TES5Edit Scripting Functions

TES5Edit Scripting

Description

Work in progress: To become the future home of scripting functions for TES5Edit. If you make scripts for TES5Edit please contribute to this page.

TES5Edit implements a script engine based on pascal syntax. The following table enumerates the functions exported by TES5Edit to the script engine that allows interacting with the editor's elements to perform various tasks such as finding records, fixing record conflicts, etc.

The information in the table is not complete so please contribute by explaining these functions, their uses and by fixing mistakes in this information.

TES5Edit Global Variables

These are predefined read-only variables that can be called at any time.

Name	Type	Description	Note
DataPath	String	Provides the file path to Skyrim's data folder as a String
ProgramPath	String	Provides the file path to Tes5edit's installation folder as a String
ScriptsPath	String	Provides the file path to Tes5Edit's 'Edit Scripts' folder as a String.	If launching TES5Edit via a .tes5pas file, ScriptsPath will change to the directory where the .te5pas file is located. (therefore if your script has any .pas file it is grabbing functions from, they also need to be in the that same directory.)
FileCount	Integer	Provides the number of loaded files in your current TES5Edit session	"Skyrim.Hardcoded.keep.this..." (aka. Skyrim.exe) is considered a file and is reflected in this variable.
wbAppName	String	Returns 'TES5','TES4','FNV','FO3'
wbVersionNumber	Integer	Returns xEdit version number.

TES5Edit Scripting Functions

xEdit scripts only have access to a generic type called IInterface, which wraps around every object that xEdit returns. However, different types are used internally to classify different objects. To illustrate this with an example: files are coded as IwbFile objects, while forms are coded as IwbMainRecord objects. However, an xEdit script will only ever see IInterface objects, and any IInterface can be a IwbFile or an IwbMainRecord. Functions like GetIsESM can be called on any IInterface, but are designed to work with IwbFiles and will not produce a meaningful result for other types (i.e. GetIsESM would always return false for any other type).

The functions below are sorted by the internal types that they operate on. This is to make it easier to find certain functions and to make this page easier to maintain (because frankly, fixing up row colors on a massive table is just a big disincentive to even editing the page).

The relationships between internal types are as follows:

   IwbElement
    └ IwbContainerBase
      ├ IwbContainer
      │ ├ IwbDataContainer
      │ │  ├ IwbFileHeader
      │ │  └ IwbRecord
      │ │     ├ IwbGroupRecord
      │ │     ├ IwbMainRecord
      │ │     └ IwbSubRecord
      │ │
      │ └ IwbFile
      │
      └ IwbContainerElementRef
   
   IwbResource
   IwbResourceContainer
    │ IwbBA2File
    │ IwbBSAFile
    └ IwbFolder
   
   Misc functions
    └ DDS
    └ NIF

Global functions

These functions can be called on anything and should return a meaningful result.

Function	Returns	Arguments	Description
Assigned	boolean	aeElement: IwbElement	An extension to Delphi's native Assigned function: returns true if aeElement is not Nil, and returns false otherwise.
ObjectToElement	IInterface	akObject	If you have stored an IInterface inside of a TList or TStringList, you must call this function when retrieving the object from the list, i.e. ObjectToElement(myList.Items[0]).
FileByIndex	IwbFile	aiFile: integer	See also: FileCount.
FullPathToFilename	string	asFilename: string	Returns the full path to the filename asFilename.
EnableSkyrimSaveFormat			As of xEdit 3.1.2, calling this function will corrupt saved plugins until xEdit is restarted.
GetRecordDefNames		akList: TStrings	Unverified: Modifies akList by adding entries based on the contents of the global wbRecordDefs.
wbFilterStrings		akListIn: TStrings; akListOut: TStrings; asFilter: String	Modifies akListOut, adding every entry in akListIn that contains the substring asFilter.
wbRemoveDuplicateStrings		akList: TStringList	Modifies akList, removing any duplicate entries that it contains.

IwbElement

These functions can be called on any IwbElement IInterface.

Function	Returns	Arguments	Description
BaseName	string	aeElement: IwbElement	Identical to Name except that it handles IwbFiles differently. Name will prepend a load order index (i.e. [02] PluginName.esp), while BaseName will not.
BuildRef		aeElement: IwbElement	Builds reference information for the element and all of its descendants. Note that this function will run even if reference information has already been built.
CanContainFormIDs	boolean	aeElement: IwbElement	Guaranteed to return True if the element can contain form IDs, but not guaranteed to return False if it can't. This accesses an internal property, CanContainFormIDs, which the internal implementation of BuildRef uses to skip processing certain descendant elements.
CanMoveDown	boolean	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns true if the element is part of an array and can be moved further down using MoveDown.
CanMoveUp	boolean	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns true if the element is part of an array and can be moved further up using MoveUp.
Check	string	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns the error message produced when the "Check for Errors" functionality is run on aeElement; or else an empty string if no error is found.
ClearElementState		aeElement: IwbElement; aiState: TwbElementState	Manipulates the internal flags of an element, e.g. ClearElementState(eElement, esModified);. See also: GetElementState, SetElementState.
ContainingMainRecord	IwbMainRecord	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns the main record that contains the element.
DefType	TwbDefType	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns the def-type of the element.
DisplayName	string	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns the display name of the element, if it has one; otherwise, this behaves identically to Name. See also: BaseName, ShortName.
ElementAssign	IwbElement	aeContainer: IwbContainer; aiIndex: integer; aeSource: IwbElement; abOnlySK: boolean	Copy the contents of one element into a container element, or create and append an element to a container. aeContainer Destination element. aiIndex Where to place the new element, if the destination is an array. Specify HighInteger to append. Specify LowInteger or a negative value to add to non-arrays. aeSource Element to copy from. Use Nil to create a blank element of the appropriate type. abOnlySK Unknown; believed to be a "shallow copy only" bool. False appears to work. Sample: there is a script to copy VMAD subrecords "Skyrim - Copy VMAD subrecord.pas"
ElementType	TwbElementType	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns the type of the element. This is one of the following values: etFile, etMainRecord, etGroupRecord, etSubRecord, etSubRecordStruct, etSubRecordArray, etSubRecordUnion, etArray, etStruct, etValue, etFlag, etStringListTerminator,etUnion, etStructChapter.
EnumValues	string	aeElement: IwbElement	If aeElement is a set of named enum values, this function returns the names of any values that have been set, separated with spaces.
Equals	boolean	aeElement1: IwbElement; aeElement2: IwbElement	Compares two elements by their ElementID. This is sometimes necessary, as different IInterface variables pointing to the same element don't always compare properly when using the = operator.
FlagValues	string	aeElement: IwbElement	If aeElement is a set of flags, this function returns the names of all set flags, separated with spaces.
FullPath	string	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns the full path to the element, going all the way down to its containing file. See also: Path, PathName.
GetContainer	IwbContainer	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns the element's container.
GetEditValue	string	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns a string representation of the element's value. See also: SetEditValue, GetElementEditValues, SetElementEditValues.
GetElementState	TwbElementState	aeElement: IwbElement; aiState: TwbElementState	Checks the internal flags of an element. See also: ClearElementState, SetElementState.
GetFile	IwbFile	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns the file that contains the element.
GetNativeValue	variant	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns the element's value. See also: SetNativeValue, GetElementNativeValues, SetElementNativeValues.
IsEditable	boolean	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns true if the record can be edited. In some cases, xEdit will block edits to files like Skyrim.esm.
IsInjected	boolean	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns true if the element is an injected record.
LinksTo	IwbElement	aeElement: IwbElement	Obtains the referenced element. Not to be confused with ReferencedBy Elements. Call this function on any container element (etSubRecord) to get the iwbMainRecord of that form. (Ex: Calling LinksTo() on any 'LNAM - FormID' subRecord found in a FormID List will return the IwbMainRecord of that record).
MarkModifiedRecursive		aeElement: IwbElement	Presumably marks the element and all of its descendants as modified.
MoveDown		aeElement: IwbElement	If the element is part of an array, this function moves it down by one slot. See also: CanMoveDown.
MoveUp		aeElement: IwbElement	If the element is part of an array, this function moves it up by one slot. See also: CanMoveUp.
Name	string	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns the name of the element, if it has one. If aeElement is an IwbFile or certain kinds of IwbMainRecords, Name will return a "pretty" name, while BaseName or ShortName will return a more basic string. See also: DisplayName.
Path	string	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns the path component of aeElement -- that is, one single piece of the path that FullPath would return. You could use this when manually constructing a path to supply to ElementByPath. See also (and don't confuse with): FullPath, PathName.
PathName	string	aeElement: IwbElement	Similar to FullPath except that names in the path are prefixed with brackets, to uniquely identify each element's unique position among its siblings (see IndexOf). Example: \[02] neromancer.esp\[7] Worldspace\[1] World Children\[1] Children of 00000D74\[0] Persistent\[2] [REFR:00100452]
Remove		aeElement: IwbElement	Removes the element from its file.
ReportRequiredMasters		aeElement: IwbElement; akListOut: TStrings; akUnknown1: boolean; akUnknown2: boolean	Checks which master files aeElement depends on, and adds their filenames to akListOut. The boolean arguments' purposes are unknown, but the "Report masters.pas" script passes False for both.
SetEditValue	string	aeElement: IwbElement; asValue: string	Sets the element's value to one that matches the string representation passed in. See also: GetEditValue, GetElementEditValues, SetElementEditValues.
SetElementState	TwbElementState	aeElement: IwbElement; aiState: TwbElementState	Manipulates the internal flags of an element. Returns the value prior to modification. See also: ClearElementState, GetElementState.
SetNativeValue	string	aeElement: IwbElement; avValue: variant	Sets the element's value. See also: GetNativeValue, GetElementNativeValues, SetElementNativeValues.
SetToDefault		aeElement: IwbElement	Resets the element's data and adds any missing fields if any
ShortName	string	aeElement: IwbElement	Generally the same as Name unless aeElement is a reference, cell, or similar record. Name will return detailed information for those records, while ShortName will return the signature and form ID in the format [XXXX:01234567].
SortKey	string	aeElement: IwbElement	Returns a string unique to the element entered. This can be used for sorting elements or for comparing them; for example, you could compare the SortKey for two elements in records which override each other to see if they are different from each other.
wbCopyElementToFile	IwbElement	aeElement: IwbElement; aeFile: IwbFile; abAsNew: boolean; abDeepCopy: boolean	Copies an IwbMainRecord, IwbGroupRecord, or IwbContainer to the specified file. The abAsNew boolean controls whether or not you're copying the record as an override record. Returns the copied element.
wbCopyElementToFileWithPrefix	IwbElement	aeElement: IwbElement; aeFile: IwbFile; abAsNew: boolean; abDeepCopy: boolean; akUnknown; akUnknown; akUnknown	Details unknown. Returns the copied element.
wbCopyElementToRecord	IwbElement	aeElement: IwbElement; aeRecord: IwbMainRecord; abAsNew: boolean; abDeepCopy: boolean	Copies an element to a record, e.g. the "Conditions" element on a COBJ record or a faction from an NPC_ record. Returns the copied element.

IwbContainer

Function	Returns	Arguments	Description
Add	IwbElement	aeContainer: IwbContainer; asNameOrSignature: string; abSilent: boolean	Creates a child element with the name-or-signature asNameOrSignature in aeContainer if no such child already exists; otherwise, marks the existing child as modified. Returns the created or existing element.
AddElement		aeContainer: IwbContainer; aeElement: IwbElement	Adds aeElement as a child of aeContainer. Throws an error if aeElement already has a container.
AdditionalElementCount	integer	aeContainer: IwbContainer	Unknown. This getter accesses an internal function used internally for imposing some order on the sub-elements; it checks whether this element "counts," and if so, how many times. Seems to return 1 or 2 for (main?) records, and 0 for record fields (sub-records).
ContainerStates	byte	aeContainer: IwbContainer	Returns the internal container flags for aeContainer (e.g. whether it's initialized, or whether it has had references built) as a bitmask. Refer to "Worldspace browser.pas" for a usage example.
ElementByIndex	IwbElement	aeContainer: IwbContainer; aiIndex: integer	Returns the aiIndex-th child element in aeContainer. See also: ElementCount.
ElementByName	IwbElement	aeContainer: IwbContainer; asName: string	Searches aeContainer for the child element with name asName, and returns the found element or Nil. See also: ElementExists.
ElementByPath	IwbElement	aeContainer: IwbContainer; asPath: string	Searches aeContainer for the descendant element specified by path asPath, and returns the found element or Nil.
ElementBySignature	IwbElement	aeContainer: IwbContainer; asSignature: string	Searches aeContainer for the child element with signature asSignature, and returns the found element or Nil.
ElementCount	integer	aeContainer: IwbContainer	Returns the number of child elements in aeContainer. See also: ElementByIndex.
ElementExists	boolean	aeContainer: IwbContainer; asName: string	Returns true if aeContainer as a child element whose name is asName. See also: ElementByName.
GetElementEditValues	string	aeContainer: IwbContainer; asPath: string	Finds the element within aeContainer specified by asPath, and returns a string representation of its value.
GetElementNativeValues	variant	aeContainer: IwbContainer; asPath: string	Finds the element within aeContainer specified by asPath, and returns its value.
IndexOf	integer	aeContainer: IwbContainer; aeChild: IwbElement	Returns the index of aeChild in aeContainer, or -1 if aeChild is not a child element of aeContainer.
InsertElement		aeContainer: IwbContainer; aiPosition: Integer; aeElement: IwbElement	Inserts aeElement as a child of aeContainer at the specified position.
IsSorted	boolean	aeContainer: IwbSortableContainer	Checks whether xEdit always keeps aeContainer sorted. If so, this function will return True, and calling CanMoveUp and CanMoveDown on child elements will always return False.
LastElement	IwbElement	aeContainer: IwbContainer	Returns the last child element in aeContainer, or Nil if there are no child elements.
RemoveByIndex	IwbElement	aeContainer: IwbContainer; aiIndex: integer; abMarkModified: boolean	Removes the aiIndex-th child from aeContainer, and returns it.
RemoveElement	IwbElement	aeContainer: IwbContainer; avChild: variant	Removes avChild from aeContainer and returns the removed element. The avChild argument can be: the index of an element to remove from an array container; the name or signature of an element to remove; or an IwbElement to remove.
ReverseElements		aeContainer: IwbContainer	Reverses the order of the child elements in aeContainer.
SetElementEditValues		aeContainer: IwbContainer; asPath: string; asValue: string	Finds the element within aeContainer specified by asPath, and sets its value based on the string representation asValue.
SetElementNativeValues		aeContainer: IwbContainer; asPath: string; avValue: variant	Finds the element within aeContainer specified by asPath, and sets its value to asValue.

IwbFile

Function	Returns	Arguments	Description
AddMasterIfMissing		aeFile: IwbFile; asMasterFilename: string	Adds the specified file as a master for aeFile, if it isn't already a master.
CleanMasters		aeFile: IwbFile	Appears to find unnecessary files in aeFile's master list and remove them, updating all form indices accordingly. Don't confuse this within "cleaning master files" as in "removing ITMs and UDRs from official DLCs." This function is used in "Skyrim - Book Covers Patch.pas".
FileFormIDtoLoadOrderFormID	cardinal	aeFile: IwbFile; aiFormID: cardinal	Converts aiFormID from a form ID relative to aeFile's master list (like that returned by FixedFormID) to a load-order-relative form ID (like that returned by FormID). See also: LoadOrderFormIDtoFileFormID.
FileWriteToStream		aeFile: IwbFile; akOutStream: TStream	Writes the contents of aeFile to akOutStream. Used in "SaveAs.pas" to allow a user to save a loaded file under a new name; that script creates a TFileStream object and uses this function to write to it.
GetFileName	string	aeFile: IwbFile	Returns aeFile's filename.
GetIsESM	boolean	aeFile: IwbFile	Returns True if aeFile is flagged as an ESM. See also: SetIsESM.
GetLoadOrder	string	aeFile: IwbFile	Returns aeFile's index in the load order, or -1 if called on something that is not an IwbFile.
GetNewFormID	cardinal	aeFile: IwbFile	Returns a new form ID, the same way that Add(..., ..., True) does.
GroupBySignature	IwbGroupRecord	aeFile: IwbFile; asSignature: string	If aeFile has a top-level group with the specified signature, that group is returned.
HasGroup	boolean	aeFile: IwbFile; asSignature: string	Returns True if aeFile contains a top-level group with the specified signature.
HasMaster	boolean	aeFile: IwbFile; asMasterFilename: string	Returns True if aeFile has a file with the name asMasterFilename as a master.
LoadOrderFormIDtoFileFormID	cardinal	aeFile: IwbFile; aiFormID: cardinal	Converts aiFormID from a load-order-relative form ID (like that returned by FormID) to a form ID relative to aeFile's master list (like that returned by FixedFormID). See also: FileFormIDtoLoadOrderFormID.
MasterByIndex	IwbFile	aeFile: IwbFile; aiIndex: integer	Returns the aiIndex-th master file for aeFile.
MasterCount	cardinal	aeFile: IwbFile	Returns the number of master files that aeFile has.
RecordByEditorID	IwbMainRecord	aeFile: IwbFile; asEditorID: string	Returns the MGEF or GMST record in aeFile that has the specified editor ID. For all other record types, use something like MainRecordByEditorID(GroupBySignature(f, 'ECZN'), 'RandomEncounterZone1').
RecordByFormID	IwbMainRecord	aeFile: IwbFile; aiFormID: integer; abAllowInjected: boolean	Returns the main record in aeFile that has the specified form ID, or Nil if no records match. The form ID must be local to the file (see FixedFormID).
RecordByIndex	IwbMainRecord	aeFile: IwbFile; aiIndex: integer	Returns the aiIndex-th record in aeFile.
RecordCount	cardinal	aeFile: IwbFile	Returns the number of records that aeFile has.
SetIsESM		aeFile: IwbFile; abFlag: boolean	Modifies the ESM flag for aeFile. See also: GetIsESM.
SortMasters		aeFile: IwbFile	Attempts to sort the masters for aeFile by their place in the current load order.

IwbMainRecord

Function	Returns	Arguments	Description
BaseRecord	IwbMainRecord	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	If aeRecord is a reference, this function returns the IwbMainRecord of its base form. Otherwise, the function returns Nil.
BaseRecordID	cardinal	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Appears to return the load-order-relative form ID of aeRecord.
ChangeFormSignature		aeRecord: IwbMainRecord; asNewSignature: string	Changes aeRecord's signature to asNewSignature. No other information is modified.
ChildGroup	IwbGroupRecord	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Returns the group that aeRecord contains, if any. For example, a WRLD record will be followed by a GRUP containing the worldspace's CELLs, and you would use this function to retrieve that group.
CompareExchangeFormID	boolean	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord; aiOldFormID: cardinal; aiNewFormID: cardinal	Attempts to change aeRecord's form ID from aiOldFormID to aiNewFormID, and returns True if the operation succeeds.
EditorID	string	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Returns the record's editor ID.
FixedFormID	cardinal	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Returns the local FormID of the record. Local records will not have a load-order prefix (i.e. 0x00FFFFFF), and overrides will have a prefix relative to the record's file's masters. See also: FormID, GetLoadOrderFormID.
FormID	cardinal	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Returns the record's form ID. See also: FixedFormID, GetLoadOrderFormID.
GetFormVCS1	cardinal	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Returns the value of the Version Control Info 1 field. See also: SetFormVCS1.
GetFormVCS2	cardinal	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Returns the value of the Version Control Info 2 field. See also: SetFormVCS2.
GetFormVersion	cardinal	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Unknown. See also: SetFormVersion.
GetGridCell	TwbGridCell	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	If aeRecord is an exterior cell, this function will return its grid coordinates as a TwbGridCell; you can access the coordinates by checking returnValue.x and returnValue.y.
GetIsDeleted	boolean	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Checks the record's "deleted" flag. See also: SetIsDeleted.
GetIsInitiallyDisabled	boolean	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Checks the record's "initially disabled" flag. See also: SetIsInitiallyDisabled.
GetIsPersistent	boolean	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Checks the record's "persistent" flag. See also: SetIsPersistent.
GetIsVisibleWhenDistant	boolean	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Checks the record's "visible when distant" flag. See also: SetIsVisibleWhenDistant.
GetLoadOrderFormID	cardinal	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Returns the record's form ID relative to the current load order. See also: FixedFormID, SetLoadOrderFormID.
GetPosition	TwbVector	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	If aeRecord is a reference (or a subtype, like ACHR), this function will return its position.
GetRotation	TwbVector	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	If aeRecord is a reference (or a subtype, like ACHR), this function will return its rotation.
HasPrecombinedMesh	boolean	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Checks whether aeRecord is a Fallout 4 reference that has precombined mesh data generated. See also: PrecombinedMesh.
HighestOverrideOrSelf	IwbMainRecord	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	See also: WinningOverride.
IsMaster	boolean	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Returns True if aeRecord is a master, and false if it is an override or not an IwbMainRecord. See also: Master, MasterOrSelf.
IsWinningOverride	boolean	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Returns True if aeRecord is the last loaded override for its master. See also: Master, MasterOrSelf.
Master	IwbMainRecord	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord
MasterOrSelf	IwbMainRecord	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	If aeRecord is an override, the function returns the master record that it overrides. Otherwise, the function returns aeRecord itself. See also: IsMaster, IsWinningOverride.
OverrideByIndex	IwbMainRecord	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord; aiIndex: integer	Returns the aiIndex-th override of aeRecord.
OverrideCount	cardinal	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Returns the number of records that override aeRecord.
PrecombinedMesh	string	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Returns the path to aeRecord's precombined mesh file, if aeRecord is a Fallout 4 reference that could have that data (i.e. not a placed actor). See also: HasPrecombinedMesh.
ReferencedByIndex	IwbMainRecord	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord; aiIndex: integer	Returns the aiIndex-th record that references aeRecord.
ReferencedByCount	cardinal	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Returns the number of records that refer to aeRecord.
SetEditorID	string	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Sets the record's editor ID, and then returns it.
SetFormVersion		aeRecord: IwbMainRecord; aiVersion: cardinal	Unknown. See also: GetFormVersion.
SetIsDeleted	boolean	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord; abFlag: boolean	Modifies the record's "deleted" flag. See also: GetIsDeleted.
SetIsInitiallyDisabled	boolean	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord; abFlag: boolean	Modifies the record's "initially disabled" flag. See also: GetIsInitiallyDisabled.
SetIsPersistent	boolean	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord; abFlag: boolean	Modifies the record's "persistent" flag. See also: GetIsPersistent.
SetIsVisibleWhenDistant	boolean	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord; abFlag: boolean	Modifies the record's "visible when distant" flag. See also: GetIsVisibleWhenDistant.
SetLoadOrderFormID	cardinal	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord; aiFormID: cardinal;	Modifies the record's form ID, with the specified ID relative to the current load order. See also: GetLoadOrderFormID.
SetFormVCS1		aeRecord: IwbMainRecord; aiValue: cardinal	Modifies the Version Control Info 1 field. See also: GetFormVCS1.
SetFormVCS2		aeRecord: IwbMainRecord; aiValue: cardinal	Modifies the Version Control Info 2 field. See also: GetFormVCS2.
Signature	string	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Returns the record's signature, a four-character code such as NPC_ or DIAL.
UpdateRefs		aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Appears to be the same as BuildRef, except that it aborts if references are already in the middle of being built.
WinningOverride	IwbMainRecord	aeRecord: IwbMainRecord	Returns the last loaded override for aeRecord. See also: HighestOverrideOrSelf.

IwbGroupRecord

Function	Returns	Arguments	Description
ChildrenOf	IwbMainRecord	aeGroup: IwbGroupRecord	If aeGroup is a child group, this function returns the main record that it is associated with. For example, a Dialogue Topic (DIAL) is followed by a group (GRUP) that contains its Infos (INFO); and passing that GRUP to this function would retrieve the DIAL. Cells (CELL) and Worldspaces (WRLD) have their contents set up similarly to Dialogue Topics, so this function will work with them as well.
FindChildGroup	IwbGroupRecord	aeGroup: IwbGroupRecord; aiType: integer; aeMainRecord: IwbMainRecord;	Unknown. The aiType value should match the group-type values used in the file format. The "Worldspace browser.pas" script uses FindChildGroup(ChildGroup(cell), 9, cell); to get the "Temporary" group within a CELL.
GroupLabel	cardinal	aeGroup: IwbGroupRecord	Returns the raw group label, as specified in the file format.
GroupType	integer	aeGroup: IwbGroupRecord	Returns the raw group type, as specified in the file format.
MainRecordByEditorID	IwbMainRecord	aeGroup: IwbGroupRecord; asEditorID: string	Searches aeGroup for a main record whose editor ID is asEditorID and returns the matching record or Nil. This is not a performant function.

IwbResource

These functions are used in "Assets browser.pas", "Assets manager.pas", and "Skyrim - List used scripts.pas".

Function	Returns	Arguments	Description
ResourceContainerList		akContainers: TwbFastStringList	Fills akContainers with the full filenames (directory + name) of all loaded BSA and BA2 files, as well as the name of the Data directory. akContainers can be a TwbFastStringList or a TStringList.
ResourceCopy		asContainerName: string; asFilename: string; asPathOut: string	Retrieves the resource named asFilename from the resource container named asContainerName (see ResourceContainerList), and saves that resource to the specified file path asPathOut. The "Assets browser.pas" script uses this to let users extract a resource from a BSA/BA2.
ResourceCount	cardinal	asFilename: string; akContainers: TStrings	Fills akContainers with a list of the loaded containers (BSA, BA2, Data directory) that a file named asFilename appears in. The "Assets browser.pas" script uses this to allow users to decide which version of a file to view, when the file is overridden at least once within their load order.
ResourceExists	boolean	asFilename: string	Checks whether any loaded container has a file with the specified name.
ResourceList		asContainerName: string; akContainers: TStrings	Accesses the container with the full filename asContainerName (see ResourceContainerList), and adds a list of all contained filenames to akContainers. Note that added entries are unsorted, and there may be duplicates among them.
ResourceOpenData	TBytesStream	asContainerName: string; asFilename: string	asFilename should be formatted similar to the other Resource-oriented xEdit scripts. asContainerName should be filled with a string generated by the function ResourceContainerList. The ResourceOpenData function should only be used in conjunction with NifTextureList, as ResourceCopy removes any other need for this function.

Misc functions

Function	Returns	Arguments	Description
LocalizationGetStringsFromFile		asFilename: string; akListOut: TStrings
wbAlphaBlend	boolean	akDestinationDeviceContext: unknown; aiDestinationX: integer; aiDestinationY: integer; aiDestinationWidth: integer; aiDestinationHeight: integer; akSourceDeviceContext: unknown; aiSourceX: integer; aiSourceY: integer; aiSourceWidth: integer; aiSourceHeight: integer; aiAlpha: integer	A wrapper for Windows.AlphaBlend which returns its result.
wbBlockFromSubBlock	TwbGridCell	akSubBlock: TwbGridCell	See also: wbPositionToGridCell, wbSubBlockFromGridCell, wbGridCellToGroupLabel, wbIsInGridCell.
wbCRC32Data	cardinal	akData: TBytes	See also: wbCRC32File, wbSHA1Data, wbSHA1File, wbMD5Data, wbMD5File.
wbCRC32File	cardinal	asFilename: string	See also: wbCRC32Data, wbSHA1Data, wbSHA1File, wbMD5Data, wbMD5File.
wbCRC32Resource	cardinal	asContainerName: string; asFileName: string
wbFindREFRsByBase		aeREFR: IwbMainRecord; asSignatures: string; aiFlags: integer; akOutList: TList	Searches for sibling records to aeREFR whose base records' signatures match asSignatures, and adds them to akOutList. Further filtering can be done with aiFlags: specify 1 to exclude deleted references, 2 to exclude initially disabled references, and 4 to exclude references that have an enable parent.
wbFlipBitmap		akBitmap: TBitmap; aiAxes: integer	Flips the image data contained in akBitmap based on the specified axes. Specify 1 to flip horizontally, 2 to flip vertically, or 0 to flip on both axes.
wbGetSiblingRecords		aeRecord: IwbElement; asSignatures: string; abIncludeOverrides: boolean; akOutList: TList	Adds sibling records of aeRecord to akOutList if their signatures match asSignatures. If abIncludeOverrides is not True, then overrides will not be included in the result.
wbGridCellToGroupLabel	cardinal	akGridCell: TwbGridCell	Returns an integer of the format 0xXXXXYYYY. See also: wbBlockFromSubBlock, wbPositionToGridCell, wbIsInGridCell, wbSubBlockFromGridCell.
wbIsInGridCell	boolean	akPosition: TwbVector; akGridCell: TwbGridCell	See also: wbBlockFromSubBlock, wbGridCellToGroupLabel, wbPositionToGridCell, wbSubBlockFromGridCell.
wbMD5Data	cardinal	akData: TBytes	See also: wbCRC32Data, wbCRC32File, wbMD5File, SHA1Data, wbSH1Data.
wbMD5File	cardinal	asFilename: string	Calculation time is about 2.5 times longer than CRC32. See also: wbCRC32Data, wbCRC32File, wbMD5Data, SHA1Data, wbSH1Data.
wbNormalizeResourceName	string	asResourceName: string; akResourceType: TGameResourceType	akResourceType can be any of the following values: resMesh, resTexture, resSound, resMusic.
wbPositionToGridCell	TwbGridCell	akPosition: TwbVector	Converts akPosition to grid coordinates. In practice, this is done by dividing the physical coordinates by 4096, the lateral length and width of a cell. See also: wbBlockFromSubBlock, wbGridCellToGroupLabel, wbIsInGridCell, wbSubBlockFromGridCell.
wbSHA1Data	cardinal	akData: TBytes	See also: wbCRC32Data, wbCRC32File, SHA1File, wbMD5Data, wbMD5File.
wbSHA1File	cardinal	asFilename: string	Calculation time is about two times longer than CRC32. See also: wbCRC32Data, wbCRC32File, SHA1Data, wbMD5Data, wbMD5File.
wbStringListInString	integer	akList: TStringList; asSubstring: string	Checks if any of the strings in akList contains asSubstring. Returns the index of the first matching entry, or -1. Checks are case-insensitive.
wbSubBlockFromGridCell	TwbGridCell	akGridCell: TwbGridCell	See also: wbBlockFromSubBlock, wbGridCellToGroupLabel, wbIsInGridCell, wbPositionToGridCell.

NIF functions

Function	Returns	Arguments	Description
NifBlockList	boolean	akData: TBytes; akListOut: TStrings	Retrieves block information from the NIF file in akData, and adds it to akListOut. Each added index in akListOut will match up with a string key of the form "BlockName=BlockType" and (as an object) a pointer to the NIF block's index number. Returns True if the operation succeeded.
NifTextureList	boolean	akData: TBytes; akListOut: TStrings	Searches the NIF file in akData for all texture paths, and adds them to akListOut. Returns True if the operation succeeded.
NifTextureListResource	boolean	akData: variant; akListOut: TStrings	Searches the NIF file in akData for all texture paths, and adds them to akListOut. Returns True if the operation succeeded.
NifTextureListUVRange	boolean	akData: TBytes; afUVRange: Single; akListOut: TStrings	Searches the NIF file in akData for all texture paths, and adds them to akListOut. Textures are only added if none of the relevant NiTriShape's UV sets have UVs greater than afUVRange or less than -afUVRange. Returns True if the operation succeeded.

DDS functions

Function	Returns	Arguments	Description
wbDDSStreamToBitmap	boolean	akStream: TStream; akBitmapOut: TBitmap	Modifies akBitmapOut to contain the DDS information sourced from akStream. Returns True if the operation succeeds.
wbDDSDataToBitmap	boolean	akData: TBytes; akBitmapOut: TBitmap	Modifies akBitmapOut to contain the DDS information sourced from akData. Returns True if the operation succeeds.
wbDDSResourceToBitmap	boolean	akUnknown; akBitmapOut: TBitmap	Modifies akBitmapOut to contain the DDS information sourced from the resource akUnknown. Returns True if the operation succeeds.

Script Structure

Base Script Functions

The are three special functions that TES5Edit will call when a script is run:

• Initialize: This function is called when the script starts. It's useful to initialize variables.
• Process: This function is called for every record selected in the TES5Edit tree. If a plugin is selected then it will be called for each record defined in the plugin. The same happens if a record type is selected in the tree.
• Finalize: This function is called when the script has finished processing every record. Generally useful for saving files and freeing the allocated resources.

All these functions are optional, so if they are not needed they can be omitted.

Hotkeys

TES5Edit can assign hotkeys to scripts. The script hotkey is defined in the description like this:

{
	Script description.
	------------------------
	Hotkey: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E
}

Script References

Scripts can use functions defined in other scripts. That allows creating toolkits to avoid duplicating code. To make use of this feature the following instruction is used: (use below the unit name)

uses 'MyTools';

With that command we instruct the script to load another script named "MyTools.pas" and the functions in that script will be available. Note that any conflict in names can be resolved by the unit name. So it's suggested to change the toolkit script unit name appropriately.

Script User Interface

TO DO: Explain user interface and provide some examples.

• AddMessage(asMessage) pushes a line to TES5Edit's Information tab.
• InputQuery(asWindowTitle, asWindowText, out sVariableToSet) displays a prompt dialog; it returns False if the user clicked Cancel or X, or True otherwise, and sets the output variable to whatever the user types if the user hits "OK."
• SelectDirectory(asPromptStringOfSomeKind, asInitialDirectory, asRootDirectory, nil) returns a path as a string; used in "Assets browser.pas"
• ShellExecute seen in "Execute external applications.pas", used to call another program
• TCheckListBox used in "Copy as override.pas"
• TListView used in "Assets browser.pas"
• TMemo used in "Assets browser.pas"
• TMenuItem used in "Assets browser.pas"
• TPopupMenu used in "Assets browser.pas"
• TSaveDialog used in "Assets browser.pas"
• TScrollBox' used in "ExportImportTexts.pas"
• I highly recommend viewing/using MatorTheEternal's mtefunctions.pas for examples as well.

Class	Reference	Description	Use example	Note
TButton	TButton	Button	Assets browser.pas	The button doesn't automatically expand its width to accommodate its contents.
TCheckBox	TCheckBox	Checkbox	none	You can apply a label using the Caption property; you don't need to make your own TLabel. Note, for more advanced scripts, that OnChange is not supported; use OnClick (which listens for more than just clicks) instead. Manually changing the Checked property will also fire an OnClick event; to avoid recursion where needed, you can set OnClick to nil, change Checked, and then restore OnClick's value.
TComboBox	TComboBox	Combobox	none	Set the Style property to csDropDownList to disallow custom text entry, mimicking the function of a typical drop-down menu
TForm	TForm	A dialog?	ExportImportTexts.pas
TLabel	TLabel	Used to display ordinary text.	none	Set the Caption property to your text. To show line breaks, concatenate #13#10 into your string (e.g. 'Line 1' + #13#10 + 'Line 2').
TPanel	TPanel	General-purpose container for UI widgets	ExportImportTexts.pas
TStaticText	TStaticText	Apparently used to display ordinary text.	none	Pretty much the same as a TLabel, but it cuts off any text that has line breaks. Not particularly useful.

TES5Edit appears to provide the following variables:

Name	Type	Description	Note
frmFileSelect	TForm	Returns a copy of the plug-in select dialog, which can be shown by calling fMyDialogVariable.ShowModal	You can get a reference to the checkbox list (as a TCheckListBox) by calling TCheckListBox(fMyDialogVariable.FindComponent('CheckListBox1'))

Simple Script Sample

This is a sample script which will only export every selected NPC to a TXT file:

{
	Script description: Exports the FormID and EditorID of the selected NPCs
}

// This is the unit name that will contain all the script functions
unit ExportScripts;

// Global variables
var NPCList : TStringList;

// Called when the script starts
function Initialize : integer;
begin
	NPCList := TStringList.Create;
	NPCList.Add('FormID;EditorID');
end;

// Called for each selected record in the TES5Edit tree
// If an entire plugin is selected then all records in the plugin will be processed
function Process(e : IInterface) : integer;
begin
	if Signature(e) <> 'NPC_' then exit;
	NPCList.Add(IntToHex(FixedFormID(e), 8) + ';' + GetElementEditValues(e, 'EDID'));
end;

// Called after the script has finished processing every record
function Finalize : integer;
var filename : string;
begin
	filename := ProgramPath + 'Edit Scripts\NPCs.txt';
	AddMessage('Saving NPC list to ' + filename);
	NPCList.SaveToFile(filename);
	NPCList.Free;
end;

end.

Pascal implementation

TES5Edit uses JvInterpreter from JVCL to execute Delphi as a scripting language; the interpreter version used is no older than 1.51.2 and no newer than 1.54. According to its own source code JvInterpreter has incomplete support for Delphi 5, and nothing newer: however, it lacks support for certain Delphi 5 language features (e.g. var PerInitialisedVariable: Integer = 42;); and it has scripts return values by assigning to Result, while Borland Delphi 5 (released in 1999) has authors assign to the function name instead.

The standard libraries offered by JvInterpreter directly wrap whatever libraries the containing application (xEdit) was compiled with; however, wrappers only exist for the functions offered in Delphi 5. This means that the API (the selection of functions and the arguments they support) is limited to Delphi 5 with extra quirks introduced by JvInterpreter, but the internal behavior of the functions depends on what version of Delphi xEdit was compiled with (possibly Delphi 10).

No online documentation of language reference appears to be available for Borland Delphi 5. Modern reference documentation for Delphi (e.g. TPerlRegex docs) will generally have accurate class descriptions, but large swaths of functionality will be missing from whatever xEdit!JvInterpreter supports.

An examination of xEdit's own source code indicates that it provides (JvInterpreter's versions of) the following standard libraries to scripts, even if those scripts do not include the libraries via the uses command:

• Buttons
• Classes
• Comctrls
• Contnrs
• Controls
• Dialogs
• ExtCtrls
• Forms
• Graphics
• Menus
• StdCtrls
• System
• SysUtils
• Windows

Misc notes:

• In TES5Edit's Pascal implementation, values are returned by assigning to Result, rather than by assigning to the function name.
• TES5Edit's Pascal implementation does not appear to support constructions such as TList<Integer>.
• If you try to store a Variant (e.g. the return value of GetElementNativeValues) in a Float variable and that variant has returned nil, then that Float will also contain nil and will throw errors when used.
• JvInterpreter throws an error if any identifiers in the global scope are redeclared; reportedly, this differs from the behavior that Delphi has shown since 1987, wherein global identifiers in later-included files shadow those in earlier-included files. Defining them in implementation blocks doesn't make any difference.
  • In addition to this, including a unit multiple times triggers these errors, as its own definitions conflict with themselves. This may be a standard Delphi limitation if the behavior of the System unit is of any indication, but literally no official or unofficial documentation on the Internet mentions it as a general rule.
    • And no, Delphi has no equivalent to #pragma once, and JvInterpreter wouldn't support it anyway
• According to Delphi documentation across the web, Const directives inside of functions and procedures are supposed to define static local variables: these variables are not supposed to be constants, and their values are supposed to persist until the script has finished executing. However, in JvInterpreter, Const directives in functions and procedures just define ordinary local variables, whose values will be lost the instant the function or procedure finishes executing. Among other things, this means you can't use getters with static variables to work around the issues with global variables.
• The scripting environment will not throw errors upon encountering the interface or implementation keywords, but it also does not honor them: definitions within the implementation will be available to a file's users. It appears that these keywords are purely semantic.
  • JvInterpreter may encounter parser errors if it finds a forward-declared function or procedure, owing to the lack of Begin and End keywords.
  • JvInterpreter does not throw errors if you redefine a function within the same file, even if the redefinition changes that function's signature. Sometimes, it uses the last definition; other times, however, it uses the first definition.
• JvInterpreter doesn't throw errors if multiple files use the same unit name, but having multiple files use the same unit name will break the parser. Errors like "Error in unit 'UnitName' on line 42: 'begin' expected but 'x' found", where "x" is the middle of another keyword, a variable name, or even a string, are common in this situation.
• JvInterpreter does not short-circuit conditions such as If Assigned(myList) And (myList.IndexOf('Test')) Then; even if the first clause fails, the second will still execute (and end up throwing an exception). You need to nest the conditions: If A Then If B Then C;.
  • A simpler example: If (myInt = 0) Or (otherInt Mod myInt = 0) will yield a divide-by-zero error.
• Be careful when refactoring your code. If you move functions between units, JvInterpreter will not handle this sanely; calling the function on the old unit (i.e. WrongUnit.SomeFunction;) is likely to cause a memory access violation without any intelligible explanation.

xEdit extensions to JvInterpreter

xEdit extends units (standard libraries) provided by JvInterpreter with the following keywords. Note that since these are automatically included in your script, you can reference them directly and unprefixed (i.e. Pred instead of System.Pred).

• Controls
  • akLeft
  • akRight
  • akTop
  • akBottom
• FileCtrl
  • function SelectDirectory
• Forms
  • pmAuto
  • pmExplicit
  • pmNone
  • poMainFormCenter
• Math [xEdit doesn't offer the module itself; only these functions are provided]
  • function Ceil
  • function Floor
  • function IntPower
  • function Max (note: this casts its arguments to integers before comparing them)
  • function Min (note: this casts its arguments to integers before comparing them)
  • function Power
• Menus
  • maAutomatic
  • maManual
• ShellApi
  • function ShellExecute
  • function ShellExecuteWait
• System
  • function StringOfChar
  • MaxInt
  • MinInt
• SysUtils
  • function Dec
  • function DirectoryExists
  • function ExcludeTrailingBackslash
  • function FileExists
  • function ForceDirectories
  • function Frac
  • function Inc
  • function IncludeTrailingBackslash
  • function Int
  • function IntToHex64
  • function Pred
  • function SameText
  • function StringReplace
  • function StrToInt64
  • function StrToInt64Def
  • function StrToFloatDef
  • function Succ
  • LowInteger
  • HighInteger
  • cbChecked
  • cbGrayed
  • cbUnchecked
  • fmCreate
  • lpAbove
  • lpBelow
  • lpLeft
  • lpRight
  • rfReplaceAll
  • rfIgnoreCase
• Windows
  • function CopyFile
  • function CreateProcessWait
  • function Sleep
  • SW_HIDE
  • SW_MAXIMIZE
  • SW_MINIMIZE
  • SW_RESTORE
  • SW_SHOW
  • SW_SHOWDEFAULT
  • SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED
  • SW_SHOWMINIMIZED
  • SW_SHOWMINNOACTIVE
  • SW_SHOWNA
  • SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE
  • SW_SHOWNORMAL

The following classes are also extended (or simply offered, if JvInterpreter didn't already offer them):

• TBinaryReader
  • get Create
  • get Read
  • get ReadBoolean
  • get ReadByte
  • get ReadBytes
  • get ReadChar
  • get ReadDouble
  • get ReadShortInt
  • get ReadSmallInt
  • get ReadUInt16
  • get ReadUInt32
  • get ReadInteger
  • get ReadSingle
  • get ReadString
• TBinaryWriter
  • get Create
  • get Write
  • get WriteSingle
• TBitmap
  • get SetSize
• TBoundLabel
• TBytesStream
  • get Create
• TCheckListBox
  • get Create
  • get CheckAll
  • get/set AllowGrayed
  • get/set Checked
  • get/set Header
  • get/set ItemEnabled
  • get/set State
  • event TNotifyEvent
• TComboBox
  • get/set DropDownCount
• TCustomForm
  • get/set PopupMode
  • get/set PopupParent
• TCustomIniFile
  • get DeleteKey
  • get EraseSection
  • get ReadBool
  • get ReadFloat
  • get ReadInteger
  • get ReadSection
  • get ReadSections
  • get ReadSectionValues
  • get ReadString
  • get SectionExists
  • get UpdateFile
  • get ValueExists
  • get WriteBool
  • get WriteFloat
  • get WriteInteger
  • get WriteString
• TCustomLabeledEdit
  • get Create
  • get EditLabel
  • get/set LabelPosition
  • get/set LabelSpacing
• THashedStringList
  • get Create
• TLabeledEdit
  • get Create
• TListItem
  • get/set SubItems
• TListItems
  • set Count
• TListView
  • event TLVOwnerDataEvent
  • event TLVSelectItemEvent
• TIniFile
  • get Create
• TMemIniFile
  • get Create
  • get GetStrings
  • get SetStrings
• TMenu
  • get/set AutoHotKeys
• TMenuItem
  • get Clear
• TPerlRegex
  • get Compile
  • get Compiled
  • get ComputeReplacement
  • get Create
  • get EscapeRegexChars
  • get FoundMatch
  • get GroupCount
  • get GroupLengths
  • get GroupOffsets
  • get Match
  • get MatchAgain
  • get MatchedLength
  • get MatchedOffset
  • get MatchedText
  • get NamedGroup
  • get/set Options
  • get/set Regex
  • get Replace
  • get ReplaceAll
  • get/set Replacement
  • get Split
  • get SplitCapture
  • get/set Start
  • get/set Stop
  • get StoreGroups
  • get Studied
  • get Study
  • get/set Subject
  • get SubjectLeft
  • get SubjectRight
• TPerlRegexOptions
  • const preAnchored
  • const preCaseLess
  • const preExtended
  • const preMultiLine
  • const preNoAutoCapture
  • const preNotBOL
  • const preNotEmpty
  • const preNotEOL
  • const preSingleLine
  • const preUnGreedy
• TRegistryIniFile
  • get Create
• TStrings
  • get/set DelimitedText
  • get/set Delimiter
  • set NameValueSeparator
  • set StrictDelimiter
  • get/set ValueFromIndex
• TStringList
  • get/set CaseSensitive
• TWinControl
  • get/set DoubleBuffered

Unsupported language features

Feature	Details
anonymous methods	Refer to the Embarcadero documentation.
array arguments	A function cannot accept an argument with a type like array of integer.
function overloading	Allows the same function to have multiple sets of arguments.
object types	The object keyword isn't implemented.
out parameters	Out parameters always receive default values, such as false for a boolean. Use var parameters instead.
procedural types	Refer to the Embarcadero documentation.
structured types	Refer to the Embarcadero documentation.
subclasses	The constructor keyword isn't implemented. Subclasses without a constructor can be defined, but attempts to instantiate them (MyClass.Create) will always break.
try	Doesn't catch all runtime errors.

Unsupported operators

Operator	Description
&	Prefix; suppresses parsing of a keyword (e.g. &For is a variable named "For").
@	Prefix; retrieves the address of a variable for use as a pointer; compare to & in C++.
^	Dereferences a pointer; compare to * in C++.
<<	Used for bit shifting, but returns a junk result in xEdit. Use Shl instead.
>>	Used for bit shifting, but returns a junk result in xEdit. Use Shr instead.

Unsupported keywords

Keyword	Description
absolute	Allows two or more variables to occupy the same location in memory.
as	Used to cast a variable to a given class.
constructor	Used to declare a constructor function for subclasses; absence of this keyword makes subclasses impossible to use.
in	Used in expressions like myChar in ['a','b']. It's either entirely broken or it only works in other situations.
is	Used to test whether a variable is an instance of a given class; for anything derived from TObject, you can use the ClassName method instead.
object	Used to create object types.
type	Partial implementation. You can use it to alias a class name, but it's broken for every single other use and its existence is therefore pointless.
with	Statement.

Unsupported classes and tools

Feature	Description
Variant support routines	Makes it easier to identify a variant's current type, and cast variants. Relevant type keywords like varInteger are also missing.
Move	This function is supposed to copy data from one memory location to another. Instead, it either throws an error, or fails silently and nulls out the target location.

Additional TES5Edit Resources

• TES5Edit
• TES5Edit Cleaning Guide
• TES5Edit Mod Cleaning Tutorial
• Fixing Navmesh Deletion Tutorial
• Skyrim Dirty Plugins List
• Official Elderscrolls TES5Edit forum topic