for loop help and sprite addition - lua

Question

I have two questions. what I am
trying to do is every time I shoot a enemy/vine it should be
removed and a explosion should occur. the removal works perfect
but the sprite is not called to explode
What's this in the for loop #sections[sectInt]["vines"] ?
Are they parent/ child references? Can someone break this
down to the letter even telling me what the # is?
How can I use my explosion sprite after each vine is destroyed?
I am having a difficult time figuring out how to call every x and y
vine in the for loop to explode when removed.
Code:
local sections = require("sectionData")
local lastSection = 0
function createSection()
--Create a random number. If its eqaul to the last one, random it again.
local sectInt = mR(1,#sections)
if sectInt == lastSection then sectInt = mR(1,#sections) end
lastSection = sectInt
--Get a random section from the sectionData file and then
--Loop through creating everything with the right properties.
local i
-- the random creation of vines throughout the screen
for i=1, #sections[sectInt]["vines"] do
local object = sections[sectInt]["vines"][i]
local vine = display.newImageRect(objectGroup, "images/vine"..object["type"]..".png", object["widthHeight"][1], object["widthHeight"][2])
vine.x = object["position"][1]+(480*object["screen"]); vine.y = object["position"][2]; vine.name = "vine"
local rad = (vine.width*0.5)-8; local height = (vine.height*0.5)-8
local physicsShape = { -rad, -height, rad, -height, rad, height, -rad, height }
physics.addBody( vine, "static", { isSensor = true, shape = physicsShape } )
end
end
-- explosion sprite
options1 =
{
width = 96, height = 96,
numFrames = 16,
sheetContentWidth = 480,
sheetContentHeight = 384
}
playerSheet1 = graphics.newImageSheet( "images/explosion.png", options1)
playerSprite1 = {
{name="explosion", start=1, count=16, time = 400, loopCount = 1 },
}
explode = display.newSprite(playerSheet1, playerSprite1)
explode.anchorX = 0.5
explode.anchorY = 1
--player:setReferencePoint(display.BottomCenterReferencePoint)
-- i want to reference the for loop position if each vine so it plays sprite when they are removed
explode.x = "vine.x" ; explode.y = "vine .y"
explode.name = "explode"
explode.position=1
extraGroup:insert(explode)

Answer 1

1) What's this in the for loop #sections[sectInt]["vines"] ? Are they parent/ child references? Can someone break this down to the letter even telling me what the # is?
As I said in my comment the # is table length.
The loop is looping over each bit of "vine" data in the selected segment data (whatever that means exactly in terms of the game) and then creates the objects for those vines.

Answer 2

When it's time to make your vine explode, you play the sprite. If you want to explode every vine, you would have something like:
sheetOptions =
{
width = 96, height = 96,
numFrames = 16,
sheetContentWidth = 480,
sheetContentHeight = 384
}
playerSheet = graphics.newImageSheet( "images/explosion.png", sheetOptions)
spriteSequence = {
{name="explosion", start=1, count=16, time = 400, loopCount = 1 },
}
for i, vine in ipairs(objectGroup) do
local explode = display.newSprite(playerSheet, spriteSequence)
explode.anchorX = 0.5
explode.anchorY = 1
explode.x = vine.x
explode.y = vine.y
explode.name = "explode"
explode.position=1
explode:play()
extraGroup:insert(explode)
end
Note: not tested, let me know of if any issues you can't resolve.

Answer 3

ok so, this is what i did to get my object to have a explosion, for anybody that is having the same issue.
function isShot( event )
print('shot!!!')
if (event.other.class == "enemy") then
if (event.other.name == "limitLine") then
event.target:doRemove() --remove bullet if hits the limitLine
elseif (event.other.name == "vine") then
event.other:doRemove()
spriteExplode(event.other.x, event.other.y) -- this function calls itself & runs the sprite
if event.other.name == "vine" then
if event.other.name == "explode" then
event.other:doRemove() --this removes the explosion sprite
end
end
end
-- remove the bullet & explosion sprite
timer.performWithDelay( 5000, function(event) explode:doRemove(); end, 1 )
event.target:doRemove()
end
return true
end
function spriteExplode( x, y)
explode.isVisible = true
explode:play()
print("play explode")
if (x and y) then -- this is the code that keeps my sprite updating upon removal of vine
explode.x, explode.y = x, y
end
function explode:doRemove(event)
timer.performWithDelay(
1,
function(event)
display.remove(self)
self= nil
end,
1 )
end
end
i added the isShot function eventListener inside of the Bullet function
bullet:addEventListener("collision", isShot) & a bullet:doRemove function is inside the bullet function as well.
hope this helps.