How do I limit a variable?

mmdlolzg

I have used the search function so pardon me if the question has been asked but I have several variables that increase or decrease (numerical, like an rpg) but I want to prevent them from going above or below a certain number. Is this possible? If so, how?

TheMadExile

Which story format are you using? How are you modifying the $variables?

Anyway, limiting a value to a specific range is known as clamping. The simple answer would be to check the value afterwards and, if it exceeds your specified range in a particular direction, reset it to the min/max.

For example, let's assume a range of [2, 10].


The following works in all Twine 1 story formats and SugarCube:

Clamping after modification, using <<if>> and <<set>>:

→ Modify the value.
<<set $stat += 1>>

→ Clamp it.
<<if $stat lt 2>><<set $stat to 2>><<elseif $stat gt 10>><<set $stat to 10>><<endif>>

However, you could also clamp during modification, using Math.min() and Math.max():

→ Modify the value and clamp it in one go.
<<set $stat to Math.max(2, Math.min($stat + 1, 10)>>

Beyond that, SugarCube has a few clamping methods available:

Clamping after modification:

→ Modify the value.
<<set $stat += 1>>

→ Clamp it.
<<set $stat to $stat.clamp(2, 10)>>

Or, again, you could also clamp during modification:

→ Modify the value and clamp it in one go.
<<set $stat to Math.clamp($stat + 1, 2, 10)>>