Who's using GameMonkey Script?
The guys behind GameMonkey Script have just released version 1.22.
The syntax of GM is similar to Lua, except it's more C-like - I prefer GM over Lua because I find the API to be more intuitive, passing parameters and setting up new types feels a lot easier, mainly because I didn't really like Lua's stack interface.
I'm now using GM as my main scripting language, with SpiderMonkey second (maybe I like monkeys?). One of the main things I found when starting out in GM was the lack of documentation, so I've started creating my own tutorials for it here. For those who want to port their C++ classes over to the environment, I've been working on gmBind, a templated class library that really eases the process. I'm nearing a release of it soon so I'll post it if anyone's interested.
So who else has tried GameMonkey Script? What's your thoughts on it? What would you like to see added to the library?
Well, I haven't used GameMonkey but I'll post a reply anyway ;)
Is GameMonkey some sort of javascript variant? Or was it some other monkey language.. The language looks nice and I bookmarked your tutorials. It looks nice enough that I might even use it in my next project (whatever that will be :) <br><br>Currently I'm using lua in my game and it has worked fine but a more C-like language would perhaps be more easier to use along with C++ (I always start writing lua code when I should be writing C++ and vice versa).<br>
Is GameMonkey some sort of javascript variant? Or was it some other monkey language.. The language looks nice and I bookmarked your tutorials. It looks nice enough that I might even use it in my next project (whatever that will be :) <br><br>Currently I'm using lua in my game and it has worked fine but a more C-like language would perhaps be more easier to use along with C++ (I always start writing lua code when I should be writing C++ and vice versa).<br>
It's nothing like javascript, really. It uses the tables concept that was popularised by Lua. It's also typeless, like Lua. In all fairness, the language itself is much like a C-like version of Lua... So
It's very similar in syntax, but as I said GM is more C-like (line noise for some, but familiar to others). The real difference for me is how binding is done on the host application side. I grew very frustrated with Lua and it's stack offsets, GM provides a simpler way of accessing parameters (just access them through the gmThread parameter passed to your callback).
As I said, I can imagine the main problem being that there's more documentation around for Lua, hence my reason for writing the tutorials (there's more being written right now).
[Edited by - evolutional on November 8, 2004 5:37:32 PM]
//GMmyTable = table( Name = "Test", Age = 24, Add = function(a, b) { return a + b; });print( myTable.Name );print( myTable.Age );print( myTable.Add( 2, 2 ) );// LuamyTable { Name = "Test", Age = 24, Add = function(a, b) return a + b end}print( myTable.Name )print( myTable.Age )print( myTable.Add( 2, 2 ) )It's very similar in syntax, but as I said GM is more C-like (line noise for some, but familiar to others). The real difference for me is how binding is done on the host application side. I grew very frustrated with Lua and it's stack offsets, GM provides a simpler way of accessing parameters (just access them through the gmThread parameter passed to your callback).
As I said, I can imagine the main problem being that there's more documentation around for Lua, hence my reason for writing the tutorials (there's more being written right now).
[Edited by - evolutional on November 8, 2004 5:37:32 PM]
Ah, that IS quite similiar to lua. I never learnt how to do binding with the Lua C API. I just downloaded luabind and used that instead :)
By the way, does GM support classes/OOP?
By the way, does GM support classes/OOP?
It supports them in the same way as Lua does, with the use of the table object, the table can contain functions and attributes. If you create your own types in C++, they can also then be used in GM with little trouble. For example, I create a Alien type in C++ and create instances of it with myAlien = Alien();. Properties and functions of the Alien 'class' can then be called as expected. You can even 'fake' inheritance as per the Lua examples.
Here's an example of creating a 'class' in GM.
The example above will use a function to create a 'map' type (scriptside only). From here, you're free to alter properties of the map. The call to myMap.ShowName() will print "My Map" instead of "New Map" as you've just altered the property 'Name'.
Here's an example of creating a 'class' in GM.
// Function 'CreateMap' will create a new object and define// it to be a tile map//global CreateMap = function(){ new_map = table(); new_map.Width = 0; new_map.Height = 0; new_map.Layers = table(); new_map.Name = "New Map"; new_map.ShowName = function() { print( this.Name ); }; return new_map;};// Now, to create a 'map' in the script, you can go:myMap = CreateMap();//Change it's namemyMap.Name = "My Map";// Say my name!myMap.ShowName();The example above will use a function to create a 'map' type (scriptside only). From here, you're free to alter properties of the map. The call to myMap.ShowName() will print "My Map" instead of "New Map" as you've just altered the property 'Name'.
GameMonkey is a small extensible language with C style syntax and typeless variable declarations.
It works in a very similar way to Lua, so if you like Lua, you will love GameMonkey. GameMonkey was designed for use in video games and to be used by game programmers and designers. It is 'combat proven' as it has already been used in commercial video games.
For example you might write some code that looks like:
What does this do?
myDoor is a variable that is made to contain what ever is returned by the function CreateDoor(). CreateDoor may be a C++ bound function. myDoor could be a 'user' object that represents some kind of game object, possibly implemented as a C++ class. myDoor.name could add "BigWoodenDoor" as a table member to the myDoor table. However, the programmer may have implemented a Dot operator so that "name" is actually bound to a C++ object member. IsOpen is called as a member function of myDoor. It may be a C++ function common to all 'doors' or a script function unique to that instance only. When IsOpen() is called, its return value is evaluated and the script executes the condition statement causing Close() to be called or not.
What I'm trying to say is that the code, that looks a bit like C/C++ can represent whatever you want. The script simply
calls C/C++ bound functions to do what you ask. It does not force you to use it a particular way, or tod design your C/C++ code following a particular structure.
The script is designed to easily pass data and call functions back and forth between script and C/C++. Some people may find that binding functions is still cumbersome as it requires writting a few lines of code for each function. Evolutional's upcoming gmBind will nearly automate this operation.
Here are a few features, please read the reference documents and visit the GM web site for more information.
o 'States' allow program control to simply switch code execution, even in the middle of a function.
o 'Threads' though cooperative, are built into the language by design, not tacked on as an afterthought.
o Incremental, soft real-time garbage collection means that the script will not pause for long periods (milliseconds or more) while reorganising memory like other scripts will.
o Compile code on the fly, compile to libs and execute byte code later, generate and execute code from within the script. It's very flexible.
o 'Type' functions allow common functionality to be available to any object of that type without storing the function in each instance.
o ints and floats, like you are used to in C, not forced to use double size generic 'numbers' where speed or conversion count.
It works in a very similar way to Lua, so if you like Lua, you will love GameMonkey. GameMonkey was designed for use in video games and to be used by game programmers and designers. It is 'combat proven' as it has already been used in commercial video games.
For example you might write some code that looks like:
myDoor = CreateDoor();myDoor.name = "BigWoodenDoor";if( myDoor.IsOpen() ){ myDoor.Close();}What does this do?
myDoor is a variable that is made to contain what ever is returned by the function CreateDoor(). CreateDoor may be a C++ bound function. myDoor could be a 'user' object that represents some kind of game object, possibly implemented as a C++ class. myDoor.name could add "BigWoodenDoor" as a table member to the myDoor table. However, the programmer may have implemented a Dot operator so that "name" is actually bound to a C++ object member. IsOpen is called as a member function of myDoor. It may be a C++ function common to all 'doors' or a script function unique to that instance only. When IsOpen() is called, its return value is evaluated and the script executes the condition statement causing Close() to be called or not.
What I'm trying to say is that the code, that looks a bit like C/C++ can represent whatever you want. The script simply
calls C/C++ bound functions to do what you ask. It does not force you to use it a particular way, or tod design your C/C++ code following a particular structure.
The script is designed to easily pass data and call functions back and forth between script and C/C++. Some people may find that binding functions is still cumbersome as it requires writting a few lines of code for each function. Evolutional's upcoming gmBind will nearly automate this operation.
Here are a few features, please read the reference documents and visit the GM web site for more information.
o 'States' allow program control to simply switch code execution, even in the middle of a function.
o 'Threads' though cooperative, are built into the language by design, not tacked on as an afterthought.
o Incremental, soft real-time garbage collection means that the script will not pause for long periods (milliseconds or more) while reorganising memory like other scripts will.
o Compile code on the fly, compile to libs and execute byte code later, generate and execute code from within the script. It's very flexible.
o 'Type' functions allow common functionality to be available to any object of that type without storing the function in each instance.
o ints and floats, like you are used to in C, not forced to use double size generic 'numbers' where speed or conversion count.
I like the fact that the syntax looks a lot like C, and I like the apparant simplicity with which it can be used from a C++ program. It did take me about half an hours messing about and guessing to get it compiled on linux, but then it doesn't say linux is supported on the site, so what do I expect?
After all that, however, it doesn't seem to work, so I had a quick look at the lexical analyser... it matches strings such as "and" which means my very first line of script:
andy = function(thing) { return false; }
resulted in:
error (1) syntax error, unexpected KEYWORD_AND
doh :)
I will stick something in the forums regarding this - my lex is a little rusty but I can do better than that!
After all that, however, it doesn't seem to work, so I had a quick look at the lexical analyser... it matches strings such as "and" which means my very first line of script:
andy = function(thing) { return false; }
resulted in:
error (1) syntax error, unexpected KEYWORD_AND
doh :)
I will stick something in the forums regarding this - my lex is a little rusty but I can do better than that!
Actually - which version are you using?
Under 1.22 on my machine the problem with your file is that you forgot the terminating ';'
So: andy = function(thing) { return false; }; works fine. It also works in the managed wrapper I'm coding :x
Under 1.22 on my machine the problem with your file is that you forgot the terminating ';'
So: andy = function(thing) { return false; }; works fine. It also works in the managed wrapper I'm coding :x
You do have to watch the old semicolon. In GameMonkey, functions are variables like any other, so a function assignment is also a statement, and statements end with a semicolon, same as C/C++. Simlar reason to why C++ class declarations end with semicolon. It would be possible to declare functions using syntactical sugar to look even more C like, but that hides what is really going on. There's more info on this subject in the FAQ.
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