How do people create their .loves and .exes? (Discussion)

[20047m]

First off, this is meant to be for discussion. I already know how to do these things, I am just curious how others go about this.

Anyways, yeah, if you haven't guessed already, I was just kind of wondering what methods people go about to creating their .love files and their game .exe's! I only know of a few right now, like these:

1. The old fashion zip file creation and renaming technique -- Pain in the rear end!
2. https://stackmachine.com/ -- Browser based, (free while in beta?)
3. http://love2d.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=75387 -- Love release bash script (Mac/Linux)
4. "7z a -tzip releases/gamename.love * -xr!*.love -xr!.git" -- a .bat file with my method for creating love files, with 7zip installed. (Win)

What other methods do people use? I mean, I'm pretty sure there's at least a few more ways people generate love files and I'd löve to see what other implementations people have for it

[josefnpat]

I run linux, so I have a set of scripts.

Here's an example in my latest LD entry:

This script will download the love binaries for windows and OS X
https://github.com/josefnpat/LD28/blob/master/setup.sh

This script will push git information into folders that can be used in game.
https://github.com/josefnpat/LD28/blob/ ... distgit.sh

This script builds the binaries that are to be distributed.
https://github.com/josefnpat/LD28/blob/master/build.sh

This script is for testing and development. I use it as softlinks don't play well when loading assets in love. This script basically zips up a folder in a temp file so that the softlinks are converted to normal files.
https://github.com/josefnpat/LD28/blob/master/run.sh

[jcmoyer]

My approach is similar to #4 except I have an intermediary step where I copy all the source code into a staging directory, then run it through luajit's bytecode compiler. Roughly:

Code: Select all

rm -rf $STAGE && mkdir $STAGE
# copy things to the staging directory
find . -name "*.lua" -not -path "$STAGE/*" -exec cp --parents {} $STAGE \;
# compile it
find $STAGE -name "*.lua" -exec $LUAC -b$DEBUG {} {} \;

rm $LOVEOUT
# zip it and merge assets in the main tree
7z a -tzip $LOVEOUT $STAGE/*
7z a -r -tzip -i!*.png -i!*.ogg $LOVEOUT

Then $LOVEOUT points to some .love file ready for further processing.

[Robin]

I just use method #1. I don't create .loves often enough for it to be annoying (and I almost never make .exes).

[Daniel Eakins]

I haven't completed a game project yet so I have yet to create an .exe file.

[Positive07]

My own set of .bat scripts + Notepad ++ Run Script + Some other scripts that can handle the Android Manifest for Love-Android

[T-Bone]

I have a python script for building .loves. That came in handy with Hat Cat, since all levels were made in an in-game level editor, so the script also took the levels from the love.filesystem save folder and merged them into the game before zipping.

For building .exes, I have a .bat script. The .app I just manually copy-and-paste the .love into a boilerplate .app.

[HugoBDesigner]

For .loves I copy any existing .love file, delete it's contents and place the new content there (and rename the file, of course).

For .exes I just run that script on LÖVE wiki on Windows' Command Prompt.
I feel like I should make something more advanced...

[riidom]

I'm with Robin here, I do it so rarely, I choose the cheapest way.
I'd like to ask a follow-up question, though:
What are the reasons for creating .love's or .exe's so often, that there is a desire to automate it?
Or asked different, what are the occasions where you do it?

[Inny]

The last time I made something it was with a unix style Makefile

Code: Select all

BUNDLE = artsyjumper.love
FILES = *.lua *.png sound design Makefile

love:
	zip -r $(BUNDLE) $(FILES)

That's right, my command was "make love"