RGSS scripting dissections and explinations

[Siletrea]

4: it uses "pacman" < and "reverse pacman" > along with "hashtag" # "money" $ "star" * "squiggly A" @ and a buttload of "dots" . and "double dots" : just to list a few

Symbolism Syntax:

• * star ... actual name is "asterisk".  We use a lot for math as the multiplication symbol.
  
• # hashtag ... has been referred to as the pound symbol (as in weight measurement).
  
• $ money ... er, just the dollar symbol here. We use to define a special 'global' variable.
  
• @ squiggly 'a' ... officially called the 'commercial' symbol, usually recognized as the 'at' symbol. We use to make 'instance' variables'*
  
• & thingie (not listed) ... we think of as the 'and' symbol is called an ampersand. Good for doing if... tests.  'if this & that.'
  

* For scripters, instance variables are better to use than globals.  They use less resources, and forces better coding.

OHHHH ok! this definitely helps! just knowing what the proper term for * is really helps clarify things!

star = asterisk
exponent = **
but what do exponents do?

and @ is better then $ because while $ lets you access anything from other scripts @ is less flimsy?

the only parts confusing me now about the previous explanation is this

you can use an asterisk to make an array if it's an argument included in a method definition, i.e.



def my_method(name, *arguments)
 print name, arguments.class
end

my_method #=> Pop up window shows up telling you the name you passed through and Array as arguments actual class.

argument?
method definition?

the need for "def" which I think means "Definition"
and ".class"

and why is almost everything called a variable? what IS a variable?

sorry if I'm prying here and this seems stupid but I get hung up on stuff like this unless its explained fully I won't be able to take anything from it!