "..nameCollection[#nameCollection] )
  end
end

EDIT: Damn LBPHacker posting then editing… stop trying to make yourself look like a ninja. :P/>

theoriginalbit, on 12 June 2013 - 02:39 AM said:

EDIT: Damn LBPHacker posting then editing… stop trying to make yourself look like a ninja. :P/>

Haven't updated the page - didn't notice you… (And of course IP.Board didn't notifiy me). Edited the crap out of my comment after re-reading the pastebin.

Thanks guys, just updated the code and it is to working. I want it to write a list of names that it collects though, so if i click it my name will be on the screen and then if say you click it your name will be there underneith. Is that possible?

Bit showed you the more difficult part of that, I'll just wrap up what's left.

local mon = peripheral.wrap("left")
local nameCollection = {}

mon.clear()
mon.setCursorPos(1, 1)
mon.write("Touch detector to input name")
local offset = 1 -- in case you removed the text printed above, set this to 0
local width, height = mon.getSize()

while true do
    local event, playerName = os.pullEvent()
    if event == "player" then
        table.insert(nameCollection, playerName)
        mon.setCursorPos(1, #nameCollection + 1)
        for i = 1, math.min(#nameCollection, height - offset) do
            mon.setCursorPos(1, i + offset)
            mon.clearLine()
            mon.write("Added " .. nameCollection[i + math.max(#nameCollection - height + offset, 0)])
        end
    end
end

Ok awesome Thankyou for the help. Il do that when I get home from work tonight. :)/>