Command Prompt Tips
There are thousands of extracted files available and sometimes it can be difficult to locate what you need.
On the Windows Operating System, you will be using the Console Command Prompt (CMD).
To access it, simply type "command prompt" or "cmd" in the search bar.
Windows PowerShell also works.
Change Directory
It will be much easier issuing commands when changing the current directory.
You should be changing the directory to the folder where you extracted all your files.
Windows and Linux | cd
The Change Directory command for Linux and Windows is the same.
Syntax:cd [directory]
Example:cd C:\Users\Username\Desktop\Extracted Files
On Windows:
An easy way to change directories in is to navigate to the directory in File Explorer, select the upper list that names all the folders in your directory (usually starting with "This PC"), copy what is listed, then paste it into CMD.
Find String
To find specific text strings within a file or group of files.
Useful for finding .decl files.
Windows | findstr
Syntax:findstr /arguments "text" [filename]
Example:findstr /si "ai/fodder/imp_stone" e5m1_spear\generated\decls\*
> This example command will list out the .decl files that define the Stone Imp as an entity to be spawned in The World Spear.
> The /si
argument makes the command also search sub-directories of the file and ignore case-sensitivity.
> The *
at the end is a wildcard, meaning that it will search for everything within the decls folder.
Although the Windows file structure divide their directories with the back slash ("\"), the extracted files will reference directories using the forward slash ("/"). You can see this in the example for findstr above.
Linux | grep
Syntax:grep -arguments "text" [filepath]
Example:grep "ai/fodder/imp_stone" e5m1_spear/generated/decls/*
For Linux, the directories use the forward slash ("/") just like how the extracted files do.
Sometimes a surplus of results will print out depending on how vague the key term is.
File Compare
Compares the difference between two files line-by-line.
Useful for comparing a modded file with its original version.
Diffchecker | Universal Platform
The Diffchecker website compares differences and similarities between 2 code syntax.
Select all syntax of the original .decl file and copy it over to one of the fields. Then do the same for the modified .decl file.
https://www.diffchecker.com/
Windows | fc
Syntax:fc /arguments [file1] [file2]
Example:fc "e5m3_hell\generated\decls\aiupgrades\buffpod.decl" "test_buffpod.decl"
Linux | diff
Syntax:diff -arguments [file1] [file2]
Example:diff "e5m3_hell/generated/decls/aiupgrades/buffpod.decl" "test_buffpod.decl"