Maximum length for Globals, 32 characters Options

[Baronius]

I wasn't sure if this was known or not, but since it isn't in current IESDP, I thought I'd mention that in BG1: TotSC, the names of your Globals shouldn't be longer than 32 bytes.
The script will still be compiled (and can be properly decompiled), but the game will ignore the trigger/action that uses the global.

The following script block uses a global which name is exactly 32 characters long. The creatures appear in the game normally.

CODE

IF
Global("BW05_TGC1","GLOBAL",7)
Global("BW05_CreatureSummonedinMagicTrap","GLOBAL",0)
THEN
RESPONSE #100
SetGlobal("BW05_CreatureSummonedinMagicTrap","GLOBAL",1)
CreateCreature("BW05MOLD",[510.349],0)
CreateCreature("BW05HERT",[412.456],3)
END

In this block the variable's name is longer than 32 characters. The creatures start to appear in the game in an infinite loop.

CODE

IF
Global("BW05_TGC1","GLOBAL",7)
Global("BW05_CreaturesSummonedinMagicTrap","GLOBAL",0)
THEN
RESPONSE #100
SetGlobal("BW05_CreaturesSummonedinMagicTrap","GLOBAL",1)
CreateCreature("BW05MOLD",[510.349],0)
CreateCreature("BW05HERT",[412.456],3)
END

This was with 33 characters, and my tests proved that the same happens with more characters as well.

Normally it's pointless to use so long variable names, but I think it is important to know that there is such limit.

As I've said, I'm not sure if this has been already known or not.
Additionally, I am wondering if the same variable length limit applies for BG2 / other IE games...

[Baronius]

According to what you are saying the game does not ignore the action but will ignore the setting of the global variable.

Right, I was incorrect in my statement. (I actually meant that the action didn't work properly.)

If you check the IESDP, you'll see that the baldur.gam structure has finite bytes for a variable name (32 for global and area, 24 for locals). Hence, the second script was incrementing tha variable BW05_CreaturesSummonedinMagicTra and checking for BW05_CreaturesSummonedinMagicTrap, hence the loop.

Checking the structure of baldur.gam would have been a good idea. Anyway, I think that in the next version of IESDP these length limits could be mentioned in the Variables section.