Sorting auras with gap by time left

[Rainrider]

I have buffs and debuffs displayed together and separated by a gap for the pet frame. I create custom timers for auras (see CreateAuraTimer) by setting an OnUpdate script to the aura button in PostUpdateIcon. I then sort the auras at PreSetPosition (see SortAuras). In order to not sort the gap aura so buffs and debuff remain separated I nil timeLeft in PostUpdateGapIcon. Well, I do something wrong, as buffs and debuffs get mixed up when sorted. Would by thankful for pointers on that.

[haste]

It's your sort function. Sorting .Auras is a real PITA.

You basically need to implement a sort function that sorts buffs and debuffs for themselves, while maintaining the gap between and handles auras without a timer correctly.

You can simplify it quite a bit by mandating the auras to always have a timer. Something like this might work:

function(a, b)
   if(not a:IsShown()) then
      return b.isDebuff
   elseif(not b:IsShown()) then
     return not a.isDebuff
   elseif(a.isDebuff == b.isDebuff) then
      return a.timeLeft < b.timeLeft
   else
      return a:GetID() < b:GetID()
   end
end

[Rainrider]

It doesn't work. Used the code you provided as follows:

local SortAuras = function(a, b)
	if (not a or not b) then return end

	if(not a:IsShown()) then
		return b.isDebuff
	elseif(not b:IsShown()) then
		return not a.isDebuff
	elseif(a.isDebuff == b.isDebuff) then
		return a.timeLeft > b.timeLeft
	else
		return a:GetID() > b:GetID()
	end
end

and set timeLeft for the gap aura to -5 in PostUpdateGapAura (I noticed timeLeft could be negative (-0.062 the smallest I got and it happened very seldom, probably some OnUpdate lag)). Some screenshots of the results are attached. Auras without borders are buffs.







Edit:
Also got the following after some time.

55x oUF-1.6.4\elements\aura.lua:307: attempt to index field "?" (a nil value) oUF-1.6.4\elements\aura.lua:307: in function <oUF\elements\aura.lua:287> oUF-1.6.4\elements\aura.lua:361: in function "?" oUF-1.6.4\events.lua:69: in function <oUF\events.lua:62> Locals: ...

and

invalid order function for sorting

which is triggered by lua's ltablib.c

Sorry for editing this that often

[Rainrider]

Hm, I assumed that the gap aura is always a buff which it isn't. So me setting timeLeft to a negative value caused the gap to be sorted wrongly if debuff. Changed that to

aura.timeLeft = aura.isDebuff and math.huge or -5

and now this

local SortAuras = function(a, b)
	if (a and b) then
		if (a:IsShown() and b:IsShown()) then
			if (a.isDebuff == b.isDebuff) then
				return a.timeLeft > b.timeLeft
			end
		elseif (a:IsShown()) then
			return true
		end
	end
end

kind of works. There is an issue sometimes when a buff gets applied when there are debuffs present and it looks like this: DE DE BU GAP BU BU

I'll take another look at it later today or tomorrow. Your solution still produces mixed up auras as in the screenshot, it's just the errors that are now gone.

[Rainrider]

I simply cannot understand why my sorting function would not work. It mixes buffs and debuffs together. I'll just post my assumptions. Please tell me where I'm wrong:

The sorting function.

The aura button properties (duration and expTime are the 6th and 7th return of UnitAura):
IsShown() return value:
- true for buffs, debuffs and the gap aura
- nil for other created but unused aura buttons

isDebuff value:
- nil for buffs
- true for debuffs
- true or nil for the gap aura and other created but unused aura buttons

timeLeft value (set by my layout):
- expTime - GetTime() for buffs and debuffs if duration and duration > 0
- math.huge for buffs and debuffs if not duration or duration <= 0
- -5 for gap aura if not isDebuff (so it's the buff with the lowest timeLeft)
- math.huge for gap aura if isDebuff == true (so it's the debuff with the highest timeLeft)
- whatever from the above from when the button was last used for unused created aura buttons

The aura array before PreSetPosition (PreSetPosition is where we are supposed to sort):
[buffs (index sorted)][gap aura][debuffs (index sorted)][unused created icons]

The aura array is without holes.

The sorting function gets two parameters a and b, where a always has a higher array index than b. The sorting function returning true means a should come before b.

PreSetPosition should return a range (2 array indices) in which SetPosition operates to (re)anchor the corresponding auras. I return 1 and auras.createdIcons so it reanchors all of them (wouldn't it be even better to use auras.visibleAuras?).

Also why do I need elseif (a:IsShown()) then in my sorting function? It should not be possible to have a hidden aura button in between. I added that as per haste's advice here.

A short video of the results so far:
short video
A topic branch of my layout could be reviewed on github.

[Rainrider]

I would really love to get some feedback on that.