Script Editor

The Script Editor edits script files (nss - Neverwinter Script Source) and can compile them.

Notably in EE you can now load a separate editor, such as VSCode, from the toolset, instead of using the built in editor. See Toolset Options.

Script Editor

To open the editor right click on the Scripts list on the left hand side, to edit or create a new script, or hit edit on any script event which will put that script back into that event slot if it was blank.

Note there are a number of Toolset Options to alter colours so you can make some changes to the font and colours.

Toolbar and Basic Functions

Editing Window

This window is the way to enter new script text. You should read our sister wiki the NWN Lexicon if you do not know how to script, which includes a number of tutorials.

New functions, include files, prototypes and the like can all be added and used, you can check the Bioware scripts for examples.

You can alter in the Toolset Options all the colours, fonts and the like.

Line number are on the left, allowing you to more easily see compiler error locations, and the vertical line that's present in the Window is exactly 80 characters in - which in the heady days of 2002 was being ignored as per the example so not quite sure why they added that without a toggle!

Beyond typing you have a other shortcuts and actions to help you, most of which are normal text editor conventions (but there's no toolbar buttons for, for whatever reason). This might not be a complete list, the toolset never had a very good manual from Bioware!

Functions, Variables, Constants List

These are all able to be filtered to find items you need to insert. For instance don't remember the constant for a certain VFX? Type it partially in the filter to find it.

Double click something to add it at the current caret location.

It also helpfully bolds custom Functions and Constants not included in the base nwscript.nss file making your custom code more obvious.

Clicking on an item will update the Help Window box as well, and it can be worked through with the arrow keys.

Templates List

This will load entire code blocks from pre-existing files. For instance you could have custom file headers or common functions.

It will load them based on the option set in the Toolset Options. By default this is scripttemplates  which even if created in your Neverwinter Nights documents folder won't load anything (the game used to have this folder in the base game folder, it no longer exists). So make sure you select a folder for this, the game install folder has some by default; see steamapps\common\Neverwinter Nights\data\scr  for them, example: user defined events.txt contains:

//::///////////////////////////////////////////////
//:: Custom User Defined Event
//:: FileName
//:: Copyright (c) 2001 Bioware Corp.
//:://////////////////////////////////////////////
/*

*/
//:://////////////////////////////////////////////
//:: Created By:
//:: Created On:
//:://////////////////////////////////////////////

void main()
{
    int nUser = GetUserDefinedEventNumber();

    if(nUser == 1001) //HEARTBEAT
    {

    }
    else if(nUser == 1002) // PERCEIVE
    {

    }
    else if(nUser == 1003) // END OF COMBAT
    {

    }
    else if(nUser == 1004) // ON DIALOGUE
    {

    }
    else if(nUser == 1005) // ATTACKED
    {

    }
    else if(nUser == 1006) // DAMAGED
    {

    }
    else if(nUser == 1007) // DEATH
    {

    }
    else if(nUser == 1008) // DISTURBED
    {

    }

}

So you can add whatever text files you want with code, and once selected it'll insert it at the current carat position.

Since they're not copied into the game files the txt files can have any name, any length and with spaces even, yay!

However the filter does not work on the Templates tab.

Compiler Window

The compiler window is run on save usually, which is when syntax is checked, and the first error found is reported back. It will jump and highlight the affected line.

You can find more about error messages on the Lexicon. Note that commonly an error is actually on the line before where the compiler has stopped.

It also will not check for any kind of logic - so if you have if (x < 0 && x > 0)  which is never able to be true, it'll just happily compile it.

Note that code that is never called is never compiled into the final NCS file but it will still be checked for syntax.

Help Window

This panel provides help for a function or constant when double clicked in the edit window or selected in the right hand Functions/Variables/Constants/Templates window.

Functions can have prototypes which contain normal // comments above them they'll be shown as above.

Constants tend to just show their real value, no comments. You can add custom constants with the keyword const.

Variables don't show much - just the type of variable they are, and no context or even the full line they're defined.

Bookmarks Window

See further up for the shortcuts to using bookmarks. The view here can be used to access them by the mouse by double clicking on one.

Search Results Window

If you "Find All" you'll get all the results here which can be useful you can then double click on them to go to the file and line where it's defined.