Stripping The Muse

What nssclc Is

nssclc (standing for NSS Command-Line Compiler) is a stand alone compiler for NWScript source files (.nss files), available in the form of a command-line program. Basically, it takes one or more .nss files as input, generates the corresponding compiled files (.ncs files) and displays any compilation error on the command-line interface.

nssclc relies on some of the toolset DLLs to do the actual compilation work. From this specificity comes its two main features:

• Stand alone – nssclc can work on computers where Neverwinter Nights 2 is not installed, it's only a matter of copying a few files from your NWN2 installation.
• Standard – Generated files and compilation errors are exactly the same as the ones you would get in the toolset.

Typical use cases for this program are:

• NWScript validator for text editors – Check from within your favorite text editor if the code you just wrote has errors. Configuration instructions for many popular text editors are included in chapter ‘Installation’.
• Various compilation works – Automatize mass-compilation of .nss files for a persistent world, compile one huge script that for a reason or another causes stability problems in the toolset…

What nssclc Is Not

As nssclc is more or less a ‘wrapper’ for the compilation functionality available in the toolset, don't expect the produced compiled files to be ‘lighter’, ‘faster’, or any kind of ‘better compiled’ thing. Furthermore, any shortcomings to the actual NWScript compilation in the toolset will most likely be lurking in nssclc too.

Even if some text editors have plugin architectures, nssclc is not a plugin nor does it include one. To be used from within a text editor, we will use a functionality more widely available (and which doesn't require specific code on my side), the possibility to call external programs.

Version History

1.04 – 16/05/2009 – Feature release: several #include directories and source files can be specified, force and verbose parameters added, underlying parameter parser (Ndesk.Options) changed, localization capabilities, French localization added, license changed.
1.03 – 08/04/2008 – Feature release: includedir parameter added, exit codes added.
1.02 – 02/03/2008 – Maintenance release: bug fix (if output folder specified, it would prevent compilation if it already existed).
1.01 – 20/01/2008 – Maintenance release: bug fix (file extension in upper case would prevent compilation), exit codes changed.
1.00 – 12/01/2008 – Initial release.