LPC is a very old bytecode language, invented around 1990, specifically
to implement multi user virtual environments on the internet. It is not
the first of its kind, there have been MUDs and MOOs around before, but
it was the first that used the stack machine principle, these days also
known as byte code.
LPC can still be a very efficient choice for network server applications.
Another very special feature about LPC is it's natural integration of object
orientation without clumsy class syntax. Since every class is by definition
in its own file, calling methods feels like "calling a function in an other
file," thus tremendously intuitive.
In the mid 90s there was a reimplementation of LPC which now goes by the
name of pike. This language has been quite
successful with the web servers roxen and
caudium, but at the same time developed
even into the user desktop with Gtk support. So today, if you have no
specific reason to work with LPC, give
pike a shot.
DOCUMENTATION
LPC language documentation as provided with LDMUD online
and for download.
See also about:LPC.
Für deutschsprachige: Geschichte der Programmiersprache LPC.
APPLICATIONS
This technology is being used by hundreds of MUDs out there, but also for the
psyced implementation
of the Protocol for SYnchronous
Conferencing. There even exists an integration solution to plug
PSYC into a MUD, as a sort of
next generation
InterMUD.
The LPC driver isn't very big and doesn't come with a huge library, so
it's not like you're installing another large language to your system.
It comes with bindings for a couple of important C libraries, and that's it.
You can use Eclipse for LPC development.
DOWNLOAD
psyclpc is available from the psyced files area but lately we have become lazy making new snapshots. It is more practical to update a git clone git://git.psyced.org/git/psyclpc. psyclpc is an LDMud with psyced patches and a libpsyc binding for native processing of PSYC. The installation script is tuned to use that, but if you tweak it, you might also be able to use the
Lars Düning distribution of LDMUD, a derivate of amylaar LPMUD.
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