HELP WANTED: ZScript

[Rachael]

So - ZScript has now been merged, but it still needs testing.

A project has already been started to give it some long-awaited documentation, but of course help is needed with that.

ZScript is still not done yet, and discussions about it continue.

That being said, it still does need testing, and you can now find it in the newest devbuilds of any of your favorite source ports:
ZDoom (Windows) GZDoom (Windows) QZDoom (Windows)
ZDoom (Mac OS X) GZDoom (Mac OS X) QZDoom (Mac OS X)

As before, things that need to be tested include mods that use both DECORATE and ZScript code. D4D has already been converted, so test that, too! Bugs go to the same spot as always. (As a note, mods using ZScript are currently locked behind a command-line parameter; you must use -zscript to activate them)

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If you've been following recent developments, you well know ZScript is on its way.

But, it's not done yet, and it needs testing.

A quick-fire decision was made to merge ZScript into GZDoom in order to attract more users. However, if you cannot use GZDoom for any reason (but still have a Windows Vista or later computer) you can still help us test! Just launch GZDoom with the following code:

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gzdoom +vid_renderer 0

and you will use ZDoom's software renderer.

If you are on Linux and want to test the GZDoom merge, the source tree is here: https://github.com/raa-eruanna/qzdoom/tree/gzzscript

Otherwise, as-up-to-date-as-I-am-available builds will be sent to this folder here: https://devbuilds.drdteam.org/gzzscript/

What really would help is if people start converting their DECORATE code to ZScript. Major Cooke has helpfully written a guide here (may also still be in WIP, but it's still HUGELY helpful!).

Things that need to be tested include mods that use both DECORATE and ZScript code. D4D has already been converted, so test that, too! Bugs go to the same spot as always.

Before releasing mods for this version, please read this because it is very important: (i.e. we can't stress this enough!)

Until the next ZDoom release, some features and implementations may yet change, and if this happens your mod will break! In other words, what you see here is not final. Don't release "stable" versions of your mod against a ZScript build until ZScript has been *officially* officially (double officially, i.e. ZDoom 2.9.0 or ZDoom 3.0.0) released, unless Randi or Graf say otherwise. Your mod should not require any heavy changes after conversion, but don't be surprised if things break if you come to depend on features that may still yet change.

Happy testing!

(edit: Documentation discussion) viewtopic.php?f=3&t=54507

[Xaser]

To clarify a thing for folks: do test existing DECORATE mods to see if they still work 100%, since the guts have changed once more.

Major Cooke's been using D4D extensively as a test bed and Graf's been doing disassembly comparisons of generated code between branches (dunno for which mods, but it's a lengthy list), so there really shouldn't be any behavior differences this time around, but it's still worth getting some more eyes on things just to ease the mind.

[Major Cooke]

@Eruanna: Can you point a link to here, telling them to download the mod for an example?

Also, I'm not sure if this is just my build since I did it myself, but in GZDoom the automap crashes. I'm about to update D4D since the power issue prevents launching.

[Rachael]

@Eruanna: Can you point a link to here, telling them to download the mod for an example?

It was already linked, but I went ahead and linked it twice. (I didn't look at it the first time I linked it.)

Also, I'm not sure if this is just my build since I did it myself, but in GZDoom the automap crashes.

Yes, I am aware of this issue. I was going to report this bug, but GZDoom has not been sync'd in 4 days, and the last sync has the automap working properly. Randi implemented a new texture clipping system for the automap that's giving GZDoom some problems. The issue exists in QZDoom, too, but I was going to wait for Graf to sync before I reported it.

[Major Cooke]

Perhaps it'll work if it's set to not textured then. I'll try it.

And be sure to try out the regular D4D as well!

[Major Cooke]

Confirmed, turning off the textures will allow it to work again. Updated D4D to the latest requirements.

[Graf Zahl]

there really shouldn't be any behavior differences this time around,

To clarify: There are not supposed to be any differences, but of course bugs cannot be ruled out. For simple, standard issue DECORATE pre-scripting merge this January there isn't really much that can have gone wrong, but obviously 'not much' doesn't mean 'nothing'.

[Rachael]

Make sure to check the Devbuilds site for new builds. I've been pushing a new one every 3 hours or so, today, though the frequency is likely to go down a bit after today. And keep those bug reports coming, that's what these builds are here for.

[Major Cooke]

ZZYZX knows how to set up auto-builds of some things I think. Try asking him. He did it for D4D (not the google drive link, just for internal beta users).

[Major Cooke]

D4D.pk3 updated.

Fixes a crash involving NOBLOCKMAP being used wrongly. The lesson to learn here, kids, use A_ChangeLinkFlags if you need to add/remove that flag or NOSECTOR.

Next up, to add 'loot tables' because I know a few folks would kill for better mod compatibility and less need of bloat like all the (X)Death states.

[Major Cooke]

From here on out, whenever I make a post, assume the D4D.pk3 file it updated when posting a change/fix.

Fixed the carrion cannon alt-fire not working at all.

[D2JK]

Are hex color codes supposed to be written in a different way now? For example, I've been using "AA0000" in one of my rail attacks, and this gives me "Bad hex number" notification on startup.

[Major Cooke]

Double check your colors and see if they have all six characters. They can go from 000000 to FFFFFF. Also that sounds like a bug, so please make a bug report.

[Graf Zahl]

Colors can either be hex literals (i.e. 0xaarrggbb) or color strings. Color strings can either be a standard color name or hex notation in the form of "aa bb cc" or "#aabbcc". The recommended notations are standard color names or hex literals, with hex literals in some cases alpha may be important.

[D2JK]

Actually this was my mistake; I hadn't yet converted the remaining "none"s to ""s.

However, I should report that the "Bad hex number" notification doesn't come with the assigned line number, so if you get this error, you have to search for the exact line in question yourself.

Further questions:

1) I know how I would deal with the more common actor pointers, but how do I convert the following to ZScript:

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if (A_CheckFlag("FRIENDLY", "Null", AAPTR_PLAYER_GETTARGET))

2) I'm getting a few "Truncation of floating point value" warnings. I understand the cause is an expression resulting in a floating point value where an integer is expected, but what would be the best way to suppress these warnings?

3) If I try to use CallACS as a parameter for an action function, I get the following error: "Name expected for parameter 0". For example:

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TNT1 A 0 A_SpawnItemEx( "BulletCasing", 32,0,32 , CallACS("RVelX"),CallACS("RVelY") );