Introduction to Linden Scripting Language

prostoalex writes "Dr. Dobb's Journal runs a lengthy introduction to Linden Scripting Language, the language behind avatars and their interaction in Second Life: "LSL is a scripting language that runs server-side, on a piece of software called the simulator. The simulator does just what it's name implies — it simulates the virtual world of Second Life. Each simulator runs everything for 16 acres of virtual land — buildings, physics, and of course, scripts. While you manipulate the script text in a form that is somewhat easy to read, the actual code that runs on the simulator is compiled. A compiler is a piece of software that takes the text version of the script and converts it into something that can actually run. In the case of LSL, the compiler exists within the Second Life viewer itself. In the future, it is likely that the compiler will move from the viewer into the Second Life simulators, but where the code is compiled isn't very important. What matters is that the text is converted into a form that can run on the simulators.""

Comments

A Way For Closed Source Scripts?

[excelblue]

Is this a way for Linden Labs (and possibly for others) to provide closed source scripts and objects? This seems to be a very possible thing with such technology.

What if someone only made available a compiled copy of something? It'd be scary if you can't tell what's really going on with all the stuff.

What happened to Mono?

[IL-CSIXTY4]

There was talk about converting the server-side scripting engine to Mono, with huge (50x) performance gains. There was supposed to be a LSL->CIL compiler at first, then libraries for other .Net languages. Has anyone heard anything about this recently?

Re:Credit where credit is due

[mrcdeckard]

it's funny, i just checked out 2nd life last night -- first time since a year or two ago -- and i was pretty amazed -- the place is one big car lot or sex club. really. i guess there are two kinds of people in 2nd life now -- the people selling "sex", and the people trying to sell their objects to buy the "sex".

it really was a cool online social experiment -- it only ultimately confirmed what we knew all along -- the internet is good only for porn and consumerism.

now, think about this for a second. first, it's not real sex that is drawing people. it's not even imagery of real people having sex. it's interaction of poorly-rendered avatars in a virtual world. this is a testament to the power of the sexual drive in humans, and what we decide to do with our best technology..... just a friendly reminder that yes, we are doomed.

mr c