Scripting Language

[bigshotking 11]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering what language of coding I should learn so I can start scripting for Arma. Right now I'm starting to learn "C" and "Java". I presume that "C" is the best choice towards Arma scripting since "C" is used for making games and making programs.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

-Bigshot

[PuFu 4600]

SQF is similar but still pretty far from C++. even so, once you know the basics of programming languages, you can get the grips of SQF without many issues.

[bigshotking 11]

Ok, thank you

-Bigshot

[t_d 47]

I wonder why people always compare SQF to C++. Imo it has hardly anything in common. Only similarities I could think of are brackets, terminating semicolons and math operators, which is quite common notation for a lot of languages. Differences are big though. C++ is type-safe, SQF is not. C++ extends C with object orientation, SQF has no such elements.

So knowing languages that are not typesafe and are interpreted (not compiled) has far more in common with SQF. Knowing C(++) though is basic knowledge if you want to program stuff since most code examples are available in C(++).

[PuFu 4600]

if that is directed towards my comments:

SQF is similar but still pretty far from C++

especially if you have to choose between C and Java.

Other than that, you post is accurate and more detailed than mine

[bigshotking 11]

Well Im currently just learning C and not C++, I know that C++ takes the C language even further, but is C++ recommended to learn scripting in Arma? Or is C enough to get me going?

-Bigshot

[thdman1511 4]

This is a question pondering me, what language is best to help learn scripting for Arma 3. I just want to be able to understand the workings of scripts others have written, so I know what going on, so that when there is an error, I can see whether its my mistake or a issue with a script. So any advise would be much appreciated.

[mikie boy 18]

although written for a3 - you can use the tutorials i knocked up for a2 as well - explains the code etc. handy for newbies. check my signature below

[xxanimusxx 2]

Well I knew C and C++ before learning SQF and it didn't help me much - just the syntax was somehow familiar, but thats applicable to a wide spectrum of different programming languages.

But there are similarities to ECMA-Script (JavaScript is the best known implementation), like how the arrays can be defined (but thats all of the similiarities concerning arrays...), variables without distinct types and other strange constructions which you wouldn't find in C/++. I mean SQF-Files are written in ArmA-Script, so it isn't too far off to say that scripting languages will help you out more to learn the basics - the problem is that every scripting language has it's own quirks and its really hard to compare them. At the very last a Script is nothing more than a text file which gets read and interpreted by a C/++ application which then executes C/++ code.

If you want to understand the underlying cause and effect of any commands used in SQF, I would recommend you to fully understand any "real" programming language, as it helps you to find possible flaws in your scripts (like doing loops) or prevents you to get lost in strange conditions along your script.

Either way you have to learn SQF scripting from the very bottom, there is no programming language which you can just switch from to SQF and expect to know everything. As the most of the users in these forums already said, learning SQF scripting has a very steep learning curve so you really have to hang in there and if you've invested some time you'll understand everything along the way.