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Researcher looking for code examples


Jimy Genesis
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I'm a graduate student doing work with computer code -- specifically, I look at how researchers in the humanities can/should start talking about code. I've told my advisor that I planned to spend the term working on code in Second Life, and I'm looking for examples of code to work with. I had originally thought that I would be able to find examples of scripted objects in the game, but I didn't realize so much was going to be set as no-modify.

I've read through the script library and the forums, but what I'm really looking for are examples of what actual users do with scripts -- how they modify example code into something that works for their individual purposes, or how they create something from scratch that works for them. I'm hoping that a few users might be willing to share with me some of their scripts that they've worked on. You  could even send part of a script if you are worried about sending the whole thing.

I know this is an odd request, but I would really appreciate any help anyone can give.

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This could be a good place to start at if you're looking at for 'rl SL' examples - you should, I guess, keep an eye on the discussions going on here and if you've found something that may be interesting to you, get in the touch whith the people working onm something they asked a question about. Quite a few of them will be working for customers and have something like an NDA - others may not trust you.

Another thing you should do is to hang out in sandboxes and talk to people there.

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Thanks for all the suggestions -- I spend a good bit of time in the sandboxes but will keep working on that. As for why I can't use code from the library: the project is not really about how to do something with code but with how people actually use it -- I'm looking for something a bit more idividualized than example code.

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I'm not sure where you should post this to get the kind of information you really seek.  I suppose scripters are "actual users" of a sort, but we're certainly not representative of the vast majority of script users.

The idiosyncracies of SL script execution may also get in the way of generalizing much from what you observe here.  An uncharacteristically large part of the effort in developing SL scripts is devoted to squeezing out lag, squeezing into memory, and working around bugs and limitations, with very little room for compromises that would improve modularity, reusability, nor even readability.  It's a bit like programming for real time embedded systems -- and that's somewhat odd, given that SL scripts are almost all user-generated content.

That said, there are many open source programs that might be useful to your research.  Many of them are in the library or archives, however, so it may be redundant to list them.  Nonetheless, in case it's of any use, some widely used, re-used, and adapted scripts:

  • OpenCollar; Lockguard
  • MLP; Lex & LearJeff's Sit Target Positioner; nPose
  • Argent Stonecutter's "flight feather"
  • Void Singer's Zen resizer

... and as I'm typing, I realize there are so many that any listing will be absurdly idiosnycratic, so... I think I give up.

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Yeah -- a lot of what you bring up are the key issues surrounding the project (professional programmers vs. amateur, readability vs. efficiency, etc.). I wanted to work with SL because everything is user-generated, but I'm finding that getting to that level of code is a bit difficult. Your suggestions are useful, though, and I'm going to take a look through a few of them. 

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The best suggestion so far is to read every single thread in this forum and to go back and dig through archived threads in the previous forum.  We are often dealing with questions from beginning scripters who are trying to solve specific challenges.  The approach here is generally not to produce a finished script for the OP but to teach the OP how to write it her/himself.  That can mean a lot of back and forth, trial answers, alternative suggestions, and unfinished code snippets. The threads will also reveal frustrations on both sides as we struggle to understand each other.  It's your best resource, I think.

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Jimy Genesis wrote:

I wanted to work with SL because everything is user-generated, but I'm finding that getting to that level of code is a bit difficult. 

My brain isn't working too well but I'm just not getting what you're asking for.

I don't know how much experience you have of SL but unlike the 'games' you may be used to 99%+ of the content, and even more of the scripts, are made by us, 'normal' users and the scripts you see are 'that level of code' - it's what we do here.  The stuff you are seeing in the library, here, in-world and on the wiki (mostly) is not provided by Linden Lab or 'them', it's ours.

'We' may or may not be professional programmers in RL.  Many do not have any programming experience outside SL.  Regardless, someone willing to get their hands dirty and edit scripts is a scripter.  Non-scripters in SL are extremely unlikely to do anything more with a script than put it in an object and use it.  If they did try to change something they'd probably break it, which is a good enough reason to make things no-mod even apart from copyright/confidentiality issues.

So what are you asking for?  We can share scripts, sure - they're here already.  Non-scripters won't know what you're talking about.

[ETA: Rolig makes more sense of this, as so often.  If you are looking at the way scripters and non-scripters talk to each other you may like this short thread http://community.secondlife.com/t5/Wanted/Wanted-Menu-based-Opacity-Script/m-p/831605/message-uid/831605#U831605 - IS that the sort of thing you mean?]

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Here's another idea.....

Non-scripters or beginning scripters are usually looking for a solution to a specific design problem. They usually don't have the time or patience to start with the basics. They want to start at the end.  This can lead to some odd applications of scripts that were designed for very different purposes.  Many are terribly inefficient and they lead to problems down the road.  Why not take a specific example and chase it through the forums? 

My favorite would be doors.  Start with some of the popular door scripts that have been distributed freely in SL for years. 

Peter Linden's Basic door >>  http://forums-archive.secondlife.com/15/30/1902/1.html

Timeless Prototype's Timeless Door >> http://lslwiki.net/lslwiki/wakka.php?wakka=LibraryTimelessLinkedDoor

Toy Wylie's Smooth Rotating Door >> http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Smooth_Rotating_Door

Void Singer'sSimple Hinge Action >> http://community.secondlife.com/t5/Scripting-Library/Simple-Hinge-Action/m-p/87486#M28

Then use the forum's search function to starting mining for threads related to doors.  You'll find loads of examples in which people used one of these doors and screwed up. ("I linked my door to the house and now the whole house turns when I click on it.", "I put the script in my door but it opens in instead of out.", "I want a door with a timer on it, but this script doesn't have one.", "How do I make the door work only in the daytime?")

Take a look at this one:

http://community.secondlife.com/t5/Scripting/General-question-about-rotation/m-p/359035/highlight/true#M9810

Anyway.... you can go nuts following all the ways that people are using (and misusing) door scripts.  Join one of the building groups like Builder's Buddy and see what a high proportion of their chatter is about how to make doors work. It's a gold mine.  A whole PhD dissertation.

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the focus of the subject manner for the humanities might have some major bearing on our suggestions....

it seems to be that your focus is on the evolution of understanding starting from a basic non-scripting resident who is only a consumer, to a script editing writing and producing resident if I understand the conversation so far

assuming that's the case, it will probably be most effective to walk a similar path. You've already started on that by reviewing the content here, the next step would be going over some of the content in the LSL Portal, and the Script library therein. After that I would recommend checking out some classes inworld (Search for NCI, they are a large resource for this) as well as some of the walk through content linked above.

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