I'm kind of upset that people posted saying you should start by opening a game mode file or going onto the wiki. That's like saying you should open up a new product and try to use it without understanding the basics of it that come in the instruction manual.
Start off with the
Pawn Language Guide, like Kyosaur suggested. That will give you a introduction and basic understanding to the Pawn language. There are also other useful guides you can find on
CompuPhuse Web Site, the company's website that created Pawn. It's always best to read and get background information on something before jumping right in. I really regret not starting with reading about the language myself before starting to code scripts, I would've learned A LOT of things now that the people who started out correctly consider basics.
Another thing to note is that coding is not all about teleporting a player here and creating a car here. Yes, those are possible things that almost every server has, but coding will also require you to understand basic Math. It may not sound really that big of a deal yet, and may not be until you get into more complex scripts, but it's good to have a strong handle of Math as well. You should also take the time to learn about bits, hexadecimal numbers, and unix timestamps (I know __ made a tutorial about unix timestamps that is great). They will become handy as you get more involved with your coding habits.
Another thing - stay away from inefficient coding methods and scripts. Some coders that you may think are good (reference to your first post) may actually not as great as meets the eye. Many use inefficient methods to creating their scripts, such as large array sizes, creating unnecessary variables, using functions incorrectly, ... the list goes on. As time goes on, you, hopefully, be able to single out the scripts that use inefficient coding methods, and learn from other sources. A few scripts I can site off a top of my head to stay away from: dini and dudb (despite the great work of Draco Blue, as at the time, they were the "stuff").
Finally, ask for help when you need it. These forums have a pretty good Scripting Discussion board that is very active (sadly, used incorrectly a lot). If you have a question or two about a script, and have already searched and tried to figure it out on your own, head over there and make a topic. And never expect direct code! Some, including myself, give hints and tips to head you in the right direction to making what you want - which is how it should be. You will never learn if everything is simply handed to you. Follow the rules specific to the section, and you should be good.
Oh, and I almost forgot!
Know the difference between Pawn and Pawno! A lot of new coders say things like:
Quote:
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Originally Posted by gabe1971
Once you learn Pawno a lot of things are pretty easy.
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When that makes no sense at all! Pawno is a text editor that has syntax highlighting and a button embedded to compile the script. The code that you are writing (typing) in is Pawn. That is the thing that gets on my nerves the most!
So here is a corrected version of what gabe1971 was trying to say:
Quote:
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Originally Posted by gabe1971
Once you learn Pawn a lot of things are pretty easy.
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Which, in all honestly, is the whole point - To understand how to utilize the language.
that's all for me , and i hope in the future i'll be able to make amazing scripts with good featuers etc..
). University during the last months didnt really affect my pawn skills, if it changed anything it was my style and view on scripting problems.
