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Getting started

1. Install Haxe.
2. Install this library from Haxelib: haxelib install hxdefold
3. Run the following command at the root of your Defold project: haxelib run hxdefold init

The above should prepare the following for you:

• A sample script class src/Hello.hx.
• A build.hxml that should be used to build the project using: haxe build.hxml

Compiling Haxe at this point will generate a Hello.script file, which can be added to a game object in the Defold editor!

Workflow

Automating Haxe compliation

Every time the Haxe source files are updated, haxe build.hxml needs to be called before re-building the game in the Defold editor. However, it is not necessary to do it manually everytime.

Defold supports defining editor lifetime hooks, and an on_build_started hook can be used in this case to always call haxe build.hxml before the game is build through the editor.

-- hooks.editor_script
local M = {}
function M.on_build_started(opts)
    return {
      {
        action = "shell",
        command = { "haxe", "build.hxml" }
      }
    }
  end
return M

Don't forget that after editing the hooks.editor_script file, it is necessary to reload it either by restarting the Defold editor or by using Reload editor scripts from the toolbar.

.gitignore

The files generated by Haxe (namely main.lua, .script files etc) should be treated as artifacts, and not checked into version control. Below is an example of what your .gitignore should probably look like.

# Defold stuff
/.internal
/dump
dmengine_headless.exe
dmengine_release.exe
dmengine.exe
SteamEmu/
.externalToolBuilders
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db
.lock-wscript
*.pyc
.project
.cproject
builtins
manifest.private.der
manifest.public.der

# Generated files
/scripts
/bit32.lua
/luv.lua
/socket.lua
/main.lua

# Artifacts
/build