Question and Answer

Check out this QnA to find answers for any questions you may have.

Do I need to download all of the submodules?

No. Only the ones you want and their dependencies. Find out how to do this on the Getting Started page.

How do I know if there is an update?

The main module will not warn you if it or one of its submodules are out of date. I generally just recommend checking on the updates tracker every once in to see if you should update. Updates provide bug fixes and expanded functionality.

You can check what version the main module or submodule is by indexing the it with _VERSION or _VERSION_NUM.

local MyMod = RegisterMod("MyMod", 1) -- replace MyMod with the name of your mod
local path = "MyMod.IsaacHelper"
local IsaacHelper = require(path .. ".init") -- replace MyMod with the name of the mod's folder

print(IsaacHelper._VERSION) -- a string denoting the version number of the main module (x.x.x) 
print(IsaacHelper._VERSION_NUM) -- a number counting the version iteration of the main module (xx)

IsaacHelper.Init(MyMod, path)

local ExtraMath = IsaacHelper.GetModule(IsaacHelper.EXTRA_MATH)
print(ExtraMath._VERSION) -- a string denoting the version number of the submodule (x.x.x) 
print(ExtraMath._VERSION_NUM) -- a number counting the iteration of the submodule (xx)

Submodules can update independently from one another, so a dependency might not have the same version iteration as a submodule using it. Additionally, the main module can update independently from any submodules.

Do I need the main module to use the submodules?

Technically you don't, but it's a bit more complicated to set up as the main module streamlines the process of initializing a submodule.

1.) Download the submodule and its dependencies and put them in the folder in your mod that corresponds to the name of your mod's directory. You can also put them in a subfolder of the aforementioned folder. For example:

mod-name/
├── main.lua (the main lua file for your mod)
├── metadata.xml (steam workshop file)
└── mod-name/ (the same name as your mod folder)
    └── Submodules (a normal folder)
        ├── submodule.lua (the submodule) 
        └── otherSubmodule.lua (the other submodule it depends on, if it has one)

2.) Include and initialize the submodule with your mod reference.

local MyMod = RegisterMod("MyMod", 1) -- replace MyMod with the name of your mod
local ExtraMath = include("Path.To.Submodule") -- replace MyMod with the name of the mod's folder

-- replace the path with the path to the folder that the submodule is in. 
-- Some modules do not require these arguments, but it is best if you 
-- include them anyway.
ExtraMath.Init(MyMod, "Path.To.Folder.With.Submodules") -- initialize the submodule

Do I have to credit you?

No. I do not need credit, but letting me know if I helped you makes me happy (I can even advertise your mod on this repository if you want as long as it is SFW).

What is the advantage of this module?

Easy access to exactly what you need. Since you don't need to download every submodule, you'll reduce clutter, file size, load time, and allow people looking through your mod's code to better understand what makes it tick. Additionally, you can make edits to the submodules yourself without having to learn the innerworkings of a big library with tons of features.

It is arguable whether file size or load time are necessary to optimize, but generally my philosophy is that if your product could be smaller, then make it smaller for the people with bad download speeds or SSDs.