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Introduction to Linden Scripting Language

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the fad-or-fantastic dept.

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.""

4 of 139 comments (clear)

  1. A Way For Closed Source Scripts? by excelblue · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

  2. Credit where credit is due by Chairboy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Credit where credit's due, it's important to note that LSL is the first scripting language to have furry specific classes. This is an oft-overlooked aspect of modern languages.

    1. Re:Credit where credit is due by mrcdeckard · · Score: 5, Interesting


      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

      --
      "Physics is like sex. Sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it." - R. Feynman
  3. Re:what a strange summary by jfengel · · Score: 5, Informative

    The article isn't much better. It spends a lot of time going over what most Slashdotters already know, like what an "integer" is, and very little on what's novel about a scripting language for an interactive world (or whatever you want to call Second Life.)