Why are there no "Scripting 101" classes anymore?

I see lots of classes on building, but none on helping people script.

I'm a visual person, I grasped building in about 10 minutes. But i've been beating my head on the desk to try and understand scripting.

Is there anything besides the Wiki out there? Like a spell checker for script? or a visual system kinda like a flowchart that will help you understand how scripts "function"?

Or someone willing to host a scripting class for us new folks?

Thanks

two posts down from this one, or...

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I havn't noticed a class in a while, although it is hard to find them in the sea of SLingo events. They could be there, I seem to remember seeing one there once somewhat recently.

... because us scripters are overworked and underpaid?

Tell you what... pay me enough money to quit my current job and I'll work on LSL classes, documentation, and WIKI improvements full time. *wry grin*

I think there are a couple of reasons :

1 - Scripters like scripting. If your time in SL is limited, you tend to want to do what you enjoy - it's time off in some sense, even if what you enjoy seems like work.

2 - There are already a lot of written material to walk people through the basics of scripting. So, the 101 material is already out there, and there is always the Scripters group to ask if you start banging your head against the wall.

3 - It is easier to show people to build than to script, since there is no collaborative notepad for scripting per se, in the same way you can show directly someone in world to Prim.
I think this may change once the web becomes available in world, but we'll see.

So, I think those are some factors contributing to it.

The problem with scripting is that there is a lot of background material to grasp if you have never ever coded/scripted before. Even certain concepts we take for granted, like variables or typecasting, can be very confusing for someone never exposed to it. And these are difficult to explain - The explaination itself leads to more questions and unfamiliar terms. But I believe a lot of the material is on the wiki. Just dont expect to make Hovercars that shoot purple pigs at all avatars within 10 meters on the first few days

It's a slow process that will be filled with 'a-ha' moments as you suddenly grasp a concept you had been confused over for a day or two. Which is part of what makes it worth it.

Regarding flow chart, I found this one program by http://synthis.com/ which allows you to model processes. They happen to have the elements for making state machines. Perfect for LSL. Check it out - free license for personal use.

Do you feel a more basic verison of the wiki would be helpful?

I am willing to hold a class, but it is going to wait a few weeks still. Kinda busy. I have a default script heavily commented I was going to use for a class - I can pass you copy and you can tell me if it helps or not - i would be interested to know.

my very long 0.02$
-max case

The biggest request I could make right now is if you;re releasing code to be public COMMENT HEAVILY!

The few scripts i've managed to make work I commented nearly every line just so I could go back and see "oh, that does THAT!"

It seems that those that know scripting eventually stop commenting code or comment only sections.


"Even certain concepts we take for granted, like variables or typecasting, can be very confusing for someone never exposed to it. And these are difficult to explain - The explaination itself leads to more questions and unfamiliar terms. But I believe a lot of the material is on the wiki."

Yes, the Wiki is very technical, but when I try to read it and understand it I feel like a 2-year-old with a flight manual for a jumbo jet. I've actually spent alot of time trying to figure out what tools would help and not just complain mind you


"... because us scripters are overworked and underpaid?"

I have a hard time grasping that since i've been building 3 weeks and have yet to sell anything, heh.

Another reason, at least from my point of view is that actually teaching scripting is not that easy. You might want to build a gun, your neighbour a vehicle, the next person a dance bracelet, the next a security system.

With building the tips, tricks and short cuts that you use generalise well - building a gun, a vehicle and an item of jewelry all use precisely the same tools, scripting for them is different.

There are a couple of on line places to start too: http://secondlife.com/badgeo/wakka.php?wakka=LSLTutorials contains links to three useful 101 classes in the wiki and: http://secondlife.com/badgeo/wakka.php?wakka=ScriptingMentors has a list of people (including me) that are prepared to help you with in world specific problems. It also looks like Nonnux White is going to be running some scripting 101 classes from the last comment currently there, so you could try IMing her directly.

just IM me if u are interested on scripting classes

When I first came to sl, there were scripting classes. I went to a few classes, but I found reading other people scripts, in combination with bad geo to be much more educational.