[article] Batch File Compiling for Beginners

This is a discussion topic for the article "Batch File Compiling for Beginners" by Tracer Bullet which can be found here

Article description:

Creation and use of batch files for HL compiling

To make it a little more automated, you could put a call command (to the batch file with the map name) from Hammer, and then the next command could be calling HL to load up the map.
Or you could put that part in the batch file and taskkill hammer before beginning the compile.

That would automate it, which is the only reason most people compile with hammer anyway.

Nice overall.

Although, I don't have one handy right this moment to compare with, it seems this tut is a bit complex for a simple batch file tutorial.. BUT it may only seem that way because i have been using them for 5 years and they seem to simple to warrant so many paragraphs.. /me wishes I had one though.. I would like to say thanx for including my tut along with this and would like to add that HLCC will easily generate a batch file for you, one that is very easy to edit to ones needs.. I may re-evaluate my rating later once i have more pertinent info.. Don't take my response wrong TB, I followed it, I just don't think is "beginner" is all.

Orph- It is long. Much more so than I had intended. However, I think it is better to explain to people not only what to do and how to do it, but also why each step is needed. Especially for beginners, I felt it was best not to assume any knowledge of BAT files. I myself only just learned to do this, and I was trying to cover all the questions I had in figuring it all out.
Also, no hard feelings about the rating. 8/10 is a perfectly respectable score, and anyway, what would be the point of a rating system if everything was rated 10/10?

Crono - I didn't think of automating it through hammer. And since I was using steam (yes I know I was using WON file paths) I discarded the idea of automatic startup. Is there a way to do that in Steam?
Good ideas though, you obviously know allot more about it than I do. As I said, this was my second batch file ever so I'm not well versed in what all is possible.

Well I thought it was a 10/10

Steam is the exact same as non-steam in this regard. Just, instead of saying "halflife.exe" you say "steam.exe"

That's pretty much it, almost everything in steam can be executed through the 'applaunch' argument.

The only problem I've come across is how to do the whole command line argument to a batch file thing. That and Hammer's executable abilities are rather limited, but I'm sure it's easy. I'll write something up once I get it going properly.

[EDIT]
By the way, to use spaces you put the path inside double quotes
[/EDIT]

Finally. I have been waiting forever for someone to actually explain the commands to put in the bat file. Now I can compile my G-Man Death 2nd and 3rd levels at school on the servers

It'll probably still take 2 weeks and then fail

It's good to know I'm not the only one compiling with a batch fille I find it easier to follow by typing in the map name rather than using parameters such as %mapname%

Good tutorial though

Good tut

TB, I struggled hard with my HLCC tut.. to me it was imperative to remain as simple as possible.. I feel that I succeeded, snarkpit concurred.. BUT if my goal had been only to appease snarkpit, I wouldn't have needed to post it at all, since I seem to have the admiration of most here without it.. My goal was to help everyone, within and without the pit.. Only one person without the pit commented, and commented very badly..

You may have chosen much better than I..
if I might add though, you should illustrate 2 fully functional bat files, one for a fast compile, and one to show a fully tweaked compile.. this IMO would be the most beneficial of all the information.. no offense intended, or taken

[EDIT] I tied your tutorial with mine TB.. this way, you,forceflow and i are all covered

Very handy, though it was long I think it was necessary to explain exactly what needs to be done (it doesn't leave anyone asking any more questions).

Whoa, new rating system. Or not new and I just haven't looked at a tutorial in half a year. Either way, batch compiling = win. Things like putting the words on 3D boxes in your schematics diagram amuse me, but it's common practice in presentations.

There's a lot more info on this in the Worldcraft/VHE manual...