Really, gotta disagree with you here. For many tasks, the GUI is slower than Galaxy - take adding three variables together, or combining a string with multiple substrings, or setting the value of a unit type variable.
This is only slower if you need to click everything and scroll down the list because you don't remember the name of your own functions/variables.
Any of this can be done in 4 seconds by using shortcuts and typing two characters in the search box :)
Excellent point there S3rius, didn't know you could use constants as length-definitions of arrays in Galaxy. I suggested that myself on the official forums before I started using arrays of struct (Record) in the form of P[n].variable to organize data :)
Vjeux isn't exactly correct, there are indeed quite a few things that cannot be done in GUI, but only in custom script. Some of these things are just small inconveniences, others could sometimes be very annoying (e.g. not being able to dynamically add new events to a trigger in GUI).
Also, once you got the hang of it, it is much easier to work with it. You can write triggers faster than you could ever do in GUI, because you don't have to click yourself through a ton of windows, prompts or lists. You'll also have much less trouble reading your triggers.
Last but not least you can make your script more efficient than with GUI. The difference isn't too great and most of the time you won't notice it at all. Still, from time to time it could help you.
I think you should consider learning scripting if:
You already have experience in languages like Java, Action Script, C+ +, etc. In this case learning SC2's scripting language will be pretty easy.
You know that you will be working with the Galaxy Editor for years to come and if you're a good learner. Even for someone without knowledge of other programming languages Custom Script is pretty easy to learn. You just need to be a logical thinker. But it isn't really worth the time if you'll stick with the editor for just a month or two.
I disagree completely here.
These "things you can only do in Galaxy" are just elitist myths so far. I mean, okay dynamically adding new events to triggers is one, but you can always obtain the same results within the GUI - just in a different way - without the code being any less efficient if you do things properly. We are being a bit obscure here so if you have any good exemples we can confront them, but think for a moment about what C actually does stack-wise in these triggers and loops... the difference usually isn't that great, and any map worrying about bad execution performances is seriously fuck*d up somewhere :)
About writing faster... meh, no. If you actually use both shortcuts and the search field (already knowing the functions, that is) the GUI is extremely fast and comfortable, unless you are able to code < pick each unit - if this - do something on them > loops in 10 seconds, also you have a MUCH clearer and coherent vision of the map/code structure itself when you need to change something later whether you commented your lines or not.
I don't normally mind writing raw code, I actually like doing that outside SC2, but to any new mapmaker I would recommend sticking with the GUI and only stop from time to time to learn (well, you are halfway there if your know C or Java) how the same thing is done in Galaxy just in case you really need it some day.
This is only slower if you need to click everything and scroll down the list because you don't remember the name of your own functions/variables.
Any of this can be done in 4 seconds by using shortcuts and typing two characters in the search box :)
Excellent point there S3rius, didn't know you could use constants as length-definitions of arrays in Galaxy. I suggested that myself on the official forums before I started using arrays of struct (Record) in the form of P[n].variable to organize data :)
I disagree completely here.
These "things you can only do in Galaxy" are just elitist myths so far. I mean, okay dynamically adding new events to triggers is one, but you can always obtain the same results within the GUI - just in a different way - without the code being any less efficient if you do things properly. We are being a bit obscure here so if you have any good exemples we can confront them, but think for a moment about what C actually does stack-wise in these triggers and loops... the difference usually isn't that great, and any map worrying about bad execution performances is seriously fuck*d up somewhere :)
About writing faster... meh, no. If you actually use both shortcuts and the search field (already knowing the functions, that is) the GUI is extremely fast and comfortable, unless you are able to code < pick each unit - if this - do something on them > loops in 10 seconds, also you have a MUCH clearer and coherent vision of the map/code structure itself when you need to change something later whether you commented your lines or not.
I don't normally mind writing raw code, I actually like doing that outside SC2, but to any new mapmaker I would recommend sticking with the GUI and only stop from time to time to learn (well, you are halfway there if your know C or Java) how the same thing is done in Galaxy just in case you really need it some day.