Monday, June 21, 2010

LSL

Linden Scripting Language(LSL) is a programming code similar to C that is used in scripts that give behavior to Scripting Language objects. It is used in Second Life, and mainly for editing avatars. LSL code can be used to many or things in Second Life, and helps the client/player customize their avatar or other things.

For example, you can edit the "Alpha" property of an object. The property messes with how opaque or transparent an object is. You use the scripting command llSetAlpha, and is represented by a percentage in parenthesis.

The main idea of LSL is based on 3D virtual world objects in Second Life. For example, a chair or table would be considered an object. If you were talking about a car there are parts to a car, which would be called a prim/primitive. The scripts then can run and modify the chair or table in some way. Another key note about LSL is that the language is state-event scripting/in a finite state machine. This means that there is only a set number of states that an object can be in. For example, a chair can be up or down, big or small, old or new. This language is not based on Object-Oriented Programming (OOP).

Another note to consider is that the new LSL engine uses Mono since august 2008. Mono is a free and open source project of Microsoft.NET framework. This makes LSL faster.


There is a downside to using Mono. Richard Stallman of the Free Software Foundation has stated it may be "dangerous" to use Mono because of the possible threat of Microsoft patents.[1]

[1]Stallman, Richard (2006-03-09). "Transcript of Richard Stallman on the Free Software movement, Zagreb". Free Software Foundation. Retrieved 2006-11-02. "(...)we know that Microsoft is getting patents on some features of C#. So I think it's dangerous to use C#, and it may be dangerous to use Mono. There's nothing wrong with Mono. Mono is a free implementation of a language that users use. It's good to provide free implementations. We should have free implementations of every language. But, depending on it is dangerous, and we better not do that. "
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1 comment:

  1. AnonymousJune 21, 2010 at 7:03 PM

    Very interesting post. I'm excited that you're looking into SL and I like that you're finding the pros and cons. I look forward to learning more. I've never focused on the tech side much, just the educational possibilities.

    Actually, a "prim" or "primitive" is the virtual material used for creating objects. Each prim is rezzed and can be manipulated as desired which is what makes SL so powerful as a tool for education.

    Photo of a prim
    http://cyanblast.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/prim_001-300x225.png

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