Author Topic: Is learning TS useless?  (Read 1692 times)

Relevant post from two years ago:
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However, what I think is most beneficial to people learning how to code is that Torquescript is tangible. They can make a five line script and instantly see the results in a game environment that is familiar to them (moreso if they've actually played Blockland).

This is what everyone else is overlooking. Torque has an incredible ability to produce tangible results with almost no code. Even simple one-liners can have enough 'fun' packed in them for people to be interested: that's why "console commands" exist. This is really important because it causes people to be actually motivated to learn and grow. The issue with something like C++ as a starting language is that what you get when you start is basic and boring: a terminal. Java can be slightly better with simple beginners libraries existing to utilize graphics and GUI, but even still you're just dealing with simple drawn shapes. In comparison to using Torque on Blockland to learn, where you've got a standalone operating 3d multiplayer world that has other people playing on it that you're tweaking.. well, saying it's more fun to program in that environment for a beginner is an understatement.

I have a project on my VPS somewhere that's a Torque parser and abstract syntax tree generator. It rudimentarily converts Torque to LLVM Intermediate Representation which can be easily compiled into a binary application on most platforms. My logic for writing this was that if I was able to essentially reconstruct Torque Game Engine as a programming language, I would be able to preserve the tangibility of Torque. With an added import feature users could import vast feature sets and potentially even have a really basic game running with only a dozen lines of code. Would this be a fantastic programming language for professionals? forget no it wouldn't. It would be slow, clunky, and restrictive, just like the real thing. However, it would be fantastic for learners because it would be pulling Torque slightly out of the extreme niche it is in right now by expanding the potential feature sets and utilizing the aforementioned added import ability to be able to maintain all of the usability of Torque without restricting the users to only being able to use it for modding a game.
« Last Edit: May 17, 2015, 09:47:06 PM by $trinick »