Announcing Moonlite - the next generation mapping tool for Warcraft III/Starcraft II

[Lyerae]

I'd like to announce that the closed beta of Moonlite has begun. I have also implemented templates and extensions.
The open beta will be available soon.

Define templates and extensions?

 

[Vestras]

Define templates and extensions?

Templates are file templates - by creating a file with the .mtp extension and placing it in the Templates folder in your installation folder (or install them via the Template Manager), you can make defaults for things like spells, libraries, etc. For example:

<%Name="Jass Library with Initializer"%>
<%Description="A file containing a Jass library and an initializer."%>
<%Category="Jass"%>
library <%FileName%> initializer Init
    private function Init takes nothing returns nothing
    endfunction
endlibrary

If I want to create a new file, select the Jass Library with Initializer template, and type "TestLibrary" as filename (for example), I get this:

library TestLibrary initializer Init
    private function Init takes nothing returns nothing
    endfunction
endlibrary

Pretty cool, huh?
Extensions are like Firefox' plugins - you can do anything, anything you would do in an application with no host. Moonlite is just as extensible as Visual Studio 2010, which should say a lot.

 

[tooltiperror]

Can't wait for beta, I`m deff opting in.

 

[JerseyFoo]

AIDs.

 

[Vestras]

Another announcement.
All I have to do before releasing the open beta is to finish the Galaxy code completion. Since it is based on the Andromeda parser and I already have to vJass code completion to base it on, it won't take that much time.
Furthermore, the Office 2010 themes will also be added before releasing the open beta.

Thanks for you attention.

 

[Vestras]

I have another announcement to make.
I created a new language, Ximl (Xml Interface Markup Language) for interacting with the native Moonlite interface through extensions. Here's an example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Ximl TargetType="TestExtensionWindow" Namespace="TestExtension">
  <Ribbon>
    <RibbonPage Caption="Addins">
      <RibbonPageGroup Caption="Test Addin" ShowDialogLauncher="false">
        <Button Caption="Large Message!" Name="btnLargeMessage" Image="TestExtension.Icons.message.png" Size="Large" OnClick="OnLargeMessageButtonClick">
          <ToolTip Caption="Large Message!" Content="Trust me, this one is huge!" />
        </Button>
      </RibbonPageGroup>
    </RibbonPage>
  </Ribbon>
  <QuickAccessToolbar>
    <Button Caption="A Button" Name="testButton" Image="TestExtension.Icons.home.png" OnClick="OnWindowTestButtonClick">
      <ToolTip Caption="This is a tooltip caption" Content="Hello from the tooltip! Seems you hovered over the Home button, huh?" Image="TestExtension.Icons.MoonliteBig.png">
        <Footer Content="This is the footer." Image="TestExtension.Icons.MoonliteSmall.png" />
      </ToolTip>
    </Button>
  </QuickAccessToolbar>
  <StatusBar>
    <Text Caption="Message from the Test Extension Window extension!" Name="testExtensionWindowLabel" OnDoubleClick="OnWindowLabelDoubleClick">
      <ToolTip Caption="Text with tooltip" Content="Static text messages can have tooltips, too." />
    </Text>
  </StatusBar>
</Ximl>

 

[tooltiperror]

 <ToolTip Content="I demand that the errors display, 'Warning: ToolTipError" />

.

 

[Moogle]

I hope to see it supporting Andromeda syntax and out soon as you can.

Can't wait .

 

[tooltiperror]

So it won't be working with WINE, ae?

 

[WaterElement]

So, are you still working on this? You said open beta by April and we haven't had an update for weeks. Just wondering.

 

[Vestras]

So, are you still working on this? You said open beta by April and we haven't had an update for weeks. Just wondering.

I'm definitely working on it. With Andromeda soon to be out (it's out, but I mean somewhat bugfree), then I will create Andromeda code completion, and then I'll release the preview version. (I have already implemented dynamic syntax checking for Andromeda and compiling and running maps in SC2)

Unfortunately for you I have to be out of the country for the next week, so then I won't be working on it. I have been working really hard actually, I just decided to implement Andromeda support before releasing the preview version because the GE was out.

So it won't be working with WINE, ae?

Rather Wine won't be working with Moonlite.

 

[Joker(Div)]

Wish Blizzard had people like you working to create the Galaxy Editor.

 

[codemonkey]

Wish Blizzard had people like you working to create the Galaxy Editor.

I'd rather not have it require the .NET framework and only work on windows.

 

[tooltiperror]

Yeah, it would be nice if this was Mono supported, but it's not compatible yet.

 

[Lyerae]

Or you could always use something like Python, which is almost always 100% compatible...

 

[tooltiperror]

I doubt we'd get these results with Python.

 

[Lyerae]

Why not? Depending on your code, it could sometimes be faster than C#.
And there are dozens of ways to increase the speed of your code too.

 

[tooltiperror]

I don't find speed very important for the most part in an IDE, unless it is obnoxiously slow.

And I'm sort of interested in learning Python when I get better at Java.

 

[Lyerae]

Honestly, I'd go with Python over Java.
If you like some of the stuff Java has, look into Jython (not sure if that's the right spelling).

 

[Vestras]

A preview version of Moonlite will most likely (~80% sure) be out this week. However, it will not feature Andromeda code completion, yet. Everything else is featured. (Meaning you can script your maps in Andromeda through Moonlite now, having projects and everything. Dynamic error checking is also available)
I have yet to write documentation though, so you will have to figure out how to use it yourself. I will ofcourse answer questions.

:thup: