AGS Pointers for Dummies: Difference between revisions
→Defining A Pointer
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In AGS, you can only create pointers to certain data types. These are called the ''managed'' types<sup>4</sup>. | In AGS, you can only create pointers to certain data types. These are called the ''managed'' types<sup>4</sup>. | ||
==Managed Types== | ==Managed Types== | ||
AGS has certain ''managed'' types that you can not create an instance (variable declaration) of, but you ''can'' create pointers to<sup>5</sup>. All of the variables of managed types are ''managed'' by AGS. These include the types: [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/GUI%20Button%20functions%20and%20properties.htm Button], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Character%20functions%20and%20properties.htm Character], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/DateTime%20functions%20and%20properties.htm DateTime], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/DynamicSprite%20functions%20and%20properties.htm DynamicSprite], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/File%20functions%20and%20properties.htm File], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Game%20_%20Global%20functions.htm Game], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/GUIFuncsAndProps.htm GUI], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/GUI%20control%20functions%20and%20properties.htm GUIControl], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Hotspot%20functions%20and%20properties.htm Hotspot], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Inventory%20item%20functions%20and%20properties.htm InventoryItem], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/GUIInvFuncs.htm InvWindow], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/GUI%20Label%20functions%20and%20properties.htm Label], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/GUI%20List%20Box%20functions%20and%20properties.htm ListBox], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Maths%20functions%20and%20properties.htm Maths], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Object%20functions%20and%20properties.htm Object], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Overlay%20functions%20and%20properties.htm Overlay], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Parser%20functions.htm Parser], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Region%20functions%20and%20properties.htm Region], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Room%20_%20Screen%20functions.htm Room], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/GUI%20Slider%20properties.htm Slider], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/GUI%20Text%20Box%20functions%20and%20properties.htm TextBox], and [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/ViewFrame%20functions%20and%20properties.htm ViewFrame (AGS 2.72 and higher only)]. | AGS has certain ''managed'' types<sup>4</sup> that you can not create an instance (variable declaration) of, but you ''can'' create pointers to<sup>5</sup>. All of the variables of managed types are ''managed'' by AGS. These include the types: [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/GUI%20Button%20functions%20and%20properties.htm Button], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Character%20functions%20and%20properties.htm Character], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/DateTime%20functions%20and%20properties.htm DateTime], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/DynamicSprite%20functions%20and%20properties.htm DynamicSprite], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/File%20functions%20and%20properties.htm File], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Game%20_%20Global%20functions.htm Game], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/GUIFuncsAndProps.htm GUI], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/GUI%20control%20functions%20and%20properties.htm GUIControl], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Hotspot%20functions%20and%20properties.htm Hotspot], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Inventory%20item%20functions%20and%20properties.htm InventoryItem], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/GUIInvFuncs.htm InvWindow], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/GUI%20Label%20functions%20and%20properties.htm Label], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/GUI%20List%20Box%20functions%20and%20properties.htm ListBox], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Maths%20functions%20and%20properties.htm Maths], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Object%20functions%20and%20properties.htm Object], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Overlay%20functions%20and%20properties.htm Overlay], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Parser%20functions.htm Parser], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Region%20functions%20and%20properties.htm Region], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/Room%20_%20Screen%20functions.htm Room], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/GUI%20Slider%20properties.htm Slider], [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/GUI%20Text%20Box%20functions%20and%20properties.htm TextBox], and [http://www.bigbluecup.com/manual/ViewFrame%20functions%20and%20properties.htm ViewFrame (AGS 2.72 and higher only)]. | ||
<sup>4</sup>'''<font size="1">AGS's managed types are those listed here. You cannot create a new managed type within AGS's scripts; to create a new managed type you would need to write a plugin. Some module writers may use the keyword ''managed'' to prevent users from creating instances of structs that are meant to be used statically. This does not however make the type managed. Only AGS's built-in managed types and any managed types created via plugins are actually managed, and therefore are the only types that can have pointers to them.</font>''' | |||
<sup>5</sup>'''<font size="1">Not all of the managed types are meant to have pointers to them. Game, Maths, Parser, and Room do not need pointers (you can't even assign them a value).</font>''' | <sup>5</sup>'''<font size="1">Not all of the managed types are meant to have pointers to them. Game, Maths, Parser, and Room do not need pointers (you can't even assign them a value).</font>''' | ||