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extgen - GameMaker Extension Code Generator

Welcome to extgen, a schema-driven code generator for GameMaker native extensions.

From a single GMIDL input file, extgen can generate:

• GML bindings (plus optional runtime helpers)
• Native glue code for multiple platforms (Android / iOS / tvOS / consoles)
• A complete CMake project + presets to build your extension
• Optional docs output for downstream tooling

The goal: one source of truth → repeatable, consistent extension output.

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🚀 Quick Start

1) Initialize a project folder

extgen --init ./my-extension

This creates:

• config.json
• extgen.schema.json

2) Edit config.json

Set:

• your GMIDL input (input)
• your output root (root)
• desired targets (targets.*)
• build emission (build.emitCmake)

3) Generate

extgen --config ./my-extension/config.json

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📚 Wiki Navigation

✅ Getting Started

• User Manual - how to run extgen, configure targets, and understand all schema options
• GMIDL Introduction - how to start declaring your extension functions
• Implementation Workflow - recommended / suggested workflows for the various targets

🧰 Development

• Architecture / Developer Docs - project structure, emitters, pipeline, where to contribute
• Build extgen - build the tool from CLI, Visual Studio, or VS Code

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🧭 Key Concepts

✅ Schema-driven configuration

Your config.json is validated via extgen.schema.json. If the schema validates, extgen should run reliably.

🎯 Target-driven output

extgen is target-driven, not “language toggles driven”.

Enabling a target (like Windows or iOS) automatically implies the correct underlying emitters (like C++ where required).

🧪 Profiles

Use profiles to control what gets emitted:

• Full → bindings + native glue + build system
• BindingsOnly → only bindings (no native/build output)
• BuildOnly → only build system (CMake / presets)

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🛟 Need Help?

• If you're a user: start with User Manual
• If you're contributing: start with Architecture / Developer Docs
• If you’re building the tool: go to Build extgen

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✨ Contributing

extgen is designed to be extended:

• new platforms
• new emitters
• improved templates
• better docs and examples

If you want to contribute, check Architecture / Developer Docs and follow the repository contribution guidelines.

Happy generating 🚀