For an RTS I''m working on, the design is set up for 3 "languages" .. each designed with very different priorities. The three are: * the game-play scripts, written out of game, controlling some UI aspects, some unit behavior, and (from server side) high level game mechanics. * command-order script, allowing players to construct fairly complex orders using conditions, loops, etc. * UI-generation language -- controlling all menu systems/input. Is having 3 languages a big bad idea? As you can see, each would have very different priorities, and likely quite different syntax. Also, any pointers for resources or source on the design of any of these in particular would be helpful. (I''m not looking for lex/yacc/parsing stuff, I already have that.. but cases of successful or unsuccessful attempts at grammers for these kinds of langauges.) Thanks, Patrick Lacz

quote: Original post by Certes

For an RTS I''m working on, the design is set up for 3 "languages" .. each designed with very different priorities.

The three are:
* the game-play scripts, written out of game, controlling some UI aspects, some unit behavior, and (from server side) high level game mechanics.
* command-order script, allowing players to construct fairly complex orders using conditions, loops, etc.
* UI-generation language -- controlling all menu systems/input.

Is having 3 languages a big bad idea? As you can see, each would have very different priorities, and likely quite different syntax.

Also, any pointers for resources or source on the design of any of these in particular would be helpful. (I''m not looking for lex/yacc/parsing stuff, I already have that.. but cases of successful or unsuccessful attempts at grammers for these kinds of langauges.)

Thanks,
Patrick Lacz

How is it about TCL or TCL/TK. Give it a try.
You can get it from sun or cygnus.

cu

Peter

There is an excellent serie of articles on this topic (writing YOUR scripting engine) somewhere in flipcode.
As for the idea of writing different languages, I am not sure you really need to bother that much.
If the three sections you describe are so different from each other, then don''t separate them. At worst, some coder might come up with an excellent idea and tweak the game to something you never thought of (units that modify the UI ?), at best, well, you will have one unified scripting, and that''s much better, for the sake of consistency.

youpla :-P

There is no problem developing multiple scripting languages - look at Q3A - that has the LCC VM and shaders! It''s actually quite a sensible thing to do due to the time saved developing domain-specific resources with the tools.

One thing you should try to get hold of is a language which supports meta-programming; or, redefinition of the language constructs. You''d save an awful lot of time developing the scripting language.

LUA is a great example of this: http://csg.uwaterloo.ca/~lhf/lua/

Goblin ( goblindev.sourceforge.net ) is being developed with at least two scripting languages, a definition language and an effect scripting language.
Might become more too.

B.t.w., if you can''t use Lex or Yacc effectively because you do not understand the grammar specifications, I doubt you''ll manage to develop your own scripting language independently. You''ll be better off using an existing scripting language.


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Thanks for the comments! (And sorry about waiting this long to thank you.)

Yesterday I got caught up reading about LUA and didn''t get much else accomplished. I think we''re going to stick with the three grammars. The goals for each involved specificly how the grammar was structured.. and I''m looking into TCL as the script language for the ''real'' scripts (as opposed to orders and ui).

Thanks again,
Patrick Lacz

Thanks for the comments! (And sorry about waiting this long to thank you.)

Yesterday I got caught up reading about LUA and didn''t get much else accomplished. I think we''re going to stick with the three grammars. The goals for each involved specificly how the grammar was structured.. and I''m looking into TCL as the script language for the ''real'' scripts (as opposed to orders and ui).

Thanks again,
Patrick Lacz