Scripting About
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About OpenSim scripting
An important ingredient in Second Life is scripting. It is the engine that drives it all. In SL LSL (Linden Scripting Language) is the language you have to use. This language has its limitations, and is executed very slowly. But nevertheless it works and it gets the job done.Linden Labs are planning to move LSL scripting over to C# on Mono some time in the future. This has been in the works since 2005 at least. There are many technical challenges related to this.
OpenSim today supports LSL and C# scripts. But with limitations:
- Not all commands and events have been implemented. See LSL Status for details on what commands work and which don't.
- Scripts that are running cannot cross region borders.
- You cannot use loops inside your scripts. Actually you can use loops, but it will block other scripts from executing.
The OpenSim script engine compiles the LSL code down to .Net code that is JIT'ed to CPU native code. In effect this means that a LSL script in OpenSim should run faster than in Second Life. Stability and security: see Script Execution Sandbox.
Supported Languages
For a list of supported scripting languages, go to here.
How to use scripts in OpenSim
Have a look at the LSL wiki to learn LSL. The current procedure to get a script working in OpenSim is:
- Create a new script in inventory. (Inventory -> Create -> New Script)
- Write whatever script you want there, or copy the script contents of another script in the pre-existing OpenSim library. Check LSL Status for what commands that are supported.
- Drag the script over to the contents of an object.
- Delete the script from the object to deactivate script.
There are still some defects:
- Line numbers in error messages may miss by 1 or 2 lines.
How to contribute
The ScriptEngine is being developed by many developers. New developers are always welcome. If you want to contribute, even just a tiny little bit, have a look at the OpenSim.Region.ScriptEngine page. There is a lot of developer activity on IRC (Contact us), feel free to drop in. A blog with development status can be found at http://teddmaa.blogspot.com/.
