Array And Collection Utility Reference

Array and Collection Utility Reference

Source-verified 2026-06-21 against then-current master cf2a6d6a4; current origin/master is 0139a346, so recheck cited paths before current-head claims. Paths relative to Missions/[55-2hc]warfarev2_073v48co.chernarus/ unless noted. Arma 2 OA 1.64.

This page documents the foundational collection helpers that underpin nearly every system in WASP. All functions listed here are registered in Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf (lines 94–145) via Compile preprocessFileLineNumbers. They are available on every machine type (server, headless client, client) immediately after Init_Common.sqf executes. Two additional client-only helpers (WFBE_CL_FNC_FindVariableInNestedArray and ReplaceArray) are covered at the end.

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Array Mutation Functions

WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayPush

File: Common/Functions/Common_ArrayPush.sqf
Registered: Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:95

Signature

[_array, _value] Call WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayPush

Parameters

#	Name	Type	Notes
0	_array	Array	Mutated in-place via set; must be passed by reference (not a copy).
1	_value	Any	Value appended at index count _array.

Return value

The modified array (same reference as _array). (Common_ArrayPush.sqf:14)

Behavior

Appends _value to the end of _array using _array set [count(_array), _value]. (Common_ArrayPush.sqf:13) Because set operates on the original array object rather than a copy, the caller's variable reflects the change immediately without reassignment — unlike the + operator which allocates a new array. This is the most-called function in the codebase; representative call sites include Server/FSM/server_patrols.sqf:33, Server/FSM/server_town_ai.sqf:141–142, and Server/Functions/Server_AI_SetTownAttackPath.sqf:58.

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WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayRemoveIndex

File: Common/Functions/Common_ArrayRemoveIndex.sqf
Registered: Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:96

Signature

[_array, _index] Call WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayRemoveIndex

Parameters

#	Name	Type	Notes
0	_array	Array	Deep-copied internally; the original is not mutated.
1	_index	Number	Zero-based index of the element to remove.

Return value

A new array with the element at _index removed. (Common_ArrayRemoveIndex.sqf:17)

Behavior

The function deep-copies the input (+(_this select 0)) so the caller's array is unchanged. (Common_ArrayRemoveIndex.sqf:9) It then uses a sentinel strategy: the element at _index is overwritten with the string "wfbe_nil", and that sentinel is removed from the array using the subtraction operator _array - ["wfbe_nil"]. (Common_ArrayRemoveIndex.sqf:13–14) If count _array is zero, the copy is returned unchanged. (Common_ArrayRemoveIndex.sqf:12)

Sentinel collision hazard

Because the sentinel is the plain string "wfbe_nil", any array that legitimately contains the string "wfbe_nil" as a value will have all occurrences of that string removed, not just the element at _index. This is a known design constraint: arrays of classnames, side strings, or arbitrary data must never use "wfbe_nil" as a value. The string does not appear as a legitimate classname or config value anywhere in the mission.

The function is also not a drop-in replacement for the deleteAt command introduced in later Arma versions (not available in OA 1.64). Callers that mix the sentinel strategy with ArrayPush-based arrays that hold arbitrary strings must verify the constraint holds.

Call site: Server/FSM/server_patrols.sqf:45 — removes index 0 from the visited-towns list when the patrol cycles.

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WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayShift

File: Common/Functions/Common_ArrayShift.sqf
Registered: Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:97

Signature

[_array, _removeIndices] Call WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayShift

Parameters

#	Name	Type	Notes
0	_array	Array	Deep-copied internally; the original is not mutated.
1	_removeIndices	Array of Numbers	Zero-based indices to skip in the output.

Return value

A new array containing every element of _array whose index is not in _removeIndices. (Common_ArrayShift.sqf:22)

Behavior

Iterates _array with a for loop from index 0 to count(_array) - 1. (Common_ArrayShift.sqf:15) Elements whose index is not found in _removeIndices are written sequentially into a fresh array _shifted using a monotonically increasing write cursor _i. (Common_ArrayShift.sqf:16–19) Membership is tested with the in operator against _removeIndices, which is an O(n) scan per element — this is acceptable for the small arrays it operates on.

This is the low-level primitive used by WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayShuffle and by Server/Functions/Server_SpawnTownDefense.sqf:26 to exclude already-chosen defense kinds from a selection pool.

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WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayShuffle

File: Common/Functions/Common_ArrayShuffle.sqf
Registered: Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:98

Signature

_array Call WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayShuffle

Parameters

#	Name	Type	Notes
_this	Array	Deep-copied internally; the original is not mutated.

Return value

A new array containing the same elements in randomized order. (Common_ArrayShuffle.sqf:20)

Behavior

Implements a selection-without-replacement shuffle. (Common_ArrayShuffle.sqf:9–18) On each iteration _i, a random index is chosen from the current pool via floor(random(count _array)), the element at that index is appended to _shuffled, and the chosen index is removed from the pool using [_array, [_ran]] Call WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayShift. Because ArrayShift returns a new array, _array (the pool) shrinks by one each pass and _ran is always valid for the current pool size.

This is not a pure Fisher-Yates in-place swap; it is a selection shuffle that has the same uniform distribution property but allocates a new pool array on each iteration.

Used at Server/Functions/Server_GetTownGroups.sqf:171–172 and Server/Functions/Server_GetTownGroupsDefender.sqf:107–108 to randomize infantry and vehicle spawn lists when populating a town.

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Unit Filtering and Query Functions

WFBE_CO_FNC_GetLiveUnits

File: Common/Functions/Common_GetLiveUnits.sqf
Registered: Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:124

Signature

_units Call WFBE_CO_FNC_GetLiveUnits

Parameters

#	Name	Type	Notes
_this	Array of Objects	Typically the result of units _group.

Return value

A new array containing only elements for which alive _x is true. (Common_GetLiveUnits.sqf:7)

Behavior

Iterates _units with forEach, appending each alive unit to _liveUnits via array concatenation (_liveUnits = _liveUnits + [_x]). (Common_GetLiveUnits.sqf:7) The input array is not mutated. Dead, null, or deleted units are silently excluded.

This is one of the most widely called helpers. Representative sites:

Call site	Context
Common/Functions/Common_ChangeUnitGroup.sqf:7	Guard before joining a unit to a new group.
Client/Functions/Client_FNC_Groups.sqf:106,169	Filter group members before squad-join UI logic.
Client/Functions/Client_HandleMapSingleClick.sqf:24,107	Build the target list for map-click orders.
Server/FSM/server_patrols.sqf:28	Check whether a patrol team has any survivors.
Server/FSM/server_town_patrol.sqf:18,25	Determine whether a town patrol group is still active.

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WFBE_CO_FNC_GetUnitsPerSide

File: Common/Functions/Common_GetUnitsPerSide.sqf
Registered: Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:140

Signature

[_units, _sides] Call WFBE_CO_FNC_GetUnitsPerSide

Parameters

#	Name	Type	Notes
0	_units	Array of Objects	Units to partition.
1	_sides	Array of Side	Ordered list of sides to bucket into (e.g. [west, east]).

Return value

An array of arrays, one sub-array per side in _sides, each containing the units from _units whose side matches. (Common_GetUnitsPerSide.sqf:21)

Behavior

Initializes _return as an array of count _sides empty arrays, each appended via WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayPush. (Common_GetUnitsPerSide.sqf:14) Then iterates _units with forEach; for each unit, _sides find (side _x) locates the matching bucket index, and the unit is pushed into that bucket. (Common_GetUnitsPerSide.sqf:17–18) Units whose side is not in _sides are silently dropped (find returns -1; the -1 != -1 guard is absent, so a select -1 would occur — see note below).

Note: the guard if (_find != -1) is present on line 18 of Common_GetUnitsPerSide.sqf, so units with an unrecognized side are correctly skipped.

The function has been removed from Init_Common.sqf (compile line deleted in master; Init_Common.sqf:149 is a comment noting its removal due to zero call sites). It is dead/unreachable at runtime.

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WFBE_CO_FNC_GetUnitConfigGear

File: Common/Functions/Common_GetUnitConfigGear.sqf
Registered: Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:139

Signature

_kind Call WFBE_CO_FNC_GetUnitConfigGear

Parameters

#	Name	Type	Notes
_this	String	CfgVehicles class name (e.g. "US_Soldier_EP1").

Return value

[_weapons, _magazines, _backpack, _get_backpack_content] where: (Common_GetUnitConfigGear.sqf:46)

Index	Type	Content
0	Array of String	Weapons from CfgVehicles >> _kind >> weapons, minus "Throw" and "Put".
1	Array of String	Magazines from CfgVehicles >> _kind >> magazines.
2	String	Backpack classname from CfgVehicles >> _kind >> backpack, or "" if none.
3	[[[weapons],[counts]],[[magazines],[counts]]]	Backpack TransportWeapons and TransportMagazines content tables; each resolved against missionNamespace variable filters.

Behavior

Reads the unit's loadout directly from configFile >> 'CfgVehicles' >> _kind. (Common_GetUnitConfigGear.sqf:11) Weapons are filtered: "Throw" and "Put" are subtracted from the raw array. (Common_GetUnitConfigGear.sqf:12) The backpack is resolved; if present and if its TransportWeapons / TransportMagazines sub-classes exist, each entry's classname is looked up in missionNamespace to confirm it is a known, config-active item before it is included in the result. (Common_GetUnitConfigGear.sqf:23–43) Items not present in missionNamespace are silently excluded — this is the mechanism by which DLC-gated gear is filtered out.

Call sites: Client/Functions/Client_BuildUnit.sqf:227 and Client/GUI/GUI_BuyGearMenu.sqf:159 — both use the result to populate the gear purchase and loadout editor UI.

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Unit Identity and Position Helpers

GetUnitVehicle

File: Common/Functions/Common_GetUnitVehicle.sqf
Registered: Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:65 (legacy prefix-free form)

Signature

_unit Call GetUnitVehicle

Parameters

#	Name	Type	Notes
_this	Object	Any unit or vehicle.

Return value

vehicle _unit if the unit is inside a vehicle (i.e. _unit != vehicle _unit), otherwise _unit itself. (Common_GetUnitVehicle.sqf:4)

Naming note

This function predates the WFBE_CO_FNC_* naming convention and is registered as the bare name GetUnitVehicle, not WFBE_CO_FNC_GetUnitVehicle. (Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:65) All call sites use the bare name. Do not wrap it in a WFBE_CO_FNC_ prefix.

Call sites are exclusively in Client/GUI/GUI_Menu_UnitCamera.sqf (lines 32, 66, 78, 92, 117, 131) — the unit camera menu uses this to track the vehicle a player or selected unit occupies.

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Group Management

WFBE_CO_FNC_ChangeUnitGroup

File: Common/Functions/Common_ChangeUnitGroup.sqf
Registered: Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:100

Signature

[_unit, _group, _side] Call WFBE_CO_FNC_ChangeUnitGroup

Parameters

#	Name	Type	Notes
0	_unit	Object	The unit to move to _group.
1	_group	Group	Destination group.
2	_side	String	Side string used to look up the temp-unit classname (e.g. the value of WFBE_Client_SideJoined). The variable WFBE_{_side}SOLDIER must exist in missionNamespace.

Return value

None.

Behavior and temp-unit guard

If the current live member count of _unit's group is less than 2 (i.e. _unit is the sole survivor), a temporary filler unit of the faction's base soldier class is spawned at [0,0,0] before the join. (Common_ChangeUnitGroup.sqf:9) The base class is resolved via missionNamespace getVariable Format ["WFBE_%1SOLDIER", _side]. This prevents the engine from deleting the originating group when the last member leaves — group deletion would break any outstanding waypoints or references held elsewhere. The temp unit is deleted immediately after the join completes. (Common_ChangeUnitGroup.sqf:11)

The _side parameter must be the text representation that matches the suffix used in the faction root config files (Common/Config/Core_Root/Root_*.sqf:8). For example, when the client's WFBE_Client_SideJoined is the sideJoined value, the lookup WFBE_{sideJoined}SOLDIER must resolve to a valid CfgVehicles classname.

Known latent bug

_entitie is declared in Private on line 1 but is only assigned inside the if (count _units < 2) branch on line 9. On line 11, if !(isNull _entitie) is evaluated even when the branch was skipped — at that point _entitie holds a nil/undefined value (A2 OA Private does not initialize variables). The isNull check on a nil value does not throw an error; it returns false, so deleteVehicle is not called and the function proceeds correctly. The code is safe in practice but the pattern is fragile: any re-ordering of lines 9–11 that assigns _entitie in the else-branch would trigger a double-delete. (Common_ChangeUnitGroup.sqf:1,9,11)

Call sites: Client/Functions/Client_FNC_Groups.sqf:27,116,203 (player squad joins) and Server/Functions/Server_HandleSpecial.sqf:30 (server-side group reassignment for special roles).

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Reveal and Waypoint Helpers

WFBE_CO_FNC_RevealArea

File: Common/Functions/Common_RevealArea.sqf
Registered: Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:145

Signature

[_unit, _range, _pos] spawn WFBE_CO_FNC_RevealArea

Parameters

#	Name	Type	Notes
0	_unit	Object or Group	The knower — the entity that gains the revealed knowledge. Accepts a group (the engine broadcasts to all members).
1	_range	Number	Radius in metres around _pos to scan for entities.
2	_pos	Array	[x,y,z] centre position.

Return value

None. Always called via spawn (fire-and-forget). (Common_CreateTownUnits.sqf:55, Common_CreateUnitForStaticDefence.sqf:122)

Behavior

Iterates _pos nearEntities _range. (Common_RevealArea.sqf:19) For each entity in range, builds a reveal list starting with the entity itself; if the entity is inside a vehicle (_x != vehicle _x), the vehicle's crew is appended. (Common_RevealArea.sqf:17) Then _unit reveal _x is called for each item in the list. (Common_RevealArea.sqf:18)

Reveal ranges observed in production call sites:

Call site	_range	Context
Common/Functions/Common_CreateTownUnits.sqf:55	400 m	AI group spawned into a town
Common/Functions/Common_CreateUnitForStaticDefence.sqf:122	175 m	Static defense unit placed at a position
Server/Functions/Server_HandleDefense.sqf:44	1000 m	Defense unit triggered during server-side defense handling
Server/Functions/Server_OperateTownDefensesUnits.sqf:62	175 m	Defense unit operated at a town

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WFBE_CO_FNC_AreWaypointsComplete

File: Common/Functions/Common_AreWaypointsComplete.sqf
Registered: Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:94

Signature

_group Call WFBE_CO_FNC_AreWaypointsComplete

Parameters

#	Name	Type	Notes
_this	Group	The group to check.

Return value

Bool — true if the group has no pending waypoints. (Common_AreWaypointsComplete.sqf:7)

Behavior

Single expression: count (waypoints _this) == currentWaypoint _this. (Common_AreWaypointsComplete.sqf:7) In Arma 2 OA, currentWaypoint returns the index of the waypoint the group is currently moving toward (0-based), and count (waypoints _group) is the total number of assigned waypoints. Equality means the group's current waypoint index has reached the count, i.e. all waypoints have been completed.

The function is registered but has no call sites in master outside Init_Common.sqf. It is available as an infrastructure helper for patrol and AI loop logic.

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Client-Only Array Helpers

These two functions are registered on clients only and use distinct naming patterns.

WFBE_CL_FNC_FindVariableInNestedArray

File: Client/Functions/Client_FindVariableInNestedArray.sqf
Registered: Client/Init/Init_Client.sqf:139

Signature

[_array, _value] call WFBE_CL_FNC_FindVariableInNestedArray

Parameters

#	Name	Type	Notes
0	_array	Array of Arrays	Outer array; each element is itself an array.
1	_value	Any	Value to search for inside the inner arrays.

Return value

The index of the first inner array that contains _value, or -1 if not found. (Client_FindVariableInNestedArray.sqf:11)

Behavior

Uses forEach with exitWith on the outer array: for each inner array _x, tests _value in _x and exits with _forEachIndex on the first match. (Client_FindVariableInNestedArray.sqf:7–9) If no match is found, _index is nil; the trailing nil-guard returns -1. (Client_FindVariableInNestedArray.sqf:11)

Note: the source in Common/Functions/Common_FindVariableInNestedArray.sqf is a duplicate of this file but is never registered in Init_Common.sqf (note: lowercase private is valid in Arma 2 OA — SQF keywords are case-insensitive; only the inline-assignment form private _var = value is A3-only). The authoritative version is the client registration in Init_Client.sqf:139. Do not reference the Common copy — it is unreachable at runtime.

Call site: Client/GUI/GUI_Menu_BuyUnits.sqf:491 — finds which artillery classname sub-array a selected unit class belongs to.

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ReplaceArray (dead code)

File: Client/Functions/Client_ReplaceArray.sqf
Registered: Client/Init/Init_Client.sqf:111 (bare name, legacy form)

Signature

[_array, _indexExcluded] Call ReplaceArray

Returns a new array equal to _array with the element at _indexExcluded omitted, using a for loop write-through pattern. (Client_ReplaceArray.sqf:6–10)

This function is compiled and registered but has no call sites in the codebase. It is functionally equivalent to WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayShift called with a single-element index list. It should be considered dead code; new code should use WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayShift instead.

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Function Registration Summary

Function	Registered name	File	Init line
WFBE_CO_FNC_AreWaypointsComplete	Common (removed from Chernarus master — compile line deleted by dead-code sweep; present only in modded maps)	n/a in Chernarus	—
WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayPush	Common	Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:97	—
WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayRemoveIndex	Common	Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:96	—
WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayShift	Common	Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:97	—
WFBE_CO_FNC_ArrayShuffle	Common	Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:98	—
WFBE_CO_FNC_ChangeUnitGroup	Common	Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:100	—
WFBE_CO_FNC_GetLiveUnits	Common	Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:124	—
WFBE_CO_FNC_GetUnitConfigGear	Common	Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:139	—
WFBE_CO_FNC_GetUnitsPerSide	Common	Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:140	—
WFBE_CO_FNC_RevealArea	Common	Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:145	—
GetUnitVehicle	Common (legacy)	Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:65	—
WFBE_CL_FNC_FindVariableInNestedArray	Client only	Client/Init/Init_Client.sqf:139	—
ReplaceArray	Client only (dead)	Client/Init/Init_Client.sqf:67	—

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Continue Reading

• Function-And-Module-Index — master index of all WFBE functions with file paths and registration lines
• Spawn-Primitive-Function-Reference — CreateUnit, CreateVehicle, CreateTeam; ChangeUnitGroup is called from CreateUnit's internal group guard
• Variable-And-Naming-Conventions — naming rules for WFBE_CO_FNC_*, WFBE_CL_FNC_*, and the legacy bare-name pattern
• Waypoint-Helper-Function-Reference — WaypointPatrol, WaypointPatrolTown, WaypointSimple; AreWaypointsComplete is the companion query
• SQF-Code-Atlas — broad codebase map; cross-references these helpers in patrol FSMs and town AI loops