In-world access to LSL API blurbs

Hi all -- this is my first post to this venerable forum.

I'm a rl programmer/graphics designer seeking to learn LSL while developing some useful app's. Here is an idea for my first LSL project. Advice welcome:

It seems that LSL has a whole lot of functions. But, unless you like alt-tab'ing or have a great memory for all the parameters involved in each function, it's probably a pain to use! (It appears you can only access function names, but not the parameters, from in-world script editor!)

So, my first project is to build a HUD that hooks up to an LSL API function reference. I've already played with simple server-to-chat/IM requests, but I've yet to go fancy in my in-world display tactics.

I've seen Second411's amazon/ebay search API's, but they worry me. Is there a limitation that prevents more than a linked-headline from being displayed on the HUD?

I'm currently planning to display the function description, parameters, and possibly a brief example on the HUD.

Hello

you can see the function prams by holding your mouse over the function in the script, altho it doesnt help any when you dont remember which function you wanted

another option ppl use is the F1 browser, tru ini files, or the debug window you can set your homepage to whatever you want (i have mine pointed to a link list) so you can pop into the wiki or a mirror without leaving the SL interface ... tho this has limitations, such as limited cookie support, and some viewing problems when changing screen size

but as it stands both of these options are kind of a PITA, so i think a inworld referance biult on inworld objects would be quite handy

onto the question

huds are just objects, html input is capped @ 2048 bytes, if your script can phrase it, you can figure out a way to display it ... hovertext is limited to 255 charaters, llDialog is less, but has buttons, of of course llOwnerSay, which is capped @ 256 charaters per line, and personally i keep thinking that plainchat on the debug channel could make a usefull (non secure) way of displaying information outside of the normal methods

i've seen another way of displaying the data inworld that doesn't seem to be done via either llDialog,llOwnerSay, or llSay or any of the intrinsic communication functions. the example I'm referencing is the second411 HUD display-results screen. how is that done?

in their screenshot it just appears to be mutiple hovertext's, each line has a invisible prim below it .. offset so it lines up with the color bars

http://lslwiki.com/lslwiki/wakka.php?wakka=llSetText

ok, if that's the only way to get data into SL into a nice display, then i can see why they show only the headlines of the amazon/ebay searches -- and not a short blurb of details!

In your profile in the web tab. Wait a second. Forgive me a second, I have spent all of my time in beta last couple of weeks. Are Web Profiles in the main grid yet?????
O well, if they aren't then they will be soon. Let me start again.

In the web tab of your profile you can enter:

http://www.lslwiki.com/lslwiki/wakka.php?wakka=

Plus a function at the end of the equals sign and the wiki page for that function will show in your web profile.

Or you can just set the wiki as your homepage.

SO basically now you never, ever have to leave SL again

I believe Biran Gould makes an in-world LSL syntax reference as an object you can buy.

never noticed that, thanks

Am I strange but I almost never code in world prefering Scite-Ez.

I almost always code in-world, although I plan out of world.

That might reflect my projects though... I'm currently writing a HUD that does some twiddly stuff. Sure, Scite-ez or similar will tell me whether it compiles, but the in-world compiler does that pretty much as quickly to be honest.

A lot of things that I get wrong are either silly mistakes (missing ; say) that get caught smoothly either way, or something silly about in world behaviour... putting next not Next into a message say, and until I see it *not* work I can't trouble shoot it.

You must have a far better connection than I do then seems to take absolutely ages to compile even the simplist of scripts.

I tend to always edit in Scite-Ez and then cut and paste back into SL. I agree with the seeing things working, especially multi script interactions, but like having all my scripts to hand and saved off world.

I do all of my writing in Scite-ez also. I usually have both windows open and then F5 and paste into SL and give it a try. Plus the fact that still mucking my way through some stuff, it is so damned necessary to constantly hit the wiki. Hitting F1 while over a llFunction and the wiki page popping up is sooooo nice. But that brings me to a feature suggestion......

Being that I discovered that the wiki works great in your profile web tab. llFunctions are already recognised and color highlighted in an open script. Wouldn't it be awesome if we could double click a function in a script and the in world browser already used by help would show the relevant wiki page??????

Even better, it would be nice that when we select to open a script the SL client then launches our application of choice to edit the script.

OMG!!! Excuse me, but just the thought of being able to do that created a stronger reaction then imagining Brad Pitt taking a shower.