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element-referencing

More about: Variables and Functions

In the Grid Editor, variables and functions help you store and use data.
They always have a name, and they live in different places depending on how you create them.

Types of Variables​

There are 3 kinds of variables in Grid:

  • Local – for one Event only
  • Self – for one Control Element
  • Global – shared across the whole page

Each one is created differently and used with different naming styles.

Local Variables​

  • Exist only during a single Event (e.g. Setup, Timer)
  • Disappear after the Event ends
  • Uses the local prefix before the name when created, but can be referenced without it

Example:

local myvar = 5 --creating the local variable

myvar = myvar + 5 --referencing the local variable

Tip: Define them in the Locals Block of the Event where you use them.

Self Variables​

  • Stored inside the Control Element
  • Stay in memory and can be reused anytime
  • Use self. or element[x]. to reference or create them

Example:

self.counter = 0

Tip: Define in the Self Block of the Control Element's Setup Event.

Global Variables​

  • Shared across the whole page
  • Just create and reference them without a prefix, but using a Capitalized name for them is good practice

Example:

Gvalue = 100

Tip: Create in the Global Block of the System Setup Event to keep things organized.

Functions​

Functions have two parts:

  • A prefix (who runs it)
  • A suffix (what it does)

Prefixes​

  • self: → runs on this Control Element
  • element[x]: → runs on Control Element x
  • (none) → global function

Suffix​

The name of the function, like button_value() or midi_send()

Examples:

self:element_index() --this is a self function, called on that element
element[3]:button_value() --this is also a self function, but referenced from a different element
module_rotation() --this is a global function

Quick Syntax Rules​

TypePrefixSymbolEnding
Variableself..No ()
Functionself::Yes ()

Special Cases​

  • LED functions use no prefix. They take the LED number inside ().
  • Lua functions like math.random() are from a LUA library, you can find them on the official LUA documentation page.
  • Other exceptions are noted in the Reference Manual.