Editing GameMaker (section)

== GameMaker Language ==
GameMaker Language (GML) is GameMaker's scripting language. It is an [[Imperative programming|imperative]], [[dynamically typed]] language commonly likened to [[JavaScript]] and C-like languages.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eDzlCwAAQBAJ&pg=PR6|title=GameMaker Programming By Example |last1=Christian |first1=Brian |last2=Isaacs |first2=Steven |date=28 December 2015 |publisher=Packt Publishing Ltd |isbn=978-1-78588-847-2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-5OFAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA9 |title=Getting Started with Game Maker |last=Ford |first=Jerry Lee Jr. |date=1 June 2009 |publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-1435455214 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PLdsEjKnt5AC&pg=PA225|title=The Game Maker's Apprentice: Game Development for Beginners |last1=Habgood |first1=Jacob |last2=Overmars |first2=Mark |date=31 December 2006 |publisher=Apress |isbn=978-1-4302-0159-5}}</ref>

The language's default mode of operation on native platforms is via a [[stack machine]]; it can also be [[Source-to-source compiler|source-to-source compiled]] to C++ via [[LLVM]] for higher performance.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.adweek.com/digital/gamemaker-studio-introduces-yoyo-compiler-and-cross-platform-shader-support/ |title=GameMaker: Studio introduces YoYo Compiler and cross-platform Shader support|access-date=9 May 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref> On HTML5, GML is source-to-source compiled to JavaScript with optimizations and [[Minification (programming)|minification]] applied in non-debug builds.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uDWG1gYWxokC|title=HTML5 Game Development with GameMaker |last=Elliott |first=Jason Lee |date=22 April 2013 |publisher=Packt Publishing Ltd |isbn=978-1-84969-411-7}}</ref>

=== GML Visual ===
GML Visual (originally called "Drag and Drop"<ref>{{cite web |title=What New Features Are Included In GameMaker Version 2022.3? |url=https://gamemaker.io/en/blog/release-2022-3 |website=GameMaker |language=en}}</ref>) is GameMaker's visual scripting tool.

GML Visual allows developers to perform common tasks (like instantiating objects, calling functions, or working with files and data structures) without having to write a single line of code. It is largely aimed at novice users.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thisisxbox.com/interview-james-cox-yoyo-games-gamemaker-studio-2/|title=Interview: James Cox of YoYo Games about GameMaker Studio 2 {{!}} This Is Xbox|work=This Is Xbox|access-date=9 May 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=6 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200106074455/http://www.thisisxbox.com/interview-james-cox-yoyo-games-gamemaker-studio-2/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

While historically GML Visual remained fairly limited in what can be comfortably done with it,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.packtpub.com/sites/default/files/downloads/4100OT_Appendix_Drag_and_drop_Icons_to_GameMaker_Language_Reference.pdf |title=Drag-and-Drop icons to GameMaker Language reference }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/no-coding-required-how-new-designers-are-using-gamemaker-to-create-indie-smash-hits/ |title=No coding required: How new designers are using GameMaker to create indie smash hits |work=pcgamer|access-date=9 May 2018 |language=en}}</ref> GameMaker Studio 2 had seen an overhaul to the system, allowing more tasks to be done with GML Visual, and having it translate directly to code<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/09/03/gamemaker-studio-creators-look-back-at-17-years-of-development/ |title=GameMaker Studio creators look back at 17 years of development |date=4 September 2017 |work=VentureBeat|access-date=9 May 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref> (with an in-IDE preview for users interested in migrating to code).