GDNativeLibrary

GDNativeLibrary is a Godot Engine feature that allows developers to extend the engine's functionality using external libraries written in languages other than GDScript, such as C, C++, or Rust. It provides a way to integrate pre-compiled code directly into a Godot project, enabling performance-critical operations, access to system-level APIs, or the use of existing codebases.

The primary mechanism behind GDNativeLibrary is the NativeScript API. NativeScript acts as a bridge, allowing code written in supported languages to interact with Godot's core classes and objects. This involves defining custom classes that inherit from Godot's built-in types, and then exposing these classes and their methods to the Godot environment.

To use GDNativeLibrary, developers typically create a shared library file (e.g., a `.dll` on Windows, `.so` on Linux, or `.dylib` on macOS) containing their custom code. This library is then referenced within a Godot project, usually through a `.gdnlib` file. This file specifies the paths to the native library for different platforms and architectures. Within the Godot editor, developers can then instantiate objects of their custom native classes just as they would with GDScript or C#.

Benefits of using GDNativeLibrary include improved performance for computationally intensive tasks, the ability to leverage existing libraries written in other languages, and greater control over low-level operations. However, it also introduces complexities related to compilation, platform compatibility, and debugging, requiring a deeper understanding of both Godot's internals and the chosen native language.