ZScript Language Documentation (WIP)

[Marrub]

Hi, I've been working on documenting ZScript's core language and API for a month or so (more like a week of actual work) so here you go.

here is thing

This isn't on the wiki because I really don't like writing wikitext and because it isn't finished yet. The core language documentation is mostly done but the API needs lots of work as it is rather gigantic and makes up most of anyone's usage of ZScript. I'm putting this here because even in its currently unfinished state it's still useful and has lots of things that are not documented anywhere else. Feel free to ask questions, suggest edits, &c.

If you'd like to contribute (and acknowledge that this documentation is public domain and so your contributions will as well be,) don't hesitate to get at me on Discord, in the "#oh-no-not-things" channel on my public server.

[ZippeyKeys12]

This should get pinned, it's great! Is this information going to eventually be migrated to the wiki?

[nazakomu]

@Marrub I honestly cannot thank you enough for this!
I believe that the documentation on ZScript, over a year later, is frankly insufficient, and that this kind of documentation is what we really need so that people can document it on the wiki for everybody else.
I have a couple friends who'd love to start using ZScript, but then I end up feeling a sense of guilt when telling them to start using ZScript instead of DECORATE, because I know they are nowhere near capable enough of using it. And without ample, adequate documentation in the wiki, it becomes tacky and rough swiftly for them. The best they can do is convert DECORATE to ZScript, but then they get lost from there when they are interested in making their own functions and doing some of the intermediate things.
So seriously, please keep doing what you're doing! <3

This should get pinned, it's great! Is this information going to eventually be migrated to the wiki?

I wholeheartedly agree that this is great information, and that it may be migrated to the wiki, but I'm sure that Marrub doesn't wanna plot this all into the wiki for the same reason that Major Cooke didn't wanna contribute very much before (i.e. making mistakes or accidentally giving out erroneous information).

[Kinsie]

This should get pinned, it's great! Is this information going to eventually be migrated to the wiki?

I wholeheartedly agree that this is great information, and that it may be migrated to the wiki, but I'm sure that Marrub doesn't wanna plot this all into the wiki for the same reason that Major Cooke didn't wanna contribute very much before (i.e. making mistakes or accidentally giving out erroneous information).

Reading is FUNdamental!

This isn't on the wiki because I really don't like writing wikitext and because it isn't finished yet.

[Marrub]

Yeah, when it's done I'll migrate it to the wiki. Anyone is free to use this information to further the wiki of course, but again, it's not finished, so a lot of it either needs verification, rewording, or generally improvement before it's suitable for that.

[Jimmy]

I need to read this cover to cover because so much of Programming Languages 101 (that isn't ACS) still eludes me.

Top stuff, Marrub.

[Graf Zahl]

Thanks for taking the effort. I've been hoping for all that time that someone would take on the task. I am simply a shitty docs writer, like probably most programmers so I'd never be able to write comprehensive docs myself.

[Caligari87]

Would it be okay if I added a link to this on the wiki at least? That way it's not lost in the forums or Discord chat in the meantime.

Meh, added at the bottom of the page. Better to beg forgiveness than ask permission, yada yada.

[Matt]

Dang, this is good.

[gwHero]

This is really appreciated. Not easy at all to write good documentation.

[JPL]

This is incredibly valuable, thank so much for putting in the time and effort for this.

[Eliot_L]

Thanks for sharing this! It's an awesome resource.

[Zen3001]

Looks way more useful then the zdoom wiki

[Major Cooke]

Thanks for taking the effort. I've been hoping for all that time that someone would take on the task. I am simply a shitty docs writer, like probably most programmers so I'd never be able to write comprehensive docs myself.

I know what you mean.

Though in my case, things were confusing when it came to such parts like the menus and due to my lack of understanding on how certain things function, I didn't want to repeat what happened with the acceptable sound formats when (G)Zdoom still had FMOD and give people the wrong idea.

Big thanks, Marrub!

[Major Cooke]

Quick note about properties, you can only use int, double, bool, class<name>, strings and names. I haven't had any luck using vectors.