Debugging Mechanisms

[Context: HL Kit … Basic Concepts and Terminology]

Overview

The development of a fully functional set of data files for a game system involves a great many steps and there are bound to be a few problems along the way. As a result, we consider the task of fixing these problems to be a basic component of the development process. In order to facilitate the resolution of problems, HL includes a variety of built-in mechanisms that can be leveraged when issues arise. Since errors in software are traditionally called "bugs", we refer to these mechanisms as "debugging" aids.

The topics below outline a number of incredibly useful tools and techniques for quickly figuring out what is going wrong within your data files. Familiarize yourself with these debugging mechanisms now, since you will find yourself putting them to use at various points in the development process.

Debug Output Via Scripts

the "debug" language intrinsic the "notify" language intrinsic

Script Timing Issues

list of tasks debug output of script timing

Defining Timing Dependencies

naming tasks establishing before and after dependencies the timing report