GML A way to extract all GML (builtin) functions' metadata?

[syscall]

Hello,

I have been working out on the SDK for Windows DLL extensions... It is going great.
But, I do have a question, is there a function in GML which would return a (big) map data-structure, a value containing all builtin GML functions' metadata (information about the function signature: function name, possible return types, number of arguments and their types)?

(If there is no such "function dump" available via GML (and if no metadata is saved on disk), then I will have to do some web crawling on docs... I don't want to do this.)

If I go offline, I am still able to browse GML function reference pages (F1) in GMS2 (even after restarting IDE), which suggests that metadata is stored on disk. Question is: Where?

(I need this information to save myself a whole lot of time...)

Off-topic question: Is there even function overloading concept in GML? (I guess: not. Please correct me if my guess is wrong.)

Best regards.

 

[syscall]

eeh.. I could just fire up filemon and see what file is GMS2 loading...

Got it...

%ProgramFiles%\GameMaker Studio 2\chm2web\YoYoStudioHelp.zip

 

[GMWolf]

Is there even function overloading concept in GML? (I guess: not. Please correct me if my guess is wrong.)

No not really. But there are variable argument count.
So you could have different scripts for each overload, then have a common script that switches between them based on argument_count.
With a bit of luck the YYC will optimize it out too.

 

[syscall]

Actually, I see... I could also then use the "typeof" function to check their type.

But there are variable argument count.

In GMS2 extensions, I see you can define a function with "variable length arguments" (varargs):


Since I have answered my own question, now I have a pair of (offtopic) question:
Does this mean you could call your user-defined (script) function with more than 16 arguments?
If so, how do you define such a variadic function in GML script?

 

[GMWolf]

Does this mean you could call your user-defined (script) function with more than 16 arguments?

I'm not sure. I think 16 is the limit. Or maybe that was changed in a recent update?

If so, how do you define such

You use the argument_count and argument variable like so:

if (argument_count == 1) {
  var foo = argument [0];
} 
else if (argument_count == 2) {
  var foo = argument[0];
  var bar = argument[1];
}

Note you cannot mix argument[0] and argument0 variables. You have to use one or the other.

AFAIK there is not dump function.
For default variable names I have in the past just written them out by hand.
For functions though I think crawling the CHM might be the way to go.

 

[rIKmAN]

I'm not sure. I think 16 is the limit. Or maybe that was changed in a recent update?

I vaguely remember reading a thread / post a while back where someone was saying that you can get around the argument limit it by passing in an array as the argument.

My memory is a bit sketchy on it though and I'm not even sure if it was a suggestion or a solution, it just rang a quiet bell in my head.

 

[samspade]

There's no limit, and I don't think there ever has been, in GMS 2 for arguments in a custom script. The only limit is if you use the built in argument variables of argument0...argument15. The argument[0] is unlimited. As GMWolf noted, you cannot mix argument0/argument[0] forms.

 

[rIKmAN]

The only limit is if you use the built in argument variables of argument0...argument15.

Maybe that's what the thread I vaguely remember was talking about then.
I tried searching for it but couldn't find anything useful as I can't remember if the thread it was in was even related to that issue.

 

[YellowAfterlife]

A good source of function metadata is the "fnames" file in GMS2 directory. There are a few inconsistencies in it, but you can post-fix those.