Modding Tutorial Book (new: Code architecture, unit testing)

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rubenwardy
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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by rubenwardy » Post

That Lua_api.HTML was from lua api.txt translated into markdown by wuzzy and shadowninja and translated into HTML by python's markdown and table of contents modules.
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rubenwardy
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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by rubenwardy » Post

Added a Node Drawtype chapter. It isn't complete yet, some are missing.

Node Drawtypes
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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by TG-MyinaWD » Post

Should also we make an Minetest History Book like Since first day started Minetest being made all the way to now?

I just know might got do an Q&A with C55 for most the Answers.
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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by rubenwardy » Post

There wouldn't be much to write about, you might as well just write a wiki page about it. celeron55 has a blog from the early days of development, that could help

Anyway, this is the n topic to discuss this.
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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by MrNomNom111 » Post

Thanks so much for the time you put into these resources. These help immensely!

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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by MrNomNom111 » Post

How do I contact you to contribute? I would love to help

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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by rubenwardy » Post

Send emails to me at rubenwardy on gmail.com
<-- Or PM me.

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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by rubenwardy » Post

Add anchor links to headings and printable version (click link in navbar).

Added a chapter on the HUD: http://rubenwardy.github.io/minetest_do ... s/hud.html
It's fairly basic as HUD is subject to change. It's really just to explain positioning.
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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by Don » Post

rubenwardy wrote:Add anchor links to headings and printable version (click link in navbar).

Added a chapter on the HUD: http://rubenwardy.github.io/minetest_do ... s/hud.html
It's fairly basic as HUD is subject to change. It's really just to explain positioning.
Thanks again for your hard work!
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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by Linuxdirk » Post

Don wrote:Thanks again for your hard work!
I second that. Finally an understandable description.

… but to me HUD elements and placing of them is still a chaotic mess :)

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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by Jordach » Post

If anyone asks why that Dropbox link leads to BiomeAPI.odf, that's my segment for this, as there isn't any decent Biome API documentation, so I'm writing it.

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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by rubenwardy » Post

Thank you Jordach. I'll edit that and convert it tomorrow - I'm away from my computer this evening, doing real life things D:
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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by leeminer » Post

I'm sure you all knew, but I see your tutorial on the wiki!!

http://dev.minetest.net/Intro

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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by Jordach » Post

rubenwardy wrote:Thank you Jordach. I'll edit that and convert it tomorrow - I'm away from my computer this evening, doing real life things D:
Still not finished. Don't even bother. :3

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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by Gael de Sailly » Post

Started to draft the mapgen/ores/LVM tuto. Not finished. Today is the lastest day of the holidays, so you will probably wait for the next weekend.
Just realize how bored we would be if the world was perfect.

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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by rubenwardy » Post

Added a chapter on releasing a mod to the forum.


Read the 'Releasing a Mod' chapter - Download Book
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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by Gael de Sailly » Post

For the mapgen tuto : sorry, not finished yet ; I'm not lazy, but I have a lot of projects (Minetest and not only). Too many projects for me, I have not a lot of time because of school.
Maybe, one day, I will finish it.
If someone else is good in mapgen, and have more free time than me, he can make this tuto himself.

It's not so easy, there are a lot of complex features to explain. I was naive at first, I thought I could finish it in 1 or 2 hours !
Just realize how bored we would be if the world was perfect.

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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by rubenwardy » Post

Try spitting it into smaller chapters.
  • Mapgen - explain about the structure of map gen, flags
  • Biomes. (Done by Jordach)
  • Ores and Decoration.
  • Mapgen and LVM -Create lua Mapgen in single node using noise. Basic stuff.
It takes me 2 hours on average to make a chapter. 'Releasing a Mod' has taken the longest so far, at 3 hours.
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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by Gael de Sailly » Post

rubenwardy wrote:It takes me 2 hours on average to make a chapter. 'Releasing a Mod' has taken the longest so far, at 3 hours.
Yes but I write it in French, and it will take me a lot of time to translatein English.
Just realize how bored we would be if the world was perfect.

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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by rubenwardy » Post

Added Player Physics chapter
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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by Don » Post

rubenwardy wrote:Added Player Physics chapter
+1
I have been busy but I am going to get back into studying. Thank you so much for your hard work. It will help me a lot.
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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by Wuzzy » Post

Wow!
I am seriously impressed by the documents so far. It's not really useful for me, however, because I already know most of that stuff. :D It is still unfinished so far, but I already have a first good impression.

I am happy to see a section about drawtypes. It was about time these things got documented. IMO this stuff is so important it should go into the dev wiki as well. The allfaces and allfaces_optional drawtype is poorly documented and the image does not match the description.
The nodebox section needs serious expansion, maybe some screenshots might help. I think a newbie might not find that section particulary useful. Same for torchlike, I find the torchlike example a bit too overwhelming (it uses animated tiles, a concept which should be taught somewhere else).
And please mind the correct casing. It's “torchlike”, not “Torchlike” or “TorchLike”.

But on the other hand, this section is incomplete anyways, so no reason to complain (yet). :P
Minetest 0.4.11 also introduced a couple of new drawtypes, like firelike and mesh and probably more, please don't forget to include them.

I really hope you manage to finish this!
I am looking forward to see the chapter about LuaVoxelManipulator, because this is one thing I still have trouble understanding. I know it is already on your to-do list, this is just my personal view here.
It is not the functions which confuse me, it is how these functions interact, also I like to know the underlying concepts and how to use the LuaVoxelManipulator efficiently. With some realistic examples and a few hints and tips added, this chapter would already be very good.

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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by Evergreen » Post

Once this is finished, I hope to see it go in the minetest source under the docs folder. This should be included with the source once it is complete, and it should be updated like lua_api.txt whenever there are changes.
Back from the dead!

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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by ExeterDad » Post

It's been awhile so I decided to visit your book again. I am very impressed with everything about it! Programmers rarely write documentation that typical folks can understand. And it's usually so dry interest is lost very quickly.
I know little of lua. But here and there I've hit a few tutorials attempting to learn. I've found myself confused trying to apply what I learned to Minetest. A quick glance of your book turned into me reading all that you've written thus far. Things really started clicking when I read your examples and explanations. I also learned many details I never noticed while pouring over the api many, many times.
Thank you for your efforts. They will benefit many more people aside from myself.

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Re: Modding Tutorial Book - Creating Better Documentation

by Fox » Post

Gael de Sailly wrote:
rubenwardy wrote:It takes me 2 hours on average to make a chapter. 'Releasing a Mod' has taken the longest so far, at 3 hours.
Yes but I write it in French, and it will take me a lot of time to translatein English.
Gael de Sailly,

Feel free to share it in as little or big of chunks as you'd like. :) Doesn't have to be perfect. Some of what's up now seems to still be under construction.

Do whatever works for you though. I look forward to what comes of it. :) Thanks for your work on it so far.

Thanks to everyone for their work so far.

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