Pathfinder Community Standards....

[ShadowChemosh]

I wanted a new thread to storing information about standards for any of the Pathfinder community packs. For full info see THIS link for details. This is a work in progress thread.

Something important that will be happening going forward is the use of Github repository for ALL packs. (For GitHub setup using SourceTree Please read THIS pdf.) This provides such a better interface for changes with multiple editors that it is just becoming mandatory. This is real source control for our XML files.

At the same time if a person wants to submit a single small file or change I will be happy to do it. But all major editors or new ones that plan to work with the packs allot need to learn github. I recommend also using SourceTree if you are on windows 7 or Mac. There's also Smartgit which works on pre windows 7 machines.
Update: GitHub Desktop software is VERY nice and free. Seems to be easier to work with and works perfectly with GitHub.

I will also keep links to the different GitHub repositories so that the people can find them easily. Also for anyone crazy enough to want to try out "beta" versions of the software they could download the files. Just don't expect any support for them if they don't work.

[ShadowChemosh]

Github Repository Links

• Pathfinder Pack
• Gestalt Pathfinder

For GitHub setup using SourceTree Please read THIS pdf.

[ShadowChemosh]

Tips and Tricks for Community Packs

1) Dealing with the Basic Pack inside of the other Packs
I just remembered I left something out of the pdf document. The ignore list for each "Pack" above will ignore any file from the Basic Pack. But to be able to have Pathfinder load the 3PP Pack it requires the Basic Pack.

So you should setup the Basic Pack repository into its own folder. Then do sync of the latest files. Then "Copy" the COM_ files from the Basic Pack folder over to the folder holding your 3PP Local Repository.

Its one extra step but really lets us reuse allot features in multiple Packs. In example when we start to do the Psionic Bestiary the GM Pack monster things that Frumple has created are going to be very useful. I have already moved his Disease helpers into the Basic Pack for this reason.

2) Source Page Number and Source Book Information for Classes/Archetypes.
So I see editors are correctly filling in "Source Page Number" but the "Source Book Information" field does not show in the editor. You have to manually fill in "srcBookInf" value using the "Fields" blue button at the top right for each class. Without this the page number info will not display on print outs.

3) Correctly Aligning scripts?
See THIS post for details.

4) Why are Foreach loops bad and we shouldn't use them?
See THIS post for full details.

5) If you are a regular editor please setup instant notifications for this thread.
To all "Editors" please setup yourself up to get "Instant Notifications" from this thread. So that any "announcements" I do you see. So how do you do that? Do a new post to this thread and scroll down to "Notification Type:" section. And pick "Instant Email notification".

6) Which "Things" should be source marked and which ones should not be?
A: You should be Source Marking anything that is visible to be selected by a gamer. So the Things that should not be source marked are "Racial Specials" and "Class Specials". "Abilities" are sometimes source marked and sometimes no. In example if you add a new "DR" ability that should NOT be source marked and it should be in placed in the Basic Pack even. If you add an Ability to support a specific feat or Thing then you can feel free to source mark it.
NOTE: ALL THINGS must be product ID marked to the "HL Community" please. No Exception to this rule!

7) When doing a Pre-Req for validation script for Feats how do I check for level?
A: At the minimum you should be using #featlevelcount[] instead of #levelcount[]. This allows classes that "Count As" the class to select these feats still. For some of the 3PP stuff like Ultimate Psionics you should be calling a procedure like so:

var classcheck as string
var levels as number
classcheck = "Cryptic"
call PUPreReqs
validif (levels >= 6)

8) How to delete or remove a Thing from a Pack?
A: We don't ever "delete" something from a Pack. If it went live at some point with this 'Thing ID' we need to deprecate it NOT delete it. Deleting can break the Pack or guaranteed to cause someones character to toss errors about a Missing Thing. Then I have get emails, PMs, Message Posts about the error. Meaning it causes me time to "support" this.

What we want to do is add the Thing ID to the *HIDDEN tab and then move the XML into the file called "- Deprecated Things.user". If a Pack does not have this yet then create it new.

9) How to use a Generic Class Ability script that works for 95% of all Class Abilities.
A: Please see THIS post.

[ShadowChemosh]

Psionics Notes:
- ML values on the class are being set at Post-Attributes/10000: cMagicLev & cCasterLev & Hero.Manifester

[ShadowChemosh]

I finally got sometime and setup a instruction pdf for GitHub and the community repository for Pathfinder. Please read THIS pdf. Hopefully while not perfect gets across all the important information. So please take a spin at it and let me know.

Thanks!

[TCArknight]

Was there a list of what packages were in what repository?

If I wanted to work on just the Ultimate Psionics, which repository would it be?

TC

[ShadowChemosh]

Originally Posted by TCArknight

Was there a list of what packages were in what repository?

If I wanted to work on just the Ultimate Psionics, which repository would it be?

TC

In this case it's the 3PP pack as it contains all the 3PP stuff now. The main sticky thread in the pathfinder forums breaks down the Packs. But I tried to be logical.

[ShadowChemosh]

I just remembered I left something out of the pdf document. The ignore list for each "Pack" above will ignore any file from the Basic Pack. But to be able to have Pathfinder load the 3PP Pack it requires the Basic Pack.

So TCArknight you should setup the Basic Pack repository into its own folder. Then do sync of the latest files. Then "Copy" the COM_ files from the Basic Pack folder over to the folder holding your 3PP Local Repository.

Its one extra step but really lets us reuse allot features in multiple Packs. In example when we start to do the Psionic Bestiary the GM Pack monster things that Frumple has created are going to be very useful. I have already moved his Disease helpers into the Basic Pack for this reason.

Hopefully this all makes sense.

[ShadowChemosh]

Also FYI for everyone is that the list of Known Issues/Bugs/feature requests are in GitHub on the "Issues" tab. In example the list of issues for the 3PP Pack can be found HERE. When inputting bugs I tried to make sure we put the name of the individual book it is for as the 3PP holds lots of different books now.

[TCArknight]

One standard I would like to ask about, and this may be a general coding one.

When for example, the 7th level Enhanced Mind Blade (+3) class ability is replaced, does the next instance remain the +4, or should it become the +3 and increment from there?