Before you can actually edit the code, you need to figure out which code you want to edit. To do that, it’s helpful to understand a little about how the Ares code is organized.
The main AresMUSH game code is organized in a single directory, typically named aresmush. Within that directory are several folders. Here are the ones you’ll most commonly be working with:
bin/startares starts the game.There are some other folders, like engine (for the engine code) and install (for installation utilities), but you shouldn’t need to mess with these. If you find yourself needing to change the engine code, consider asking first because there may be a different way to approach your problem.
The plugin folders all follow a standard structure. The folders should be pretty self-explanatory (commands is where the command files live, help is where the help files live, etc.) with a few exceptions:
| File/Folder | Purpose |
|---|---|
| yourpluginname.rb | This file tells the game engine basic information about the plugin. Every plugin has one, and the name always matches the plugin folder. |
| helpers.rb | Often you’ll find that many commands in a plugin require similar error checks and/or actions. Helpers let you put that code in one place so that it can be shared throughout the plugin. This lets you avoid duplication, so if you need to change it later you only have to change one place. For example: aresmush/plugins/describe/helpers.rb contains a common error check to see whether the enactor has permissions to describe the thing: Describe.can_describe?(enactor, model). A few plugins have multiple helper files named by category. |
| public/* | APIs let plugins talk to each other - getting information or taking actions. They also define the database models and fields available. For example: Mail.send_mail is an API in the mail plugin that allows any plugin to send mail. They are basically cross-plugin helpers. |
For more details on plugin directories, see Plugins when you’re ready.
The web portal code is organized in a separate directory, typically named ares-webportal. The web portal is not as plug-and-play as the main game server, just due to the nature of web development. You probably want to hold off on trying to edit web portal code until you’re a pretty experienced Ares coder.
You can easily find a specific variable/function/etc. if your code editor supports a folder search. Many of the editors listed in Development Tools will do that. If you don’t have a folder search, you can also search a repository’s code in GitHub.