Tutorial Cooldowns - Prevent users from executing commands

Here is a way that I've been keeping a tab for cooldowns. It's actually simpler than one would think.

PHP:

public static HashMap<Player, Long> cooldownUsers = new HashMap<Player, Long>(); // This is where the users will be stored if they have a cooldown hold

/**
* Starts a scheduler in Bukkit to monitor the cooldown
*
* @author MatthewEnderle
* @param delay Amount in seconds to wait to run
* @param cooldown Amount in seconds to place user in cooldown list
*/
public void cooldownSchedule(Integer delay, Integer cooldown) { // Delay is
    Bukkit.getScheduler().scheduleSyncRepeatingTask(Bukkit.getPluginManager().getPlugin("Your plugin"), new Runnable() {
   
        @Override
        public void run() {
           for (Player p : cooldownUsers.keySet()) { // searching for the player in the cooldownUsers Hashmap
               if (cooldown >= ((System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000L) - cooldownUsers.get(p))) { // Simple math
                   cooldownUsers.remove(p); // Removing the player because they are past the cooldown period
               } // User is not out of cooldown period
           } // Could not find user in table, prob never ran command
        }

    }, 1L , (long) delay * 20);
}

You will need to start the task where ever you want. In most cases this is done in onEnable. It doesn't have to be. You will also want to clear the cooldown just to be safe when the server stops or the plugin is reloaded.

PHP:

public void onEnable() {
    cooldownSchedule(3, 300); // Run the task
}
    public void onDisable() {
    cooldownUsers = null; // Empty the HashMap
}

To actually block someone from running a command until their cooldown completes place this:

PHP:

cooldownUsers.put(player, System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000L);


Multiple Cooldown Guide (open) Multiple Cooldown Guide (close)

Create a HashMap per cooldown

PHP:

public static HashMap<Player, Long> cooldownKit = new HashMap<Player, Long>();
public static HashMap<Player, Long> cooldownTeleport = new HashMap<Player, Long>();

Replace the one for loop inside the run() function with multiple ones like so:

PHP:

public void run() {
   for (Player p : cooldownKit.keySet()) { // searching for the player in the cooldownUsers Hashmap
       if (cooldown >= ((System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000L) - cooldownKit.get(p))) { // Simple math
           cooldownKit.remove(p); // Removing the player because they are past the cooldown period
       } // User is not out of cooldown period
   } // Could not find user in table, prob never ran command
   for (Player p : cooldownTeleport.keySet()) { // searching for the player in the cooldownUsers Hashmap
       if (cooldown >= ((System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000L) - cooldownTeleport.get(p))) { // Simple math
           cooldownTeleport.remove(p); // Removing the player because they are past the cooldown period
       } // User is not out of cooldown period
   } // Could not find user in table, prob never ran command
}

Add the new HashMaps to the onDisable:

PHP:

public void onDisable() {
    cooldownKit = null; // Empty the HashMap
    cooldownTeleport = null; // Empty the HashMap
}

Finally manipulate the users via this

PHP:

cooldownTeleport.put(player, System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000L);
cooldownKit.put(player, System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000L);

 

@Matthewenderle
Neat, however there is one problem; you never put the cooldown time in the hashmap.

Also, so that each version of the plugin is not plugin-name-dependant, you could require a JavaPlugin instance.

 

Arent BukkitRunnables the newer way to do this?

 

The only problem I could see is that the cooldowns would disappear when the server is turned off.
Right?

The hashmap would not keep its values.

 

@Eccentric_Gamer Then save the hashmap entries in a file onDisable and load it onEnable.

 

@KarimAKL Yeah that's how I do it (cooldowns.yml), but I don't see that here is all I'm saying.

EDIT: Is there a better way, by any chance. I know essentials and other big plugins and big minecraft servers don't have files for it. Do they save cooldowns in something like mySQL. The essentials /heal, /feed, and kits all have cooldowns which continue even when the server is turned offline. How do they work?

 

@Eccentric_Gamer
Whatever way they use it's likely time consuming and potentially expensive. If it's only for a small problem that you don't plan on making money from, then just use a file.