@mcal9909 Wow. I just had an "aha" moment.
I was under the mistaken impression that hash was a variable waiting to be filled!

int day = Function.Call<int>(Hash.GET_CLOCK_DAY_OF_WEEK);
var mystring = day.ToString();
UI.ShowSubtitle(mystring);

This returned 5 as a string for today, Thursday, yet 5 is for Friday?

I don't follow your DayGTA - it won't compile. But more importantly how would you go from a Native such as GET_CLOCK_DAY_OF_WEEK to a GTA method or function?

Thanks for your help and dialog.

@mcal9909 Thanks so much for your help and examples. Starting to see the light.
I am confused however on Hash vs Handle.

If I "map" the get native function vs the C# Method:
Hash.IS_ENTITY_VISIBLE, Handle -------vs -------- if(IsVisible(ped.Handle))

Am I right to assume Hash = entity ped and Handle = Variable to identify spawned ped?
for example, pseudo code:
set => Function.Call(Ped.SET_ENTITY_VISIBLE, Var MyPed_Michael, True);
Is this correct?

And if that's right, isn't there confusion in that we also you hash for the name of the ped (pedhash.Michael)?

@mcal9909 Thanks again for both links.
The documentation is still a puzzle for me. For example I was able, with help on these forums, to make a prop visible.
In C# it's as simple as myProp.IsVisible = true;
However, based on the documentation, how would I get to the statement above, when the docs only provide this:

public bool IsVisible
{
get => Function.Call<bool>(Hash.IS_ENTITY_VISIBLE, Handle);
set => Function.Call(Hash.SET_ENTITY_VISIBLE, Handle, value);
}

I can see it's a boolean so it will be true or false, but that's quite different from myProp.IsVisble = true, at least for a non-programmer like myself.
That's a relatively easy one, of course, but the challenge for me will be how to change the outfit or textures on a model.
I have no idea how I'm going to get there.

@mcal9909 I understand your point and thank you. However my requirements are fairly simple. I'll make an analogy with learning a second language, say Spanish.

One component is the grammar (syntax etc). Another would be vocabulary (among many others) which could be likened to the object model.

With C# I'm lost for both grammar and vocabulary. With VB I'm just lost with the vocabulary. So for me that's the win.

In practical terms, the code is essentially the same. Where I no longer struggle is in declaring variables that might be global or public.

I'm still very much struggling with lack of proper examples. For example, how Vector 3 parameters can mean pitch, yaw, roll for a prop and how they mean radius and speed for a vehicle. That's my biggest obstacle now - losing so much time doing things by trial and error - but progressing.

I'm including a snipped of the code i'm writing now and you will see how any C# programmer would have no issues understanding it.

If e.KeyCode = Keys.NumPad7 Then
MyPlayer = Game.Player.Character 'needed for relative coordinates only
'spawn car
CarSpawnLoc = MyPlayer.Position + (MyPlayer.ForwardVector * 4)
CarModel = "Baller"
MyCar = World.CreateVehicle(CarModel, CarSpawnLoc)
MyCar.PrimaryColor = VehicleColor.HunterGreen
MyCar.PlaceOnGround()
MyCar.NumberPlate = "STAFF"
End If

@Wetter42 Thanks!

After 2 or 3 weeks of getting absolutely nowhere with scripting, I really felt it was hopeless. Felt I had missed the party by about 5 years or more. Should've been here in 2015. To be honest I'm not passionate about modding, nor machinima. Just wanted to make some educational videos with this amazing sandbox, for myself and anybody else who wanted to share - to try an ease the pain of online learning during the pandemic.

So today I thought to myself, "you just don't get C#, let's try VB instead. One last shot and we'll call it quits". Well it started better but I had all kinds of inconsistencies and probably some caching/memory issues where even on restarting the game I would see residual spawns - go figure.

Then I would run the script several times and get different outcomes - can't even begin to explain that.

Finally I decided to break the script down into subroutines. That did it. Everything I wanted to do, spawn at absolute or relative coordinates, be a passenger in a car, and finally have the car driven by the AI according to absolute coordinates all gelled in about 3 hours of work. Contrast that with 3 or more weeks of getting nowhere with C#.

One challenge that frustrated me, as the player, was getting in the car. Hitting F resulted in a fight with the driver, so finally I realized i had to script the player's entry into the car as well as the driver and the front passenger, both AI. Originally I also scripted my exit but realized doing in manually (F key) gave me more flexibility to get out - ie. not at the same time as the passenger (which could have been done with a wait statement ofc).

Of course I learned a lot by just trial and error, but at last i feel i can now progress and get things done - and sure I know what i accomplished is very simple in the grand scheme.

So here is my first real script.

Was filming myself flying over city when it seemed chopper was catching on fire, so I bailed, but it seemed to follow me around. Very strange.

@grateful_for_mods This is great to know and I will add it to the thread I started regarding documentation. Cheers.