User:Takuy/BYOND

BYOND (Build Your Own Net Dream) is a free software suite, written in C++, for creating and playing online games, launched in 1996 by Dantom International, a company formed by Dan Bradley and Tom Hehre. The suite was initially called DUNG (Dantom's Universal Network Game), before being rebranded as BYOND. When a user opens an account, their username is known as a BYOND Key.

Software suite
The BYOND development suite comes with four programs, each an important part of game development, and playing.
 * Dream Seeker is the client, and can be used as a server. It used to connect to, and play games created using BYOND. It also serves as a Telnet or IRC client. Dream Seeker is only available on Microsoft Windows Operating Systems.
 * Dream Daemon is the server. It is used to allow players to join the multiplayer games.
 * Dream Maker is BYOND's native IDE. It is a compiler for the DM language, the official programming language of BYOND. Included in the program is a sprite editor, map editor, and interface editor. DM compiles into bytecode.
 * the Pager is the tool used to connect to the BYOND network. All information is processed through that application, and passed to what is known as the BYOND hub. Its main purpose is to follow favorited games, and friends. It also functions as an instant messenger, linked to the BYOND website.

DM
BYOND's proprietary programming language is DM. The language is object-oriented, and similar to C++ and Python in terms of syntax. The "Hello World" example in DM: