Re: [Quake-C] qc++

[<qu...@ca...>]

> Looks like you commented alot of stuff, so thats good.

If I dont, it is so freaking hard to figure out 3 months later - after I 
had to leave the code for a bit...
Learned commenting the hard way.


> Whats the deal with crandom? Looks like you are saying the #ifdef means
> that if the  mod used the crandom function, then use the alternate? 
> Sorta
> lost on those #
>  type references, thought they are just like the comment fields , ie: 
> // ?

#{precompiler code} are all interpreted by the compiler, very similar to 
various c languages.


I wrapped the function in "#ifndef opgrade".  So if opgrade is defined 
it uses the #define for crandom.
If opgrade is not defined it uses the old function.


#define crandom() 2*(random() - 0.5)

Is just like

float() crandom =
{
         return 2*(random() - 0.5);
};

Except - the define is a macro that plugs in the code "2*(random() - 
0.5)" for "crandom()".

So:

vel = normalize(dir + v_up*crandom() + v_right*crandom());

Compiles that way without opgrade defined.

With opgrade it compiles as

vel = normalize(dir + v_up*2*(random() - 0.5) + v_right*2*(random() - 
0.5));

I did that just an experiment to find out if it works the same.  Have 
the test data somewhere.


It does save a global slot and a function slot - some of these

    977 numfunctions (of 16384)
   3474 numglobaldefs (of 32768)
   3826 numpr_globals (of 65536)

At the expense of compiled code complexity.

Which could be important if you are approaching those limits.

What it does to the running c interpreter is hard to tell.  It avoids a 
function call, and runs the same math code,
so you would think it saves some ops here and there.  Certainly saves 
data on the stack.

Which means nothing on the hardware most of us have.  Could have meaning 
on the psp and other mobiles that run darkplaces.



fteqcc precompiler ops (these are in the fteqcc docs.)


#define opgrade

Gives opgrade a detectable existence for:

#ifdef opgrade

// opgrade defined

#else

// opgrade NOT defined

#endifdef

or

#ifndef opgrade

// opgrade NOT defined

#endifdef


#undef opgrade

Make opgrade undefined again.  This is also useful for a substitute that 
only gets used in one module.


#define crandom() 2*(random() - 0.5)

creates a substitue macro, where the text "crandom()" is replaced with 
"2*(random() - 0.5)".

You dont need the ()

#define a__		aflag

These can have function parameters:

#define framer(sframe,eframe,t_on,t_to,t_time,excode) void() t_on {if 
(self.think != t_on|| self.frame < sframe || self.frame >= 
eframe){self.frame = sframe - 1; self.think = t_on;} self.frame = 
self.frame + 1; self.nextthink = time + t_time; if (self.frame == 
eframe) {self.think = t_to;} excode;}

Also they can be very complex.  The compiler currently has a 256 byte 
limit on that - but unlimited substitutions.
So you can make a bunch of those and string them all together in a final 
one.
In fact if you want to print a literal string, like "Hey there" from 
that - you have to use multiple defines.


#include <incl/local_ent.qc>

Inlcudes the specified file.


#message         			-- version 1.07 qc++ quake-c -- compile 
with fteqcc

Dumps a message out from the compile about what sequence just compiled.
No idea how that will look here - I have backspaces to overwrite the 
"message:" tag that precedes it.


// turn off warnings for map spawn functions - most are normally only 
called by the engine
#pragma warning off F300

These control compiler behavior.  That stops it from complaining because 
spawn functions dont get
referenced directly in the qc code.  That seems like a very silly 
complaint given how qc works.


These are awesome - I can now do things with quake-c without a bunch of 
crap.

Like having to wrap all the warnings with some master variable, and then 
delete every one of them when I want to
find out how and / or if the code runs without them.

And for purists I can leave in the practically useless iD debug and test 
code.
(In fact, when I tried it, I found out some if it would not compile at 
all, and other bits fail or do nothing. I fixed some of it...)

It also makes the code more portable.  For darkplaces its easy to remove 
the un-needed precache (since it has dynamic).
If you want to move to another engine, you can just turn it back on.


Between this and some of the darkplaces builtin its like a dream.
I can do stuff now that just were not possible with out a lot of if 
thens, tons of literal strings, etc.
Code logic, that makes the old qc look like a dino!

I had been putting off learning the darkplaces extension (once I decided 
my mod was dp only a couple years back)
to finish the Archon mod.  Little did I realize it is the only way I'll 
ever finish the mod.

Now I'm slamming along with the new stuff.

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