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Documentation problems

by Andreas Griebling · in Torque Game Engine · 09/01/2004 (1:57 am) · 5 replies

Hi to all,
I am new to torque and until now, my biggest problem is to find a way through the documentations. I haven't a clue how to find a description of a function or a command fast.

For example :
I am now working on a Trigger - Tutorial and I am searching for "::OnTrigger(%this, %obj, %state)" to find more informations about "%state". But i could not find anything about it in the documentation.

Please can someone give me some explanations how to find an easy way through the documentations.

(Sorry for my bad english)


Andreas

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#1
09/01/2004 (4:19 am)
I find the quickest way to find out what I need to know is to look through the existing scripts and C++ code for similar things to what I want to do, or failing that, I read the C++ code to figure out exactly what it does. An editor that has a "find in files" capability is really handy.

There are also in-engine functions that can help you figure stuff out: All objects have a dump() function, which will dump all the objects methods and fields. dumpConsoleFunctions(), dumpConsoleObjects() (i think those are right) and the tab key in the in-game console are also your friends.

Searching the forums for similar problems will help a lot too. Most people have the same problems when they're just starting out so a lot of questions are covered in various forums posts.

As for the documentation ... not too sure on that. I havent had cause to look at it in ages. Perhaps its worth generating the engine docs locally as an HTMLHelp file so its searchable. You can do that by tweaking the doxygen configuration, theres a couple of of options to set to make it generate the htmlhelp file for you. You'll need the HTMLHelp Workshop installed so you can compile the help file. You'll find that on http://msdn.microsoft.com/ somewhere if you dont already have it.

Hopefully the whole doc thing will all be made easier when GG releases the doc installers, as per recent news item.

Hope that helps a bit,

Tom.
#2
09/01/2004 (7:12 am)
Hello Tom,
thank you for your informations.

I have generated the documentation with doxygen, but I have now a lot of single HTML - files and I don't know, how to find an instruction, like "OnTrigger", inside them. Is the "HTML Help Workshop" the answer for my problem?


Andreas
#3
09/01/2004 (7:56 am)
Just use the Windows Explorer find tool (using the "containing text" option).

Okay, so it will likely also list matches that are example code rather than an explanation, but whilst learning they help too.
#4
09/01/2004 (12:14 pm)
Thank You Wysardry,
you are right, sometimes it is to easy.


Andreas
#5
09/01/2004 (12:35 pm)
Andreas,

The reason i mentioned generating an HTMLHelp file is it has a built in search function which is a tad easier then doing a find in files across the HTML. You have to tweak the doxygen file for TGE to make it generate an HTML help (which will require the HTML Help Workshop thing installed)

Of course, if find in files works for you, it may just be wasted extra effort :)

T.