- a
- Animation and Transformation LanguageAnimation and Transformation Language, commonly abbreviated as ATL, is what Ren'Py calls the way it lets you script transformations and(...) Read More
- b
- BlockWhat we call a chunk of code where the first line ends with a colon : and one or more lines underneath it are indented an extra level(...) Read More
- BooleanA boolean, or "bool" for short, is one of either True or False. You will sometimes see a boolean referred to as a "flag".
- c
- Case-sensitiveIf something is case-sensitive, it means that the capitalization matters when determining whether two items are the same. Python is a(...) Read More
- ComparisonA comparison is a way of comparing (checking) the similarities or differences between two or more values. Usually you compare variables against(...) Read More
- CompileAs in, "to compile code". In the case of Ren'Py, more specifically, it refers to the process of turning a rpy file into an rpyc file. The c in(...) Read More
- ConditionalCode that tells the computer to do something based on the outcome of evaluating a particular expression. Conditional(...) Read More
- ConstantAnother basic building block of programming. A constant, like a variable, holds a value, such as True or False, but unlike a variable, the(...) Read More
- d
- DeclareAs in, "to declare a variable" or "to declare a function". This just means setting up the variable/function/etc in the code so it(...) Read More
- DisplayableA displayable is a term used throughout Ren'Py to refer to things which can be shown to the player, typically through a line like show eileen(...) Read More
- e
- Empty StringA string with nothing in it i.e. "" or ''. It is considered to be falsey.
- EvaluateThe act of checking or figuring out the result of an expression. For something like "if I have two cookies and three apples", this would(...) Read More
- ExecuteAs in, to execute code. This just means to "run" the code, such that you see the associated line of dialogue, display an image, etc. Code(...) Read More
- ExpressionThings like "if it's raining outside" or "if I have two cookies and three apples" which you'll check to see whether they're true or not (as in,(...) Read More
- f
- Floating Point NumberUsually shortened to "float". Any number that has decimal places e.g. 2.0, 3.14159, -43.982, 0.00005 Named for the fact(...) Read More
- FunctionA function in programming is a collection of code lines (a block) which you can run on-command anywhere in your script by executing the(...) Read More
- g
- Graphical User InterfaceOften abbreviated to GUI. It refers to things like the buttons and menus you see on-screen when interacting with a program like a phone app or(...) Read More
- i
- ImplicitIf something in a program is implicit, it means that it's done without the programmer specifically telling the program to do so. By contrast,(...) Read More
- IndentationEmpty space at the start of a line that helps indicate the relationship between lines of code. By default, one level of indentation in(...) Read More
- InitializationInitialization refers to the period of time before the game starts when the game is getting set up. When you hit Launch Game on the Ren'Py(...) Read More
- IntegerAny number without decimal places e.g. 1, -72, 0, 39487. Often called "int" for short.
- InteractionFor Ren'Py, broadly, an "interaction" is considered to be what happens when the player performs some action in the game - such as clicking on a(...) Read More
- InterpolationUsually used in the sense of "string interpolation", which is what we call it when you substitute something, like the value of a variable, into(...) Read More
- m
- Mutually exclusiveTwo or more events are mutually exclusive if they cannot occur at the same time. For example, if your bedroom lights are on, they therefore(...) Read More
- n
- NameErrorA common error message that usually occurs if you haven't declared a variable before you use it somewhere in your script.
- NestAs in, "to nest code". This is what it's called when you put one programming construct, such as an if statement, inside of the block(...) Read More
- NoneA special kind of programming value. If you're familiar with other programming languages, this is approximately equivalent to NULL. For the(...) Read More
- o
- OperandWhat we call the values an operator acts on. For example, in the expression 2 + 4, 2 and 4 are the operands, which are acted on by(...) Read More
- OperatorSpecial symbols or words that indicate some kind of computation should take place. You've seen operators in math before; they include things(...) Read More
- Order of OperationsIf you recall an acronym like PEMDAS or BEDMAS from math class, you might remember order of operations. It tells us what order to(...) Read More
- p
- PersistentA persistent variable is a special type of variable which, rather than being tied to a particular playthrough of a game, is tied to the game as(...) Read More
- PropertyProperties are information about a particular screen element that tells it how to look or how to behave. Every screen element has what are(...) Read More
- s
- ScreenA screen is what Ren'Py calls a collection of UI elements shown to the user at the same time. So, for example, a default Ren'Py project has(...) Read More
- Screen LanguageScreen language is the way you describe to Ren'Py what a screen should look like and how it should act. It's a description of how the screen(...) Read More
- SensitiveButtons have a sensitive property which determines if the button can be clicked or not. A button with sensitive False is disabled and does(...) Read More
- snake_caseAlso known as lower_case_with_underscores. A programming convention for naming variables and functions in Python. All letters are(...) Read More
- StringAnything you put inside quotation marks. Typically words or sentences e.g. "This is a string", 'so is(...) Read More
- t
- Top LevelThe "top level" of a file, which I often refer to as the "leftmost level of indentation", is where a code is considered to be if it is not(...) Read More
- Truthy and FalseySee: Truthy vs Falsey
- u
- User InterfaceUser Interface, often abbreviated to UI. A slightly broader term than "GUI", the term "UI" encompasses any systems the user uses to interact(...) Read More
- v
- ValueA term for any kind of information you'd like to store and use in a program. Values fall into one of two main categories: constants(...) Read More
- VariableOne of the basic building blocks of programming. A variable holds a value, such as True or False, which can change over the course of(...) Read More