HPL3/Scripting/Scripting Guide/Setting up CodeLite

This is a quick guide on how to set-up the third party scripting tool - CodeLite.

CodeLite - Introduction

As mentioned Scripting in HPL3 can look a lot like regular programming, but less complicated.

Because of that, we need tools that will be able to aid us when we write our code. For HPL2, Notepad++ or even Notepad were enough for that. This time around, something more powerful is needed.

CodeLite is very much like a text editor, but much more programming-oriented than Notepad++. It is the tool used officially by Frictional Games to develop their HPL3 games. Here are some of the relevant features of CodeLite:

• Code documentation on the fly
• Code autocompletion and smart code suggestion
• Fast and easy way to navitgate through large script files
• The ability to run the game from CodeLite

For the scripting guide, CodeLite 12.0.0 will be used, which is the latest stable release that can work with HPL3 without any errors or bugs.

CodeLite with a scripting workspace for SOMA (click to view full size).

Setting-up CodeLite

This section explains how to configure CodeLite so it can be suitable for HPL3 scripting, how to create a workspace and a project, and how to import the script files.

You must install CodeLite on the same disk as the game you want to mod. For example, if Amnesia: Rebirth is installed on disk C:, you have to install CodeLite on C: as well.

1. Download the optimized color theme
2. Download CodeLite version 12.0.0.
3. Launch CodeLite and configure:
   1. Settings → Code Completion → General:
      • Add ;*.hps at the end of the Additional file extensions to parse list.
      • Enable Keep function signature un-formatted.
      • Enable Re-parse on workspace loaded.
   2. Settings → Code Completion → Colouring: Enable Apply context aware colouring.
   3. Settings → Code Completion → CTags → Search Paths: Click Add..., navigate to the game folder and select the script folder.
   4. Settings → Colours and Fonts...: Click on Import settings from a zip archive and select the CodeLiteColorSettings.zip file.
   5. Configure the rest of CodeLite to your liking.
4. Create a new workspace: Create a folder inside your game directory and name it _src. Go to the Workspace menu and click on New Workspace.... Save the workspace inside the _src folder.
5. Create a new project: Right click on the workspace → New → New Project. Select Others → Non-code project. Give the project a name (For example: "soma"). Leave the rest as default.
6. Add a folder to the project: Right-click on the project folder and choose New Virtual Folder. Name it _api.
7. Time to add files to the project.
   1. Right-click on _api and Add An Existing File, add the file "SOMA GAME FOLDER LOCATION/hps_api.hps" (might need to launch the game executable one time to have this file created).
   2. Right-click on the project in the list to the left, pick Import Files From Directory. Navigate to the SOMA GAME FOLDER and select it. In the next window, check the boxes for maps and scripts and make sure that the *.hps file extension is present in the list of extentions to import. Click OK.

That should be it, you should now have three top folders in your project and a lot of sub-folders with various script files. Hps files should be color coded and parsed for completion as you open them in the project. If they do not, you can re-tag the workspace, project or the single file to see if it helps.

Start typing something, for example Entity (depending on configuration this can be case sensitive!) and a drop down should appear showing all the functions that begin with Entity and the documentation for each selected function. You can force things to appear using these shortcuts:

• ctrl-space will bring up the completion drop down.
• ctrl-shift-space will bring up hints when inside the () of a function.

Issues & Info

• Write Class@ object and not Class @object, the latter will screw up coloring.
• If you lose coloring / code completion and can't get it back, re-parse the workspace: Parse Workspace.
• Parameters with &in might break the coloring of function parameters, but will have no other side-effects.

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HPL3 Scripting Guide

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Launching the Game from CodeLite →