Inspired by Death-droids' article, which can be found here, about how to remember GML functions I decided to write a little bit about how to find them.

I have used Game Maker for so many years, that I now know most of the functions in my head. In the first versions of Game Maker you did not have a list of the functions in the code editor, so you woulc have to look it up in the manual, memorize it and then change back the code editor and type it in. This was good because you learned faster than you do today, but it also took more time to find the functions since those first manuals didn't either have the functions in their index. You would have to know which topic to look in.

This article will kind of teach you topics, where to look for what functions and you will find them very fast, by using the built-in function lister.

Example: I want to check if a certain place is free from instances. I think about it and realize i want to check if place_free, and that would be the name of the function. And it is. So whenever you want to know something about a place, you always just write place_ in your code editor and browse through the options. Here follows a list of things to write to find some useful functions:

background_ manipulate backgrounds
cd_ cd-player option
collision_ collision checking
d3d_ 3D options
date_ date functions
display_ info about the display (monitor)
draw_ drawing functions
ds_ data structures
file_ file functions
image_ manipulate images
ini_ functions for .ini files
keyboard_ info about keyboard status
message_ pop-up messages
mp_ motion planning
mplay_ online functions
object_ info about objects
part_ particles
room_ room options
show_ pop-ups
sprite_ sprite options
surface_ dealing with surfaces
tile_ dealing with tiles
timelines_ dealing with timelines
window_ window settings

By knowing these you can fin almost any function. Fast. And then you can move on and learn other prefixes, such as fa_ which means font_align and ev_ which means event. And you suddenly know half of each function without having taken a look at it. Great isn't it.