The "WML For Complete Beginners" Information

[Woodruff]

Found here: https://wiki.wesnoth.org/WML_for_Comple ... troduction

Has this been updated recently at all? I just started getting a bit interested in creating a campaign (or possibly finishing/updating one that has folded), and I discovered this resource. It seems as though at one time, it was an excellent resource...but in my brief look at this section of the forums after going through the Beginner's Guide, I don't think it's very up-to-date.

Is there a plan to update it? It's a really great guide for someone new to WML, and I'd hate to see it remain defunct.

[UnwiseOwl]

It's actually not that out of date at all, from what I can see. Maybe a little incomplete, but the info there all seems accurate on a cursory examination. It's seems to be at least up to date for 1.12, which is wiki terms is pretty darn good.
If you suspect any particular errors, maybe note them here? Or you could edit the wiki pages yourself.

[Woodruff]

It's actually not that out of date at all, from what I can see. Maybe a little incomplete, but the info there all seems accurate on a cursory examination. It's seems to be at least up to date for 1.12, which is wiki terms is pretty darn good.
If you suspect any particular errors, maybe note them here? Or you could edit the wiki pages yourself.

Well...the reason I thought it was out of date is because there are pretty direct disagreements between it and the WML Reference Guide on some of the pretty basic stuff, one example being "difficulties" and how they're described, which leave me very unsure as to how I should properly syntax. Remember, I'm new to WML, so maybe I'm just not understanding something, but I do have a programming background.

There also appear to be some typos in how things are marked with quotations (or not) inconsistently.

[gfgtdf]

Well...the reason I thought it was out of date is because there are pretty direct disagreements between it and the WML Reference Guide on some of the pretty basic stuff, one example being "difficulties" and how they're described, which leave me very unsure as to how I should properly syntax. Remember, I'm new to WML, so maybe I'm just not understanding something, but I do have a programming background.

There also appear to be some typos in how things are marked with quotations (or not) inconsistently.

the difficulcy syntax has changed quite recently (1.13.2 i think it was )

[beetlenaut]

It's noted in the reference guide that the difficulties syntax changed. Which one you use is up to you, but you need to use the old one (which is shown on the page you linked to) if you want your content to be compatible with 1.12. Quotation marks can be used around any attribute's value, but they are only required in a couple rare cases. That said, it's a good idea to put them around dialog, names, and descriptions because those things can't be translated otherwise. It also seems to be a common convention to put them around paths. If they are used inconsistently, it's probably not a typo. It's just that it doesn't actually matter.

[Woodruff]

Good info, gfgtdf and Beetlenaut, I appreciate that.

So then the difficulties information in the Beginner's Guide has to be used for 1.12, but the same information in the Reference Guide must be used for 1.13 (or if not, what is the plan for when the older information becomes obsolete)?

[gfgtdf]

well when the older information becomes obsolete we hope to remember updating that wiki page.

If you develop for 1.13 it is recommended to use the newer syntax.

when you decide whether to develop for 1.12 or 1.13 you should consider multiple aspects:
1) You want to develop multiplayer content? in that case it's probably better to develop for 1.12 since in 1.13 it is rather hard to find people on the mp server to play with you.
2) some features, specially new addon api function are 1.13 exclusive (for example sp modifications, lua map generators, treeviews in dialogs, new name generators are the first ones that come into my mind now)
3) 1.13 has other bugs than 1.12, generally 1.12 has less bugs but of course there are also 1.12 specific bugs that are fixed in 1.13 . Before deciding to develop for 1.13 it might make sense to checkout the release notes thread for the newest version to check whether any blocker bugs were found in it.
4) developing for 1.12 usually means more work when 1.14 comes out for updating to newer syntax, but it also happened before that syntax changes in a development branch were reverted.

[Pentarctagon]

Another thing to keep in mind in this case is that 1.14 isn't all that far away anymore. Were we early in the 1.13.x branch, then it might make sense to wait and make the add-on for 1.12. However, 1.13.8 is expected to be the first Release Candidate for 1.14 (first paragraph from the 1.13.7 release announcement), so at this point you'd probably just be setting yourself up to have to do a whole bunch of work in a few months if you make the add-on for 1.12.

[Sapient]

Is there a plan to update it? It's a really great guide for someone new to WML, and I'd hate to see it remain defunct.

FYI, I just went through it today and made some minor corrections. As others have mentioned, it was not really outdated. It was, however, incomplete.

[Woodruff]

Another thing I'd mention is that it's sort of tucked away in a corner - such a useful resource should be linked prominently somewhere, in my opinion.