Feedback Making a GML to English guide for a friend

[Wild_West]

Okay so it's not too long a post but a little lengthy so I apologize ^^; but it's a simple request.
I was hoping this could be a little something that I could get a few people who are really adept, more so than myself at the moment with a few of the trickier functions in game maker language to assist me with.
Stuff that I myself just can't seem to get the hang of using.
That way I can help a friend of mine who wants to get into this program too.

I don't need anything other than a quick definition of a function and an example of at least 2 ways to use it in a practical example as I feel the explanations and examples in the official GML manual are a little too obscure .
Especially for people like me who learn things better with a visual to go with the explanation.

I'd be making this into a video tutorial series so as an example here would be some of the GML to English I mean.

//-----------------------------------GML to English example-------------------------------------------------

Say in English

"Pick a new random seed each time."

Code as GML

randomize();
//--------------------------------------------------------------------
Say in English

"slow this object down by an amount continually until it reaches 0."

Code as GML

friction = 0.1;

Say in English

"when this object reaches this point, change it to a different object"

Code as GML

position_change();

can also have a position_destroy();
//-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Say in English

"Is there something at this area in the room?" "this position is free of all objects?"

Code as GML

not position_empty(); position_empty();

so as you can see it's a simple guide but hopefully it will make the various commands easier to remember when coding for beginners just starting out as they can remember a simple little expression in English rather than a coding term, and just type the command in, which will also make pseudo code a little easier too.
No fancy computer terminology just a definition in english.

And that's really all I need, so to anyone reading, I'd be extremely grateful for any additions you can supply from your vast knowledge base of GML, just submit them to me in the same style as the ones I put up above. Thanks a lot everyone.

 

[Yal]

The manual has a lengthy description of each function, often several paragraphs long and illustrated to clarify concepts. I'm not sure how much these one-liners would contribute. *scratches head* Or is the idea that you're making a system that translates pseudocode into actual GML code?

 

[chance]

I was hoping this could be a little something that I could get a few people who are really adept, more so than myself at the moment with a few of the trickier functions in game maker language to assist me with.

(emphasis mine)

If you need help with specific GML functions, that's what you should ask for. Which "tricky functions"? These are good questions for the Programming forum.

But asking people to make random submissions here isn't effective. Besides, it seems like you already have a reasonable grasp of basic GML. And you can use the manual, as Yal suggested.

 

[Wild_West]

(emphasis mine)

If you need help with specific GML functions, that's what you should ask for. Which "tricky functions"? These are good questions for the Programming forum.

But asking people to make random submissions here isn't effective. Besides, it seems like you already have a reasonable grasp of basic GML. And you can use the manual, as Yal suggested.

well I do have a good grasp of most of it, and some of the ones I have trouble with are things dealing with the maths and manipulating movement but I really just meant anything that would seem intimidating to newcomers, like the lengthdir_x or lengthdir_y, since I myself still haven't gotten used to using that. But your right I should've been more descriptive. ambiguous statements are the whole reason It took me so long to learn coding in the first place. and the manual wasn't really helping me since I'm not as clever as I guess most who use it more efficiently are.

 

[Wild_West]

The manual has a lengthy description of each function, often several paragraphs long and illustrated to clarify concepts. I'm not sure how much these one-liners would contribute. *scratches head* Or is the idea that you're making a system that translates pseudocode into actual GML code?

No the idea was more a reverse translation I'd say, like take the pieces of gml you would use for any one situation and convert that into a pseudo version.
I'm sorry if that doesn't make sense but I guess I have a different way of conceptualizing than most lol

But let's see as an example say you do want to make a function that fires a bow and arrow weapon and you can pass in afruments for the length and direction based on a variable that counts up the longer you hold a key like A or whatever.
A pseudo code for that would use lengthdir_x and y as a simple way right?
so what I'm getting at is a way to make it so you can read how to do that in plain english like a pseudo , without the actual names from the gml stuff, but at the same time after reading it you'll know how to use the function just by connecting the english example with the function name and parameters needed.

again sorry if that doesn't sound right but it's the best way I can explain this for the tutorial I want to make