Lifecycle

Introduction

An app’s lifecycle refers to a cycle where an app starts, runs, and ends. You can create an app’s lifecycle by executing necessary actions in situations when the app starts, runs, or ends.

Understanding an App’s Lifecycle

Lifecycle functions are necessary as they help create functions according to an app’s life cycle. As you can see in the image below, Enter-Phase functions operate when an app starts. When an app is running, Update-Phase functions operate periodically, and when it ends, Exit-Phase functions start.

Make your app’s lifecycle from onInit to onDestroy utilizing the timing of each phrase.

Lifecycle at a Glance

// The first event called when running the app (before the user enters)
// Normal and Sidebar apps are called when the map is executed after applying the script [ Enter ]
App.onInit.Add(function(){
});

// All players enter the app through this event [ Enter ]
// Calls whenever a player enters afterward [ Events ]
App.onJoinPlayer.Add(function(player) {
});

// Event that starts first when each player enters [ Enter ]
App.onStart.Add(function(){
});

// Calls event every 20ms
// dt: deltatime (time taken for the previous frame to complete) [ Update ]
App.onUpdate.Add(function(dt){
});

// onUpdate again after handling the event callback

// Causes all players to leave the app when the app exits [ Exit ]
App.onLeavePlayer.Add(function(player){
});

// Last called when an app exits [ Exit ]
// Normal app and Sidebar app are closed separately
App.onDestroy.Add(function(){
});

1️⃣ Enter-Phase Functions

This guides the functions called during the lifecycle’s Enter Phase along with the execution of an app.

onInit

This function is called once when running the app for the first time.

Parameter

• None

Example

Display chat in onInit. (Make this as a Mini-Game to check it out.)

App.onInit.Add(function(){
	App.sayToAll("-- onInit --")
	App.sayToAll("   ready..  ")
	App.sayToAll("------------")
});

onJoinPlayer

Once onInit is called, this event lets all connected players enter and then operates whenever a new player enters afterward.

Parameter

Example

Display a message when a player enters.

App.onJoinPlayer.Add(function(player){
	App.showCenterLabel(`${player.name} has entered.`)
});

onStart

This function is called once after players have entered via onJoinPlayer.

Parameter

• None

Example

Display chat in onStart. (Make this as a Mini-Game to check it out.)

App.onStart.Add(function(){
	App.sayToAll("-- App Start --")
});

Understanding the Flow of Enter-Phase Functions

Check the Enter-Phase lifecycle flow with codes. Make a Mini-Game with the code below and run it!

// main.js
App.onInit.Add(function(){
	App.sayToAll("-- onInit --")
	App.sayToAll("   ready..  ")
	App.sayToAll("------------")
});

App.onJoinPlayer.Add(function(player){
	App.sayToAll(`${player.name} has entered.`)
});

App.onStart.Add(function(){
	App.sayToAll("-- App Start --")
});

2️⃣ Update-Phase Functions

Update has an onUpdate function that runs periodically about every 20ms.

When an event such as onJoinPlayer or onLeavePlayer occurs, onUpdate is periodically executed again after handling the event.

onUpdate

This function runs periodically about every 20ms.

Parameter

Example

Make a 10-second timer using the onUpdate function.

let countdown = 10;
let timer = 0;
App.onUpdate.Add(function(dt){
	timer += dt;
	if(timer >=1){
		if(countdown >= 0)
		{
			App.showCenterLabel(countdown--);
		}
		else{
			App.showCenterLabel("Time Over");
		}
		timer = 0;
	}
})

3️⃣ Exit-Phase Functions

These functions execute when an app ends.

onLeavePlayer

This function operates whenever a player exits. After that, this function kicks all players from the app when another app is launched or the installed Game Block is destroyed.

Parameter

Example

Display a message when a player exits.

// Executes when a player exits
App.onLeavePlayer.Add(function(player){
	App.showCenterLabel(`${player.name} has left.`)
});

onDestroy

It operates when another app is launched or the installed Game Block is destroyed.

Parameter

• None

Example

Display a message when Game Block is destroyed. (Mini-Game)

// Executes when Game Block is destroyed
App.onDestroy.Add(function(){
	App.showCenterLabel("Game Block has been destroyed.")
});