Assumptions

This is a guide to authoring Admin Mod plugins in Small. It is not an introduction to computer programming.

We are assuming the following:

You are able to download and compile other people's plugins.

This guide covers how to write a plugin, not how to download, compile and deploy them. We are assuming that you are familiar with that process; if not read the section in the manual on compiling plugins; learn to walk before learning to run.

You have experience in programming in a procedural language, such as C, C++, PHP, Visual Basic, Java, Pascal, Delphi or Java script

The Small language is most similar to C in terms of its syntax and the names of some of the native function (e.g. strlen). However, those familiar with writing any procedural language should be OK. A quick test is if you understand all of the following you should be able to understand this guide and program in Small:

• What a function/ procedure is.
• What a variable is and the difference between global and local variables.
• The differences between string and integer variables, and the use of arrays.
• Program flow constructs such as "if" statements, "for" loops and "while" loops.

If that was all meaningless gibberish to you, then it is probably best to start learning with a better documented and more reliable language than Small - buying a book or finding a web page on introductory C programming would be a good first step as Small is reasonably similar to C.