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docs/source/Concept/Soft-Code.md

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+# Soft Code
+
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+## Examples of Softcode
+
+Here is a simple 'Hello World!' command:
+
+```bash
+    @set me=HELLO_WORLD.C:$hello:@pemit %#=Hello World!
+```
+
+Pasting this into a MUX/MUSH and typing 'hello' will theoretically yield 'Hello World!', assuming
+certain flags are not set on your account object.
+
+Setting attributes is done via `@set`. Softcode also allows the use of the ampersand (`&`) symbol.
+This shorter version looks like this:
+
+```bash
+    &HELLO_WORLD.C me=$hello:@pemit %#=Hello World!
+```
+
+Perhaps I want to break the Hello World into an attribute which is retrieved when emitting:
+
+```bash
+    &HELLO_VALUE.D me=Hello World
+    &HELLO_WORLD.C me=$hello:@pemit %#=[v(HELLO_VALUE.D)]
+```
+
+The `v()` function returns the `HELLO_VALUE.D` attribute on the object that the command resides
+(`me`, which is yourself in this case). This should yield the same output as the first example.
+
+If you are still curious about how Softcode works, take a look at some external resources:
+
+- http://www.tinymux.com/wiki/index.php/Softcode
+- http://www.duh.com/discordia/mushman/man2x1
+
+## Problems with Softcode
+
+Softcode is excellent at what it was intended for: *simple things*. 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.
+
+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.
+
+## Changing Times
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+## Our Solution
+
+Evennia shuns in-game softcode for on-disk Python modules. Python is a popular, mature and
+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.
+
+So what is *not* 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.
+
+## Your Solution
+
+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, *really* 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
+[in-game-python](Dialogues-in-events) is an optional
+pseudo-softcode plugin aimed at developers wanting to script their game from inside it.