Feature: "externalCommand" for Torque3D.

[just-bank]

A new feature for Torque3D: "externalCommand".

How to use "externalCommand" it in Torsion:
(instructions for other IDE should be similar)

1. In Torsion open "Tools" menu and select "External Tools"
2. Select first empty slot and enter following:
   Title: &Reload current script
   Command: $(ConfigExe)
   Arguments: externalCommand 1 $(FilePath)
   Initial Directory: $(ProjectWorkingDir)
   Press OK

Now you can reload the currently-edited script directly from Torsion with two mouse-clicks!
Click Tools, then Reload current script.

See comments in Templates/Full/game/tools/main.cs for more examples.

As a protection (for shipped games), the ectual execution is wrapped with TORQUE_SHIPPING and the scripted function "parseExternalCommand" is placed under "tools" folder.

[jamesu]

Shouldn't this be part of the Telnet debugger?

[just-bank]

It is not really the same thing.
If you running Torque from the VS or started it directly (without Torsion attached) this allows you to exec script or do any additional command. It will work for multiple Torque at once too.
Like you are running two instances of T3D (client/server + client) and changes one script... By two mouse clicks in Torsion it allows you to reload the script.. Or call function you want.

P.S. "Telnet debugger" is not that stable as I want it to be, and I rarely use it tbh.. And with complex projects (as our is) Torsion sometimes goes crazy when debugging scripts and tries to use built-in "script reload" feature.
We use this "externalCommand" feature a lot, and I can't imagine working without this.

[DavidWyand-GG]

Before we can accept any changes to the repositories we'll need you to sign the Open Source Software Agreement. We've outlined the steps in the wiki: Contributing Page Please follow those steps and let me know when you're done. Thanks!

[just-bank]

Have done it a week or so ago.

[crabmusket]

@just-bank How do you feel about these changes? Still want them reviewed and merged? Is is useful for anything but Torsion? Is there a better solution? For example, there's a resource by Dan Keller to automatically reload scripts that are saved while the engine is running. Wouldn't it have the same effect?

[just-bank]

@eightyeight

to automatically reload scripts that are saved while the engine is running

I really don't like this, as I (and I believe a lot of others) do save often during typing, even when the part of code is not finished, and it will give errors during exec.
Another thing it could break - is GUIs. You don't want to re-exec GUI scripts.. And scripts like main.cs or init.cs.

We at Dedicated Logic use that externalCommand a lot, and I believe it can give some benefit to others.

We can vote - do we include this or not into the repo.

[just-bank]

Is is useful for anything but Torsion?

Any IDE that can edit scripts and have ability to run custom commands can use this.
It is possible to setup "External Tools" to do anything from Visual Studio.

[crabmusket]

I guess I don't have a problem with this in principle.