Lua Scripting with REAPER 5 - Part. 2: The API Documentation

In this tutorial, you will learn how to find REAPER functions that we will use to build our future scripts.

Source Article:
http://extremraym.com/en/reascript-video-api-doc/

X-Raym ReaScript Doc Mod:
http://bit.ly/reascript

Sublime Text:
http://www.sublimetext.com/

Package Control for Sublime Text:
https://packagecontrol.io/

Breeder's ReaSyntax for Sublime Text:
https://packagecontrol.io/packages/ReaSyntax

Notepad++:
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/

X-Raym's ReaScript Monokai for Notepad++:
http://stash.reaper.fm/v/23811/notepadReaScriptMonokai.zip

Cockos Wiki - API Functions List
http://wiki.cockos.com/wiki/index.php/REAPER_API

Hope you still like the serie, feel free to make any suggestions !

Hello, this is X-Raym, for the
second part of our Tutorial

on Lua scripts coding
in REAPER 5.

In the first part,
we saw how to use the console.

Now we will see how to
find the documentation

to run more specifics action
on REAPER objects

Regions, Tracks, Items, Takes...
and other stuffs.

From REAPER, you can display
the full functions list.

Avaible to ReaScript by doing
Help -> ReaScript Documentation

An HTML document appears

which has been generated
by REAPER

when you clicked on this action.

This means that this function list
will be always up to date

when you use this method,
which is extremly powerful.

The doc is generated
when you open it.

However, we have to admit that it is
a bit hard to look at first sight.

It lacks a bit of style,
we will see an alternative later.

Here is the List of ReaScript Functions,
there is many of them.

You don't have to learn everything,
you will learn them when you'll need it.

Most of them will never
be useful to you.

In order to make this document
more pleasing to read,

I have created a mod of it,
that I put online

http://bit.ly/reascript

that will display this page

(same as this one)

but with more features and
a more readable text.

Having filterable function list

is a huge time saver

Without it, we are a bit lost
when we need to find a specific function.

The downside of this, is that
it will not always be up to date

I'll try to update it
as much as I can,

But it is possible that what
you are looking for

is new feature
that I didn't implement yet

As you can see here,
you can filter the functions

According to you needs. For example,
if you want to find the functions

which are related to
items and tracks

for example, this one.

You just have to type "item" and track
and to click on it.

Here we see a
function explaination.

It is written for the different
languages we can use.

And you can see here in blue what type
of value the function need and return.

For example, in this function,
you have to put an Item as parameter

and it will return a track.

So, it is a function that allow
to return the parent track of an item.

However, the details of the functions
are not always written

It is more a reference document
than a complete documentation.

It is confusing some times cause
some functions have untold behaviors.

But for more common functions
it is very nice.

So, we will try to find other functions...

THis one is very used,
it means to display track infos.

We have to pass
a track as 1st parameters

and a string as second parameters,
and it will display a number.

The parameters here are listed below.

We can return the Mute state, Phase state,
and it will be as a numerical vallue.

We will see that in practice
in a next tutorial.

An other online ReaScript Doc Ressource
is on the Cockos Wiki.

However, this page is obslete,
car it was made from REAPER 3.15

Sure, because it is a Wiki
every one is welcome for update it,

but it took a lot of times
and each function has it's own page

in opposite to the auto-generated verson,
where all is grouped in a single page.

Another way to have
the function list

is to use an external code editor,

such as Notepad++
or Sublime Text

For which some users have created files
ReaScript functions Automcompletion Files.

For example, on N++, I have created a file which
displays functions list when we type "reaper."

It can complete the function.

If I type GetMedia.. the
function get completed.

To have Lua syntax colorisation
with REAPER functions

You'll need to download this file.
Install instructions are written there.

If you use Sublime Text, you will
have a native Lua code colorisation

and if you need autocompletion,
you will have to install an extension

which has been created by Breeder
from the SWS REAPER extensions

which is call ReaSynax.

You can install it with
Package Control Extension.

However, at this time, this extensions
only manage REAPER functions in EEL.

Lua support may come
for the next release.

I have to admit that ReaSyntax is
far more easy to install

than my N++ files.

No matter what code editor you will choose,

Auto-completion is not indpensable
for coding a script.

We continue our course
by using Notepad++

but you can choose the
code editor you want.

In the next tutorial, we will code
our first useful script on items.

See ya!