Suggestion: Definable User Data in XML files.

[Van]

I don't know if this is possible or not in the current release. I was looking through the API and I didn't see anything that could do this.

It would be nice to be able to define user data in the layout files. We are attepting to use the NAME of the widget to store information but that is becoming extremely difficult as the system becomes more complex. And when dealing with Non-Techies, its very difficult for them to understand the extreme importance in getting the name of the the widiget correct and in the correct order. To simplify mine and their lives, here is what I think would be nice.

It would be nice to have the ability to set user data in the XML file using a KEY/VALUE pair. Here is an example:

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<Window Type="TaharezLook/Button" Name="FileDialog/OK">
<Property Name="AbsoluteRect" Value="l:12.000000 t:657.000000 r:115.000000 b:695.000000" />
<Property Name="RelativeRect" Value="l:0.011953 t:0.855052 r:0.111953 b:0.905052" />
<Property Name="Text" Value="OK" />
<Property Name="Visible" Value="True" />

<Property Name="KeyValue" KeyName="MyKeyName1" KeyData="MyKeyData1" />
<Property Name="KeyValue" KeyName="MyKeyName2" KeyData="MyKeyData2" />
<Property Name="KeyValue" KeyName="MyKeyName3" KeyData="MyKeyData3" />

</Window>


Note the KeyValue (call it anything you want, this is just an example). When CEGUI reads this in, it stores this information as a KEY/VALUE pair and the user will use an Interator or something to get this data. I would think the KEY/VALUE is stored at the CEGUI::Window level so that all widgets can have their own data.

Why do this? Well, it could make designing menus and screens alot more flexible and dynamic. You can bind user data and events to widgets and use a more univeral code. And it makes it easier for non-techies to edit the XML file too.

Anyway, just a suggestion.

[CrazyEddie]

It's not possible in the current release, though it will be possible to do something similar in 0.4.0 via some things that were put in for the "Falagard" extensions.

Basically, in the look'n'feel XML skin files you can add new properties to a window type and later access those new properties from layout XML and code.

[Van]

I'm not sure that your implementation will do what I would like.

For example, if the widget is a BUTTON and we want to assign a hotkey to the button, it would be nice to say something like this:

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<Property Name="KeyValue" KeyName="Hotkey" KeyData="G" />


or what about this:

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<Property Name="KeyValue" KeyName="DBLCLICK" KeyData="myEventName" />


There is a million things you could do with such a simple key/value pair.

Right now, the library is very rigid. Everything has to revolve around the widget name.

[CrazyEddie]

As I already said, the new abilities allow you to specify new properties via XML. This is put into the looknfeel file that defines the widget specifics.

Using your examples, new property definitions would be placed in the xml looknfeel for a button type, which looks like this:

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<PropertyDefinition name="HotKey" />

and this:

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<PropertyDefinition name="DBLCLICK" />

Then from within the XML layout, you use the new properties as you would any other:

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<Property Name="HotKey" Value="G" />
<Property Name="DBLCLICK" Value="myEventName" />

The system also allows you to set defaults for the new properties:

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<PropertyDefinition name="ReadOnlyBGColour" initialValue="FFDFDFDF" />

Since these are 'real' properties (although dynamically created), and not some cheap hack, they work in all instances other 'normal' properties do, and even get written out to XML layouts using the new XML writing abilities. Hardly what I'd call "very rigid" - maybe next time you should actually look at the new abilities before criticising.

[Van]

Ah, OK. yes, that is what I want. I either mis-read your post or I didn't understand. Probably too much

Yes, that will work great. I look forward to its release.