The Tale of Rewriting the Moonscript CompilerApril 17, 2024 · 4 min readLi JinDora SSR developer Moonscript: A Niche Language with a Twist Moonscript is a fascinating programming language that compiles into Lua and runs on the Lua virtual machine. Its syntax and features draw inspiration from Coffeescript, offering a sweet spot between expressiveness and readability—minimizing code while maximizing clarity. It's particularly adept at handling frequently changing business logic, allowing developers to slash code volumes significantly when compared to native Lua—sometimes down to a third! This not only saves time but also reduces bugs and troubleshooting headaches. But perhaps one of its quirkiest features, as revealed by a seasoned developer in a Discord chat, is its dedicated global but modest-sized user base and its delightful Sailor Moon-themed aesthetic.
From Compiler, Game Engine to Handheld Console: My Journey in Indie Game DevelopmentMarch 25, 2024 · 5 min readLi JinDora SSR developerIntroduction Developing my own games has been a dream since childhood, particularly fueled by my extensive use of the Warcraft 3 World Editor. This sparked a fascination with game engines and development tools. As a student, I delved into programming and soon felt the urge to expand beyond just using various programming languages for development. I started maintaining a programming language called YueScript, tailored for writing game logic. My learning journey in graphics led me to rewrite the Cocos2d-x as a learning project, which eventually evolved into the Dora SSR game engine. Later, as my love for handheld gaming consoles grew, I began collaborating on an open, programmable gaming device called the "Auspice Gear", aiming to achieve the ultimate digital freedom in gaming.