= Migrating from HScript =

The following tips may be helpful when moving from Hscript to Python:

- See the "replaced by" sections in the Hscript command and expression help
  to find the equivalent functionality in the `hou` module.

- If a desired `hou` module function or method is not yet implemented, you can
  find the Hscript equivalent in the "replaces" section of the `hou` module
  help.  You can call Hscript commands with [Hom:hou.hscript], run
  expressions with [Hom:hou.hscriptExpression], and evaluate Houdini variables
  with [Hom:hscriptExpandString].
  
- Take advantage of the language features that Python has over Hscript.
  Instead of cd'ing around like you would in Hscript, use variables to store
  [Hom:hou.Node] objects and and operate on those nodes.  Write Python
  functions to reduce the amount of code you write.
  
- If the `hou` module functions, methods, or classes are too verbose, create
  your own aliases.  For example, you could write the following:
      
  {{{
  #!pycon
  >>> n = hou.node
  >>> hou.Node.p = hou.Node.parm
  >>> n("/obj/geo1")
  <hou.ObjNode of type geo at /obj/geo1>
  >>> n("/obj/geo1").p("tx")
  <hou.Parm tx in /obj/geo1>
  }}}