Hi Dark, Yes and no. Its true scripts are use to extend the basic functionality of a program, but some scripting languages are full blown programming languages on their own. There are what we call embedded scripting languages, and there are runtime scripting languages. If that's confusing let me explain this a little better.
Angelscript is one type of scripting language, but it has no functionality to write programs on its own. Its what we call an embedded scripting language because it was designed to be embedded into a program like BGT so you can extend the functionality of BGT. That's the kind of scripting language you were talking about, but its not the only type. Python on the other hand is also a scripting language, but it is a runtime scripting language or runtime language for short. Unlike embedded languages like Angelscript there are hundreds of functions predefined in the Python runtime to perform calculations, select random numbers, print text to the screen, get input, whatever. As a result you can develop full blown stand alone applications in Python that you couldn't in something like Angelscript. Even cooler Python can itself be embedded into a Python program to extend the basic functionality of the program. A great example of this is the NVDA screen reader. The Entire screen reader is written in pure Python except for a few libraries that had to be written in native C++ code. However, NVDA can be scripted through modules that are written in Python. This is a clear case of Python being used as a full blown programming language and as a script language at the same time. Cheers! On 2/17/12, dark <d...@xgam.org> wrote: > Hi Jim. > > I might be utterly wrong, but as I understand it a "script file" simply > means a file that a user can write to get an existing program to do stuff. > It's not programming, sinse what you write are basically instructions for > the host program to follow, but it's a way for someone to get the program to > read new content or behave in a certain way over and above what it does > normally. > > Thus, when I type in a trivia file, > > q> is this a question? > > it's an instruction for the trivia engine to speak the text, add another > possible point to the over all score for the file,then display any answers > that come after it. > > I don't need to write my own trivia game engine if I want to have a quiz, I > can just write instructions for your trivia program to follow, and indeed > include different content than what was there by default provided I tell the > program what that is. > > that's as I understand it what a script is, a set of instructions to a host > program that someone can write, which a program can follow, without the > person having to write their own program from scratch to do everything. > > of course, some scripts involve programming, and some can be really complex, > like the Bgt scripts, where as others can be as simple to write and > understand as yours. > > As I said I could be wrong, but certainly when i've talked about scripts > that's what I've meant. > > Beware the grue! > > Dark. --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
