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docs/1.0-dev/Concepts/Soft-Code.html
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@ -110,12 +110,7 @@
<section class="tex2jax_ignore mathjax_ignore" id="soft-code">
<h1>Soft Code<a class="headerlink" href="#soft-code" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h1>
<p>Softcode is a very simple programming language that was created for in-game development on TinyMUD
derivatives such as MUX, PennMUSH, TinyMUSH, and RhostMUSH. The idea is that by providing a stripped
down, minimalistic language for in-game use, you can allow quick and easy building and game
development to happen without having to learn C/C++. There is an added benefit of not having to have
to hand out shell access to all developers, and permissions can be used to alleviate many security
problems.</p>
<p>Softcode is a very simple programming language that was created for in-game development on TinyMUD derivatives such as MUX, PennMUSH, TinyMUSH, and RhostMUSH. The idea is that by providing a stripped down, minimalistic language for in-game use, you can allow quick and easy building and game development to happen without having to learn C/C++. There is an added benefit of not having to have to hand out shell access to all developers, and permissions can be used to alleviate many security problems.</p>
<p>Writing and installing softcode is done through a MUD client. Thus it is not a formatted language.
Each softcode function is a single line of varying size. Some functions can be a half of a page long
or more which is obviously not very readable nor (easily) maintainable over time.</p>
@ -147,25 +142,13 @@ This shorter version looks like this:</p>
</section>
<section id="problems-with-softcode">
<h2>Problems with Softcode<a class="headerlink" href="#problems-with-softcode" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h2>
<p>Softcode is excellent at what it was intended for: <em>simple things</em>. It is a great tool for making an
interactive object, a room with ambiance, simple global commands, simple economies and coded
systems. However, once you start to try to write something like a complex combat system or a higher
end economy, you’re likely to find yourself buried under a mountain of functions that span multiple
objects across your entire code.</p>
<p>Not to mention, softcode is not an inherently fast language. It is not compiled, it is parsed with
each calling of a function. While MUX and MUSH parsers have jumped light years ahead of where they
once were they can still stutter under the weight of more complex systems if not designed properly.</p>
<p>Softcode is excellent at what it was intended for: <em>simple things</em>. It is a great tool for making an interactive object, a room with ambiance, simple global commands, simple economies and coded systems. However, once you start to try to write something like a complex combat system or a higher end economy, you’re likely to find yourself buried under a mountain of functions that span multiple objects across your entire code.</p>
<p>Not to mention, softcode is not an inherently fast language. It is not compiled, it is parsed with each calling of a function. While MUX and MUSH parsers have jumped light years ahead of where they once were they can still stutter under the weight of more complex systems if not designed properly.</p>
</section>
<section id="changing-times">
<h2>Changing Times<a class="headerlink" href="#changing-times" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h2>
<p>Now that starting text-based games is easy and an option for even the most technically inarticulate,
new projects are a dime a dozen. People are starting new MUDs every day with varying levels of
commitment and ability. Because of this shift from fewer, larger, well-staffed games to a bunch of
small, one or two developer games, some of the benefit of softcode fades.</p>
<p>Softcode is great in that it allows a mid to large sized staff all work on the same game without
stepping on one another’s toes. As mentioned before, shell access is not necessary to develop a MUX
or a MUSH. However, now that we are seeing a lot more small, one or two-man shops, the issue of
shell access and stepping on each other’s toes is a lot less.</p>
<p>Now that starting text-based games is easy and an option for even the most technically inarticulate, new projects are a dime a dozen. People are starting new MUDs every day with varying levels of commitment and ability. Because of this shift from fewer, larger, well-staffed games to a bunch of small, one or two developer games, some of the benefit of softcode fades.</p>
<p>Softcode is great in that it allows a mid to large sized staff all work on the same game without stepping on one another’s toes. As mentioned before, shell access is not necessary to develop a MUX or a MUSH. However, now that we are seeing a lot more small, one or two-man shops, the issue of shell access and stepping on each other’s toes is a lot less.</p>
</section>
<section id="our-solution">
<h2>Our Solution<a class="headerlink" href="#our-solution" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h2>
@ -173,22 +156,12 @@ shell access and stepping on each other’s toes is a lot less.</p>
professional programming language. You code it using the conveniences of modern text editors.
Evennia developers have access to the entire library of Python modules out there in the wild - not
to mention the vast online help resources available. Python code is not bound to one-line functions
on objects but complex systems may be organized neatly into real source code modules, sub-modules,
or even broken out into entire Python packages as desired.</p>
<p>So what is <em>not</em> included in Evennia is a MUX/MOO-like online player-coding system. Advanced coding
in Evennia is primarily intended to be done outside the game, in full-fledged Python modules.
Advanced building is best handled by extending Evennia’s command system with your own sophisticated
building commands. We feel that with a small development team you are better off using a
professional source-control system (svn, git, bazaar, mercurial etc) anyway.</p>
on objects but complex systems may be organized neatly into real source code modules, sub-modules, or even broken out into entire Python packages as desired.</p>
<p>So what is <em>not</em> included in Evennia is a MUX/MOO-like online player-coding system. Advanced coding in Evennia is primarily intended to be done outside the game, in full-fledged Python modules. Advanced building is best handled by extending Evennia’s command system with your own sophisticated building commands. We feel that with a small development team you are better off using a professional source-control system (svn, git, bazaar, mercurial etc) anyway.</p>
</section>
<section id="your-solution">
<h2>Your Solution<a class="headerlink" href="#your-solution" title="Permalink to this headline"></a></h2>
<p>Adding advanced and flexible building commands to your game is easy and will probably be enough to
satisfy most creative builders. However, if you really, <em>really</em> want to offer online coding, there
is of course nothing stopping you from adding that to Evennia, no matter our recommendations. You
could even re-implement MUX’ softcode in Python should you be very ambitious. The
<a class="reference internal" href="../Contribs/Contrib-Ingame-Python.html"><span class="doc std std-doc">in-game-python</span></a> is an optional
pseudo-softcode plugin aimed at developers wanting to script their game from inside it.</p>
<p>Adding advanced and flexible building commands to your game is easy and will probably be enough to satisfy most creative builders. However, if you really, <em>really</em> want to offer online coding, there is of course nothing stopping you from adding that to Evennia, no matter our recommendations. You could even re-implement MUX’ softcode in Python should you be very ambitious. The <a class="reference internal" href="../Contribs/Contrib-Ingame-Python.html"><span class="doc std std-doc">in-game-python</span></a> is an optional pseudo-softcode plugin aimed at developers wanting to script their game from inside it.</p>
</section>
</section>