In Naylib, types such as Image and Wave utilize destructors for memory management. This approach not only eliminates the need for manual Unload calls but also offers other benefits, including more reliable and safer memory management, reduced code complexity, and easier maintenance.
In raylib, various functions have similar names that differ in suffixes based on the type of arguments they receive. For instance, functions like DrawRectangle, DrawRectangleV, DrawRectangleRec, and DrawRectanglePro vary in their suffixes. However, in Naylib, this naming convention has changed. Functions that return Vector2 or Rectangle still follow the previous naming convention, but function overloading is now used for cases that previously employed different suffixes. This allows for a more uniform and intuitive naming convention.
Data types that hold pointers to arrays of structures, such as Model, are encapsulated and offer index operators to provide a safe and idiomatic API. As an example, the code snippet model.materials[0].maps[MaterialMapIndex.Diffuse].texture = texture includes a runtime bounds check on the index to ensure safe access to the data.
The C enums have been mapped to Nim, and their values have been shortened by removing their prefix. For instance, LOG_TRACE is represented as Trace.
Each function argument, array index or object field that is intended to employ a particular enum type undergoes type checking. Consequently, erroneous code such as isKeyPressed(MouseButton.Left) fails to compile.
To improve the safety and usability of the public API, Naylib has abstracted the use of raw pointers through the use of openArray[T], with the exception of cstring parameters, which are automatically converted from string. If you encounter a warning related to CStringConv, you can silence it by using the --warning:CStringConv:off flag.
To enhance the usability of begin-end pairs like beginDrawing and endDrawing in naylib, additional syntactic sugar has been introduced in the form of templates such as drawing and mode3D. These templates can accept a block of code and offer added safety measures in case of any errors. As a result, even if an error occurs, the program will not be left in an invalid state, as the "end" part will always be executed.
The RArray[T] type has been added to encapsulate memory managed by raylib. It provides index operators, len, and @ (which converts to seq) and toOpenArray. You can use this type to work with raylib functions that manage memory without needing to make copies.
Raylib uses bitflags for ConfigFlags and Gesture. To work with these flags in Nim, you can use the flags procedure which returns Flags[T]. An example of this would be flags(Msaa4xHint, WindowHighdpi).
In raylib 4.2, the functions LoadDroppedFiles and UnloadDroppedFiles were introduced but were later removed. Instead, the older function getDroppedFiles was reintroduced as it is more efficient and easier to wrap, requiring fewer copies.
Use the toWeak* procs to get an WeakImage or WeakWave, which are not memory managed and can be embedded directly into source code. To use this feature, first export the image or wave as code using the exportImageAsCode or exportWaveAsCode procs. An example of how to use this feature can be found in the example others/embedded_files_loading.nim.
The concepts of ShaderV and Pixel permit the integration of external data types into procs that employ them, such as setShaderValue and updateTexture.
To prevent unexpected behavior or crashes, Load() functions utilize IsReady() to confirm asset loading success and raise RaylibError if an asset is not found. This approach ensures that the program not only logs an error but also immediately takes action to handle it appropriately.
In addition to porting the raymath and reasings libraries to Nim, Naylib also provides math operators like +, *, -= for convenience.