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How to get started programing in Boo
How do you get started programing in Boo? I checked their site, but how would you get started in Unity?
There are very very few Boo/Python examples, so unless you have a LOT of previous Python experience, I would not recommend learning it. Focus ins$$anonymous$$d on UnityScript (which uses the JavaScript syntax), or, and in my opinion the best option, C#. This page has a lot of good scripting starter tutorials and resources: http://answers.unity3d.com/questions/4897/how-can-i-start-learning-unity-fast
Let me clarify: I'm not trying to steer you away from Boo/Python, but if you don't know any of these languages, the hardest and least documented/exampled is Boo/Python. Here's a thread I found on the forums explaining a lot of why people don't use it, and how people can't find tutorials for it: http://forum.unity3d.com/viewtopic.php?p=294818
I won't $$anonymous$$ce words as much as Spike here. I would steer you away from Boo simply BECAUSE there isn't as much documentation.
I have to (reluctantly) agree with @Tetrad, because, if you're new to both Unity and program$$anonymous$$g, Boo will be harder to learn than the other languages. @SpikeX's link includes a poll that shows barely 5% of Unity developers use Boo. So if you ask language-related Questions here, there's not many people that can/will answer them. And the other answers generally use Javascript/C# for solutions. I'm not saying you can't translate them, but it just adds a level of difficulty to all the other things you're learning. I have to ask - is there a specific reason you picked Boo?
Answer by Facundo · Jun 18, 2010 at 01:45 PM
I started learning boo when using Unity. This was my primary reference: http://boo.codehaus.org/
I gave up on learning the compiler extensibility stuff though, since it is very poorly documented. Also, sparingly, I have found some boo specific bugs when using the unity editor, I suppose that this would be less likely with the other languages.
How is the Boo status for you today, almost 2 years later?
Answer by Adrian · Aug 12, 2010 at 09:46 PM
DON'T think Boo is similar to Python or that any previous Python experience will help you with Boo.
Boo has a Python inspired syntax. All the rest is the same CLI (Common Language Infrastructure) as UnityScript or C#. That means it's very similar to both of them in terms of functionality and only differs by its syntax and some additional features.
Python is very different from Boo, which is much closer to C# or UnityScript than it is to Python.
So, for all examples you'll see in either UnityScript or C#, you'll be able to translate them pretty much statement by statement, only adapting the syntax. You'll be able to take examples and pretty much do the exact same thing the exact same way - only with a different syntax.
Answer by StephanK · Jun 18, 2010 at 08:06 AM
As the other posters mentioned there is not very much documentation on Boo YET. From what I heard with the release of 3.0 they will revamp the documentation with examples for all 3 supported languages. However if you know how Pyhton/Boo works translating the existing javascript examples should be no problem. Basically the methods and classes are all the same. The only thing that differs is the syntax. Although I don't know if Boo will be as fast as c# or typed javascript...
Answer by anothervenue · Dec 24, 2010 at 05:49 AM
Boo has a much simpler syntax (pretty much only indents) than UnityScript, and is way less verbose than C# while still offering a lot of the advantages of being statically typed.
Now with the script reference having examples in Boo, there is no reason not to try it out.
If you are new to programming, you are going to struggle anyway, and always be looking at the code reference, so why not use the language that has less brackets and colons and verbosity?
Answer by robbiek · Jan 22, 2012 at 08:40 PM
In my opionon I prefer Boo I recently started translating some C#, and JS codes into Boo For me its awesome with the python inspired syntax so its easier to read, and for me I can program faster with it, plus it seems easier to learn then the others, I dont see how other people think Oh C# is easier! Yes theres not alot of Unity documentation on it, but you can get by that. If you want to learn some things I suggest finding some C# scripts or creating some (if you can) then having this website http://codeconverter.sharpdevelop.net/SnippetConverter.aspx convert it into Boo for you. Then look at both codes, and examine the differences. In short this is taken off boo.codehaus.org "Boo is an amazing language that combines the syntactic sugar of Python, the features of Ruby, and the speed and safety of C#." whats not to like about it?
Not to mention great features as true closures, duck typing, AST attributes and macros (probably the best)... i mean C# is like a dinosaur compared to boo
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