Ref file macros

Sections in the ref files may contain macros that will be expanded before rendering. The ref file macros recognised by SkoolKit are described in the following subsections.

::

The :: macro is used to include the contents of another section in the current section.

For example (in sd.ref and bts.ref):

[Bug:waitingForEinstein:Waiting for EINSTEIN]
::Bug-WaitingForEinstein

This will copy the contents of the section named Bug-WaitingForEinstein (defined in skool.ref) into the current section.

bts:, sd:

The bts: macro is expanded only in Back to Skool mode; in Skool Daze mode it is replaced with an empty string. Conversely, the sd: macro is expanded only in Skool Daze mode; in Back to Skool mode it is replaced with an empty string.

For example (in skool.ref):

A character will be moved if bit 7 of byte ${sd:122}${bts:29} of his buffer is ${sd:re}set

In Skool Daze mode, this expands to:

A character will be moved if bit 7 of byte 122 of his buffer is reset

But in Back to Skool mode, it expands to:

A character will be moved if bit 7 of byte 29 of his buffer is set

f:

The f: macro expands to a filename path computed from the names of variables in the FileInfo object (defined in skoolhtml.py).

For example (in changelog.ref):

<a class="link" href="${f:sd_dir/playarea_tiles}">Skool Daze</a>

Here, ${f:sd_dir/playarea_tiles} expands to the path of the ‘Play area tiles’ page in the Skool Daze disassembly, defined by the sd_dir and playarea_tiles variables of the FileInfo object.

The f: macro can also be used to call methods of the FileInfo object. For example (in changelog.ref):

...see Skool Daze command list <a class="link" href="${f:sd_dir/asm_path/asm_fname(64939)}">202</a>

Here, ${f:sd_dir/asm_path/asm_fname(64939)} expands to the path of the file containing the disassembly of the data block at 64939 in the Skool Daze disassembly; that path is defined by the following elements:

• sd_dir (a variable in the FileInfo object)
• asm_path (a variable in the FileInfo object)
• asm_fname(64939) (the result of calling FileInfo.asm_fname() with the argument ‘64939’)

v:

The v: macro expands to the value of a game variable (defined in the [Game] section of sd.ref or bts.ref).

For example (in skool.ref):

[Glossary:SRB]
Screen refresh buffer at #R${v:SRBAddress}

Here, ${v:SRBAddress} expands to the value of the game variable SRBAddress (defined as ‘32524’ in the [Game] section in sd.ref, and as ‘32512’ in the [Game] section in bts.ref).