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What is GDExtension?¶
Introducción¶
GDExtension is a Godot-specific technology that lets the engine interact with native shared libraries at run-time. You can use it to run native code without compiling it with the engine.
Nota
GDExtension is not a scripting language and has no relation to GDScript.
Differences between GDExtension and C++ modules¶
You can use both GDExtension and C++ modules to run C or C++ code in a Godot project.
Ambos también te permiten integrar bibliotecas de terceros en Godot. La elección entre ellos depende de tus necesidades específicas.
Advertencia
Our long-term goal is that GDExtensions targeting an earlier version of Godot will work in later minor versions, but not vice-versa. For example, a GDExtension targeting Godot 4.2 should work just fine in Godot 4.3, but one targeting Godot 4.3 won't work in Godot 4.2.
However, GDExtension is currently experimental, which means that we may break compatibility in order to fix major bugs or include critical features. For example, GDExtensions created for Godot 4.0 aren't compatible with Godot 4.1 (see Updating your GDExtension for 4.1).
Advantages of GDExtension¶
Unlike modules, GDExtension doesn't require compiling the engine's source code, making it easier to distribute your work. It gives you access to most of the API available to GDScript and C#, allowing you to code game logic with full control regarding performance. It's ideal if you need high-performance code you'd like to distribute as an add-on in the asset library.
Tambien:
GDExtension is not limited to C and C++. Thanks to third-party bindings, you can use it with many other languages.
You can use the same compiled GDExtension library in the editor and exported project. With C++ modules, you have to recompile all the export templates you plan to use if you require its functionality at run-time.
GDExtension only requires you to compile your library, not the whole engine. That's unlike C++ modules, which are statically compiled into the engine. Every time you change a module, you need to recompile the engine. Even with incremental builds, this process is slower than using GDExtension.
Ventajas de los módulos de C++¶
We recommend C++ modules in cases where GDExtension isn't enough:
Los módulos de C++ proporcionan una integración más profunda con el motor. El acceso de GDExtension no es tan profundo como módulos estáticos.
Puedes utilizar módulos de C++ para proporcionar características adicionales en un proyecto sin tener que llevar archivos de bibliotecas nativas. Esto se extiende también a los proyectos exportados.
Nota
If you notice that specific systems are not accessible via GDExtension but are via custom modules, feel free to open an issue on the godot-cpp repository to discuss implementation options for exposing the missing functionality.
Lenguajes soportados¶
The Godot developers officially support the following language bindings for GDExtension:
C++ (tutorial)
Nota
There are no plans to support additional languages with GDExtension officially. That said, the community offers several bindings for other languages (see below).
Los enlaces a continuación son desarrollados y mantenidos por la comunidad:
Nota
No todos los enlaces mencionados aquí pueden estar listos para producción. Asegúrate de investigar exhaustivamente las opciones antes de comenzar un proyecto con alguno de ellos. Además, verifica si el enlace es compatible con la versión de Godot que estás utilizando.
Compatibilidad de versiones¶
GDExtension add-ons compiled for a given Godot version are only guaranteed to work with the same minor release series. For example, a GDExtension add-on compiled for Godot 4.0 will only work with Godot 4.0, 4.0.1, 4.0.2. In addition, GDExtension is not compatible with Godot 3.x.
GDExtension add-ons are also only compatible with engine builds that use the level of floating-point precision the extension was compiled for. This means that if you use a engine build with double-precision floats, the extension must also be compiled for double-precision floats. See Coordenadas de mundo extenso for details.