Public SourceMage Discussion List

[evraire AT tuwg.com]

Hello,

Quoting Andrew:
> 1) before using a variable (even one inside a for <!--filtered--> in *;
> loop), grep through sorcery for uses of that variable, if you find that
> variable in use ANYWHERE in sorcery please "just say no", use something
> more unique such as $SPELL_FOO rather than just FOO.

  It seems to me it would be useful to have a reserved prefix for sorcery's 
internal variable, such as "_SORCERY_".  Using this example, the 
sorcery-specific variable "DEBUG" would become "_SORCERY_DEBUG".  Thus 
spell-writers would know that their variable names are OK if they avoid using 
the prefix.  Otherwise spell writers need to grep the source code everytime 
they write a spell, which makes spell writing more tedious than it need be.

  Also, new variables added to sorcery could conflict with variables of the 
same names in spells.  In this case, the spell writer grepped sorcery to see 
if a variable was in use and it wasn't, so they went ahead and used it in 
their spell.  A year later the same spell is used  along with that variable 
when a sorcery developer adds the same variable to sorcery.  Unless the 
developer casts that specific spell, the problem will likely go unnoticed 
during their testing.  When the problem finally does surface, it will 
probably turn up as a bug against the spell.  The maintainer of the spell 
might very well be confused why this spell would suddenly break despite never 
having been changed.

  To me, this sounds like trouble waiting to happen.  As sorcery becomes more 
and more complex and more and more sorcery variables get defined, this 
problem will only become worse.  I realize changing all the internal sorcery 
variables to a new nomenclature is a Big Deal(TM), but I think it's something 
we should strive for in the long run.  To begin with, a nomenclature for 
internal sorcery variable names could be chosen and all new variables created 
can follow this nomenclature.  Then, over time, we can convert the remaining 
variables to the new nomenclature.

  What do you think?

  Jonathan Evraire
  evraire at tuwg.com


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