library

Libraries are the main, mandatory construction blocks in Zinc, they are defined as a group of code, variables, and data structures that do something for your own good. Libraries may use stuff from other libraries, in which case they need to explicitely say so by mentioning a requires. Libraries are also your way into running code. If a library has a function called onInit, this function will get called on startup.

library CodeGoesHereo
{
    // code goes here:
    // * global variables
    // * functions
    // * structs
    // * interfaces
    // * other types (dynamic arrays, function pointer types)

    function onInit()
    {
        //Your onInit() function gets called when the map is starting.
    }
}

If we wish to use stuff from library BB inside our library AA, we need to tell the compiler that the library AA, requires library BB. Basically, when your library requires other libraries, first the onInit functions of the other libraries get executed before yours. Their code is also moved to a place that is above yours in the output code.

 library AA
{
    public function AABoom()
    {
        BJDebugMsg("AA BOOM");
    }
    function onInit()
    {
        BJDebugMsg("AA");
    }
}

library BB requires AA
{
    function onInit()
    {
        BJDebugMsg("BB");
        AABoom();
        AABoom();
    }
}

Do notice that a library may have many requirements, in that case, separate each requirement by a comma (library name requires requirement1, requirement2, ... requirementN).

This last sample illustrates a public library member:

requirements can be made optional by adding the optional keyword before the requirement's name, this makes the compiler just consider the requirement if the required library exists, without giving any syntax errors if the requirement is not found. This is useful when combined with static ifs.

Last modified: 16 October 2024