Debugging your TTS mods with console++ : Odds & Ends

Let's wrap up this series (which started here) with some miscellaneous features of console++.

The console module, which console++ is built on top of, includes a handy command: the '=' command gives you access to Lua's dynamic.eval function; in other words it works as a simple expression calculator.  Type '= ' then any mathematical expression and it will display the resulting value.  You can refer to any of the variables in your program when you are a table admin, but all players can use the '=' command for simple maths functions.  Handy if your game is anything like Power Grid!

There are also a couple of commands for interacting with the chat window output:

'echo' will print its parameter into the chat output (just for you); useful to include some output in a script you wish to 'exec' with the -q or -s parameters.

'cls' will clear the chat window.


Finally, console++ gives all players a 'shout' command: this will broadcast its parameter as a message to all players, popping up at the top of their screen as well as in the chat log.  It will appear in your player colour.


I hope if you are using console++ that this series of posts has been helpful, or if you're not that it might have tempted you into trying it.  Any feedback is greatly appreciated, especially bug reports.