106 lines
4.3 KiB
ReStructuredText
106 lines
4.3 KiB
ReStructuredText
.. _doc_what_is_gdnative:
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What is GDNative?
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=================
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Introduction
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------------
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**GDNative** is a Godot-specific technology that lets the engine interact with
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native `shared libraries <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_(computing)#Shared_libraries>`__
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at run-time. You can use it to run native code without compiling it with the engine.
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.. note:: GDNative is *not* a scripting language and has no relation to
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:ref:`GDScript <doc_gdscript>`.
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Differences between GDNative and C++ modules
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--------------------------------------------
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You can use both GDNative and :ref:`C++ modules <doc_custom_modules_in_c++>` to
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run C or C++ code in a Godot project.
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They also both allow you to integrate third-party libraries into Godot. The one
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you should choose depends on your needs.
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Advantages of GDNative
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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Unlike modules, GDNative doesn't require compiling the engine's source code,
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making it easier to distribute your work. It gives you access to most of the API
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available to GDScript C#, allowing you to code game logic with full control
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regarding performance. It's ideal if you need high-performance code you'd like
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to distribute as an add-on in the :ref:`asset library <doc_what_is_assetlib>`.
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Also:
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- GDNative is not limited to C and C++. Thanks to :ref:`third-party bindings
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<doc_what_is_gdnative_third_party_bindings>`, you can use it with many other
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languages.
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- You can use the same compiled GDNative library in the editor and exported
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project. With C++ modules, you have to recompile all the export templates you
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plan to use if you require its functionality at run-time.
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- GDNative only requires you to compile your library, not the whole engine.
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That's unlike C++ modules, which are statically compiled into the engine.
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Every time you change a module, you need to recompile the engine. Even with
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incremental builds, this process is slower than using GDNative.
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Advantages of C++ modules
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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We recommend :ref:`C++ modules <doc_custom_modules_in_c++>` in cases where
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GDNative isn't enough:
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- C++ modules provide deeper integration into the engine. GDNative's access is
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limited to what the scripting API exposes.
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- You can use C++ modules to provide additional features in a project without
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carrying native library files around. This extends to exported projects.
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- C++ modules are supported on all platforms. In contrast, GDNative has only
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limited support on HTML5 (cannot be used together with multi-threading), and
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is not supported on Universal Windows Platform (UWP).
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- C++ modules can be faster than GDNative, especially when the code requires a
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lot of communication through the scripting API.
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Supported languages
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-------------------
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The Godot developers officially support the following language bindings for
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GDNative:
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- C++ :ref:`(tutorial) <doc_gdnative_cpp_example>`
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- C :ref:`(tutorial) <doc_gdnative_c_example>`
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.. note::
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There are no plans to support additional languages with GDNative officially.
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That said, the community offers several bindings for other languages (see
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below).
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.. _doc_what_is_gdnative_third_party_bindings:
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The bindings below are developed and maintained by the community:
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.. Binding developers: Feel free to open a pull request to add your binding if it's well-developed enough to be used in a project.
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.. Please keep languages sorted in alphabetical order.
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- `D <https://github.com/godot-d/godot-d>`__
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- `Kotlin <https://github.com/utopia-rise/godot-kotlin-jvm>`__
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- `Nim <https://github.com/pragmagic/godot-nim>`__
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- `Python <https://github.com/touilleMan/godot-python>`__
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- `Rust <https://github.com/godot-rust/godot-rust>`__
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.. note::
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Not all bindings mentioned here may be production-ready. Make sure to
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research options thoroughly before starting a project with one of those.
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Also, double-check whether the binding is compatible with the Godot version
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you're using.
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Version compatibility
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---------------------
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:ref:`Unlike Godot itself <doc_release_policy>`, GDNative has stricter version
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compatibility requirements as it relies on low-level *ptrcalls* to function.
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GDNative add-ons compiled for a given Godot version are only guaranteed to work
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with the same minor release series. For example, a GDNative add-on compiled for
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Godot 3.4 will only work with Godot 3.4, 3.4.1, 3.4.2… but not Godot 3.3 or 3.5.
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