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Why am I receiving "attempt to index nil with 'FindFirstChild'"?

Asked by

ChirpPerson 74

4 years ago

Edited 4 years ago

I am receiving "attempt to index nil with 'FindFirstChild'" from two of my scripts, namely ChatHandler and ChangeNameScript, on account of identifying a GUI placed in the player's head by my localscript, Name title giver.

Specifically, I am getting "Workspace.ChatHandler:19: attempt to index nil with 'FindFirstChild'" and "ServerScriptService.ChangeNameScript:8: attempt to index nil with 'FindFirstChild'".

The ChatHandler and ChangeNameScript are supposed to identify the text of the nametag (NameGui.NameLabel.Text) provided by Name title giver, but it does not. The NameLabel, NameGui, and player's head exist at the time in which the scripts go to identify them, however, they don't identify them. I am at my wit's end as to why. I appreciate any response, help, or suggestion. I am new to coding and I am truly lost as to what I am doing wrong. PLEASE tell me if you need any further clarification, I will gladfully provide it. Thank you so much

Below are my scripts and screenshots of my workspace.

https://ibb.co/1Xcmfhv

https://ibb.co/w4pkWS0

Here is my ChatHandler script:

01local chatstorage = game.Workspace.ChatStorage
02local onChatInputted = game.ReplicatedStorage:WaitForChild("OnChatInputted")
03 
04onChatInputted.OnServerEvent:Connect(function(plr, msg)     
05    local filteredText
06    local filteredString
07    local char = plr.Character or plr.CharacterAdded:Wait()
08    local Head = char:WaitForChild("Head")  
09    local stringval = Instance.new('StringValue', chatstorage)  
10    local success, errormsg = pcall(function()          
11        filteredText =  game:GetService("TextService"):FilterStringAsync(msg, plr.UserId)           
12    end)        
13    if success then        
14        local success2, errormsg2 = pcall(function()                
15            filteredString = filteredText:GetNonChatStringForBroadcastAsync()           
16        end)        
17        if success2 then               
18            local nameGui = Head:FindFirstChild("NameGui")
19            local nameLabel = nameGui:FindFirstChild("NameLabel")
20            stringval.Name = '['..plr.Team.Name..'] '..nameLabel.Text..': '..string.upper(string.sub(filteredString,1,1))..string.sub(filteredString,2)
21            local RS = game:GetService("ReplicatedStorage")
22            local Chat = RS:WaitForChild("Chat"):Clone()
23            local Bubble = Chat:WaitForChild("Bubble")
24            local TextLabel = Bubble:WaitForChild("TextLabel")
25            TextLabel.Text = string.upper(string.sub(filteredString,1,1))..string.sub(filteredString,2)
26            Chat.Adornee = Head
27            Chat.Parent = Head
28            if string.len(string.upper(string.sub(filteredString,1,1))..string.sub(filteredString,2))> 15 then game.Debris:AddItem(Chat, 9) else game.Debris:AddItem(Chat, 4) end
29        else           
30            warn(errormsg2)
31            stringval:Destroy()         
32        end    
33    else           
34        warn(errormsg)
35        stringval:Destroy()     
36    end
37end)
 View all 37 lines...

Here is my ChangeNameScript:

01local remoteEvent = game.ReplicatedStorage.NameChangeEvent
02 
03remoteEvent.OnServerEvent:Connect(function(plr, name)   
04    local char = plr.Character or plr.CharacterAdded:Wait() 
05    local filteredName = game:GetService("TextService"):FilterStringAsync(name, plr.UserId) 
06    local filteredNameAsString = filteredName:GetNonChatStringForBroadcastAsync()
07    local nameGui = char.Head:FindFirstChild("NameGui") 
08    local nameLabel = nameGui:FindFirstChild("NameLabel")   
09    nameLabel.Text = filteredNameAsString   
10end)

Here is my Name title giver script:

01local Players = game:GetService("Players")
02local Player = game.Players.LocalPlayer
03 
04local Teams = game:GetService("Teams")
05local Character = Player.Character
06 
07function NameGiver(Player)
08    print("Name given: START")
09    local nameGui = Instance.new("BillboardGui", Character.Head)    
10    nameGui.StudsOffset = Vector3.new(0, 2, 0)      
11    nameGui.MaxDistance = 30       
12    nameGui.Size = UDim2.new(0, 200, 0, 50)     
13    nameGui.Name = "NameGui"           
14    local nameLabel = Instance.new("TextLabel")     
15    nameLabel.Text = game.Players.LocalPlayer.Name      
16    nameLabel.TextStrokeTransparency = 0   
17    nameLabel.TextScaled = true    
18    nameLabel.Font = "Fantasy"     
19    nameLabel.Size = UDim2.new(0, 200, 0, 50)       
20    nameLabel.BackgroundTransparency = 1       
21    nameLabel.TextColor3 = game.Players.LocalPlayer.TeamColor.Color     
22    nameLabel.Name = "NameLabel"
23    nameLabel.Parent = nameGui
24    print("Name given: FINISHED")
25end
26 
27-- Manual detection of a property change
28local function onChanged(property)
29    if property == "Team" then
30        print("TEAM CHANGED")
31    end
32end
33 
34-- Connect both events
35Player:GetPropertyChangedSignal("Team"):Connect(NameGiver)
36Player.Changed:Connect(onChanged)
 View all 36 lines...

2 answers

Answered by

VerdommeMan 1479

4 years ago

Edited 4 years ago

When ur getting the error "attempt to index nil with something" it means that your doing nil:Something / nil.Something, in this case you are doing nil:FindFirstChild()

On line 19 in ChatHandler script, nameGui is nil because on the line above it didnt find it and thus FindFirstChild returned nil

On line 8 in ChangeName Script you have exactly the same issue, it didnt find the nameGui in the line above and thus returned nil so the variable nameGui is nil, you are doing nil:FindFirstChild()

I think it didnt find it because you added NameGui clientsided so, so technically the server cant see it, all changes made on the client doesnt replicate on the server (few execeptions)

You can easily see what the server actually sees by doing localserver test and check the server window and look through the explorer

edit: I couldnt help but notice in the first screenshot where you can see name nameGui, but when just press play here, it's like a mash up of client and server together, sometimes you can do things in that mode that wouldnt work in localserver (alteast in my experience)

Thank you. How would I add NameGui not clientsided? Is it possible to add NameGui not clientsided via localscript or would I have to rewrite it in a normal script somehow? ChirpPerson 74 — 4y

you would add it exactly the same way, move the namegiver function to a script and use characteradded event to give it that GUI VerdommeMan 1479 — 4y

Answered by

raid6n 2196

4 years ago

Edited 4 years ago

Error(s): "Workspace.ChatHandler:19: attempt to index nil with 'FindFirstChild'" and ServerScriptService.ChangeNameScript:8: attempt to index nil with 'FindFirstChild'".

What the errors mean: something doesn't exist, so you cannot find the first child of a not existing object.

How to fix it: I recommend using WaitForChild just in case they haven't loaded in yet.

ChatHandler:

01local chatstorage = game.Workspace.ChatStorage
02local onChatInputted = game.ReplicatedStorage:WaitForChild("OnChatInputted")
03 
04onChatInputted.OnServerEvent:Connect(
05    function(plr, msg)
06        local filteredText
07        local filteredString
08        local char = plr.Character or plr.CharacterAdded:Wait()
09        local Head = char:WaitForChild("Head")
10        local stringval = Instance.new("StringValue", chatstorage)
11        local success, errormsg =
12            pcall(
13            function()
14                filteredText = game:GetService("TextService"):FilterStringAsync(msg, plr.UserId)
15            end
16        )
17        if success then
18            local success2, errormsg2 =
19                pcall(
20                function()
21                    filteredString = filteredText:GetNonChatStringForBroadcastAsync()
22                end
23            )
24            if success2 then
25                local nameGui = Head:WaitForChild("NameGui") -- changed to waitforchild
26                local nameLabel = nameGui:WaitForChild("NameLabel") -- changed to waitforchild
27                stringval.Name =
28                    "[" ..
29                    plr.Team.Name ..
30                        "] " ..
31                            nameLabel.Text ..
32                                ": " .. string.upper(string.sub(filteredString, 1, 1)) .. string.sub(filteredString, 2)
33                local RS = game:GetService("ReplicatedStorage")
34                local Chat = RS:WaitForChild("Chat"):Clone()
35                local Bubble = Chat:WaitForChild("Bubble")
36                local TextLabel = Bubble:WaitForChild("TextLabel")
37                TextLabel.Text = string.upper(string.sub(filteredString, 1, 1)) .. string.sub(filteredString, 2)
38                Chat.Adornee = Head
39                Chat.Parent = Head
40                if string.len(string.upper(string.sub(filteredString, 1, 1)) .. string.sub(filteredString, 2)) > 15 then
41                    game.Debris:AddItem(Chat, 9)
42                else
43                    game.Debris:AddItem(Chat, 4)
44                end
45            else
46                warn(errormsg2)
47                stringval:Destroy()
48            end
49        else
50            warn(errormsg)
51            stringval:Destroy()
52        end
53    end
54)
 View all 54 lines...

ChangeNameScript:

01local remoteEvent = game.ReplicatedStorage.NameChangeEvent
02 
03remoteEvent.OnServerEvent:Connect(
04    function(plr, name)
05        local char = plr.Character or plr.CharacterAdded:Wait()
06        local filteredName = game:GetService("TextService"):FilterStringAsync(name, plr.UserId)
07        local filteredNameAsString = filteredName:GetNonChatStringForBroadcastAsync()
08        local nameGui = char.Head:WaitForChild("NameGui") -- changed to waitforchild
09        local nameLabel = nameGui:WaitForChild("NameLabel") -- changed to waitforchild
10        nameLabel.Text = filteredNameAsString
11    end
12)

Accept answer if it worked.

Sadly, it did not work. I received "Infinite yield possible on 'Workspace.ChirpPerson.Head:WaitForChild("NameGui")'" Thank you so much though for trying to help me out, I appreciate it. ChirpPerson 74 — 4y

It means it doesn't exist, make sure no codes are affecting it, no typos, etc. raid6n 2196 — 4y

You're right, it doesn't exist. VerdommeMan pointed out to me that NameGui is only visible client-side, not server-side, so the scripts do not recognize it. I now know what's wrong, but it's a new problem I don't know the solution to. ChirpPerson 74 — 4y

Ah, I see, make sure it's a local script. raid6n 2196 — 4y

Why am I receiving "attempt to index nil with 'FindFirstChild'"?

2 answers

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