timer can't take any parameter

Getting Started Newbie Questions
1

Wonderful day!

WHY can’t the timer.performWithDelay take any parameter?

For example:

function writeText(text)   print(text) end timer.performWithDelay(3000, writeText("thisIsSomeText"), 0)

That doesn’t work. The timer completly ignores the delay and is doing it instanlty.

It only works if i do

function writeText()   print "text" end timer.performWithDelay(3000, writeText, 0)

so without the brackets, which is pretty annyoing bc this way i have to make a new function every time?

What is wrong with the code - why is this not working? How to do this else?

Thanks!

2

You need to use a closure. 

(This is clearly described in the docs: https://docs.coronalabs.com/api/library/timer/performWithDelay.html#passing-parameters-1))
 
Your code is a direct call to the function writeText():

timer.performWithDelay(3000, writeText("thisIsSomeText"), 0)

 
This is the right way to do it:

timer.performWithDelay(3000, function() writeText("thisIsSomeText") end, 0)

 
Give the docs a quick re-read and you’ll see this:
https://docs.coronalabs.com/api/library/timer/performWithDelay.html
 

timer.performWithDelay( delay, listener [, iterations] )

Listener is the function to call.  i.e. It has to be a reference to a function.
 
In your code you’re calling the function an passing what it returns to timer.performWithDelay()

3

Here is the API docs page: https://docs.coronalabs.com/api/

I reference this a dozen times a day, so I keep on my browser bookmarks links bar for easy access.

Welcome to the community by the way.

Note: While I may seem gruff, I do like to help folks a lot, but I’m also not afraid to tell folks when they could have looked it up.  Corona has absolutely stellar docs and there are tons of examples, here and about:

For your list later:

Again, welcome and happy developing!

4

Amazin! Thx

5

You need to use a closure. 

(This is clearly described in the docs: https://docs.coronalabs.com/api/library/timer/performWithDelay.html#passing-parameters-1))
 
Your code is a direct call to the function writeText():

timer.performWithDelay(3000, writeText("thisIsSomeText"), 0)

 
This is the right way to do it:

timer.performWithDelay(3000, function() writeText("thisIsSomeText") end, 0)

 
Give the docs a quick re-read and you’ll see this:
https://docs.coronalabs.com/api/library/timer/performWithDelay.html
 

timer.performWithDelay( delay, listener [, iterations] )

Listener is the function to call.  i.e. It has to be a reference to a function.
 
In your code you’re calling the function an passing what it returns to timer.performWithDelay()

6

Here is the API docs page: https://docs.coronalabs.com/api/

I reference this a dozen times a day, so I keep on my browser bookmarks links bar for easy access.

Welcome to the community by the way.

Note: While I may seem gruff, I do like to help folks a lot, but I’m also not afraid to tell folks when they could have looked it up.  Corona has absolutely stellar docs and there are tons of examples, here and about:

For your list later:

Again, welcome and happy developing!

7

Amazin! Thx