Scripts and nodes ?

siska

I've already asked this question on Discord, but got no answer. I hope someone in this forum will be able to help me ...

I always assumed a script 'augments/customizes' the node it's attached to, but that they are basically the same thing. However, when you mark a script as 'autoload' a new node is created in the senetree (you can see this in the 'remote tree' when you run the scene). This new node has the same type as the script, but it is -not- the node the script is attached to ...

So, what exactly is a script ? I'm feeling very confused ... ?

cybereality

A script and the node are not different. Once they are combined, they are a single object. The node class (such as Node2D) is the base class, that allows the script to inherit the default functionality. When you write a script, it starts with "extends Node2D". So this creates a new type of class object (a new node) that is inherited from Node2D, but then you can add your own customization.

siska

@cybereality : thanks for your reply ! That is exactly what I used to think.

But I can't understand why autoloading a script would give a different result from autoloading the scene that has that script attached to the rootnode ... What am I missing here ???

cybereality

A scene is a composition of nodes and scripts. So it is a composite object, not a single node.

siska

You are absolutely right ! That was a bad question from me ... =)

If I just go back to the script autoload case : the remote tree shows the 'gui_script' node (newly created node), but also the original node (lower in the tree) called "gui_overlay" that the script was attached to ... That is a bit confusing if the script and the node are the same, no ?

cybereality

I think it's just a display issue, and since Autoload is a special case. There should be no difference in functionality.

siska

Thank you very much for your explanation !