https://github.com/borbware/tic80-boilerplate

Boilerplate code for creating multi-file TIC-80 cartridges
https://github.com/borbware/tic80-boilerplate

lua tic-80

Last synced: 2 months ago
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Boilerplate code for creating multi-file TIC-80 cartridges

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/borbware/tic80-boilerplate
• Owner: borbware
• Created: 2022-08-20T21:54:25.000Z (over 2 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2023-12-05T17:58:21.000Z (about 1 year ago)
• Last Synced: 2023-12-05T18:52:58.845Z (about 1 year ago)
• Topics: lua, tic-80
• Language: Lua
• Homepage:
• Size: 1.56 MB
• Stars: 8
• Watchers: 1
• Forks: 0
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md

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README

        
# TIC-80 boilerplate

This is my TIC-80 boilerplate code for multi-file projects.

During development, the project is separated into multiple .lua files, and they are combined into one for building an executable.

## Environment setup

I'm using Windows for development, so all the scripts included are for Windows. You might get the idea how to implement them for Linux/Mac by looking at them, though.

### Requirements:

* Windows PC

* TIC-80 pro

  * Add installation directory to PATH environmental variable

* WSL2 on Windows

  * luarocks

  * luacc on luarocks

### Good-to-haves:

* Visual Studio Code

* [Lua Language Server](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=sumneko.lua) Extension for Visual Studio Code

* [Lua Extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=keyring.Lua) for Visual Studio Code

### Instructions

You need TIC-80 pro to get support for .lua cartridges - WSL is used for running luarocks (I've noticed running luarocks on WSL is less error-prone than on Windows)

In WSL, install [luarocks](https://luarocks.org/):

```

sudo apt-get install luarocks

```

and then install [luacc](https://github.com/mihacooper/luacc) that is used to combine the lua files.

```

sudo luarocks install luacc

```

Luacc isn't perfect (you need to supply it with a list of files to combine), so I might change to another system later.

## TIC-80 setup

### Lua path

To get `require` statement working, I've had to explicitly add the project folder to Lua's `package.path` variable. This happens on line 10 of `main.lua` - change the path `Q:/github/tic80-boilerplate/` to your project folder. 

Note that this is only needed if you get the error `module 'libs/math' not found` when running the game; if said error never appears, you can just remove the line.

### Adding more files

When you add a new file:

* Add a new require statement for it in `main.lua`

* Add the file to `luacc.sh` so the built executable works as well (see [Building an executable](#building-an-executable) below).

## Running

Run `runtic80.bat` in the command line. It runs `main.lua` on TIC-80 from the command line.

The savefiles are located under the project folder in the `.local` directory.

## Building an executable

To create a Windows build, run `buildWin.bat ` (e.g., `buildWin.bat 1.0`). 

By running the `luacc.sh` script, it creates a `game.lua` file - a bundle that contains all the code files in one.

Then, it creates a new `TIC-80-boilerplate-.exe` file in the `/build/` folder.

***Note:*** You can set the name of the game to something else in the buildWin.bat file.

***Note 2:*** Tos create Mac and Linux builds, run the `buildAll.bat ` script instead!