Data Descriptions

Template:Otherlang2 Data description tables contain metadata. They have many uses, but the most important is to define what internal information about a class should be stored when the game is saved.

Note:The Preprocessor directive USES_SAVERESTORE may be required for data descriptions (and the save/restore system in general) to function. It is included by default.

Creation

A Datadesc table must be declared in the class with DECLARE_DATADESC():

class CMyClass : public CBaseEntity
{
	DECLARE_CLASS( CMyClass, CBaseEntity );
	DECLARE_DATADESC();

public:
	string_t m_iMyString;
	bool m_bMyBool;
};

Table elements are then declared between BEGIN_DATADESC and END_DATADESC, outside any functions:

BEGIN_DATADESC( CMyClass )

   DEFINE_FIELD( m_iMyString, FIELD_STRING ),
   DEFINE_FIELD( m_bMyBool, FIELD_BOOLEAN ),

END_DATADESC()

Note the absence of semicolons. The order of the elements does not matter as long as they are between BEGIN_DATADESC and END_DATADESC.

Warning:Take extra care to get your Datadesc syntax right. The compiler sees only the code behind the macros, so any errors it throws may not make much sense! Sometimes, they're not even real errors!

Example

For npc_barnacle:

BEGIN_DATADESC( CNPC_Barnacle )

	DEFINE_FIELD( m_flAltitude, FIELD_FLOAT ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_cGibs, FIELD_INTEGER ),// barnacle loads up on gibs each time it kills something.
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_bLiftingPrey, FIELD_BOOLEAN ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_bSwallowingPrey, FIELD_BOOLEAN ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_flDigestFinish, FIELD_TIME ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_bPlayedPullSound, FIELD_BOOLEAN ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_bPlayerWasStanding, FIELD_BOOLEAN ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_flVictimHeight, FIELD_FLOAT ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_iGrabbedBoneIndex, FIELD_INTEGER ),

	DEFINE_FIELD( m_vecRoot, FIELD_POSITION_VECTOR ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_vecTip, FIELD_POSITION_VECTOR ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_hTongueRoot, FIELD_EHANDLE ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_hTongueTip, FIELD_EHANDLE ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_hRagdoll, FIELD_EHANDLE ),
	DEFINE_AUTO_ARRAY( m_pRagdollBones, FIELD_MATRIX3X4_WORLDSPACE ),
	DEFINE_PHYSPTR( m_pConstraint ),
	DEFINE_KEYFIELD( m_flRestUnitsAboveGround, FIELD_FLOAT, "RestDist" ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_nSpitAttachment, FIELD_INTEGER ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_hLastSpitEnemy, FIELD_EHANDLE ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_nShakeCount, FIELD_INTEGER ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_flNextBloodTime, FIELD_TIME ),
#ifndef _XBOX
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_nBloodColor, FIELD_INTEGER ),
#endif
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_vecBloodPos, FIELD_POSITION_VECTOR ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_flBarnaclePullSpeed, FIELD_FLOAT ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_flLocalTimer, FIELD_TIME ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_vLastEnemyPos, FIELD_POSITION_VECTOR ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_flLastPull, FIELD_FLOAT ),
	DEFINE_EMBEDDED( m_StuckTimer ),

	DEFINE_INPUTFUNC( FIELD_VOID, "DropTongue", InputDropTongue ),
	DEFINE_INPUTFUNC( FIELD_INTEGER, "SetDropTongueSpeed", InputSetDropTongueSpeed ),

#ifdef HL2_EPISODIC
	DEFINE_INPUTFUNC( FIELD_VOID, "LetGo", InputLetGo ),
	DEFINE_OUTPUT( m_OnGrab,     "OnGrab" ),
	DEFINE_OUTPUT( m_OnRelease, "OnRelease" ),
#endif

	// Function pointers
	DEFINE_THINKFUNC( BarnacleThink ),
	DEFINE_THINKFUNC( WaitTillDead ),

	DEFINE_FIELD( m_bSwallowingBomb, FIELD_BOOLEAN ),

END_DATADESC()

Elements

Most elements in a Datadesc involve member variables and function names. Empty lines between elements have no effect. It is possible to use array elements and even the variables of an embedded class in a Datadesc:

BEGIN_DATADESC( CMyClass )

	DEFINE_KEYFIELD( m_iszParams[0], FIELD_STRING, "param0" ),
	DEFINE_KEYFIELD( m_iszParams[1], FIELD_STRING, "param1" ),
	DEFINE_KEYFIELD( m_iszParams[2], FIELD_STRING, "param2" ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_iszParams[3], FIELD_STRING ),

	DEFINE_FIELD( m_MyEmbedded.embeddedstring, FIELD_STRING ),
	DEFINE_KEYFIELD( m_MyEmbedded.embeddedfloat, FIELD_FLOAT, "EmbeddedFloat" ),

END_DATADESC()

You could also use a single variable in more than one element:

BEGIN_DATADESC( CMyClass )

	DEFINE_KEYFIELD( m_flRange, FIELD_FLOAT, "range" ),
	DEFINE_KEYFIELD( m_flRange, FIELD_FLOAT, "distance" ),
	DEFINE_KEYFIELD( m_flRange, FIELD_FLOAT, "MyRange" ),

	DEFINE_INPUTFUNC( FIELD_VOID, "MyInput", InputMyInput ),
	DEFINE_INPUTFUNC( FIELD_VOID, "DoMyInput", InputMyInput ),

	DEFINE_OUTPUT( m_OnMyInput, "OnMyInput" ),
	DEFINE_OUTPUT( m_OnMyInput, "OnInput" ),

END_DATADESC()

It is not known if this creates unnecessary data in save/restore.

DEFINE_FIELD

Tells the engine to store a variable in saved games.

DEFINE_FIELD( variable, field_type )

The available field types are:

FIELD_VOID

No type or value (used for function parameters)

FIELD_FLOAT

Any floating point value

FIELD_STRING

A string_t. Cannot use char or any other form of text. (return from ALLOC_STRING)

FIELD_VECTOR

Any vector, QAngle, or AngularImpulse

FIELD_QUATERNION

A quaternion value

FIELD_INTEGER

Any integer or enum value

FIELD_BOOLEAN

Boolean value (represented as an integer)

FIELD_SHORT

2 byte integer, or short

FIELD_CHARACTER

One byte

FIELD_COLOR32

8-bit per channel [R,G,B,A] (32-bit color)

FIELD_EMBEDDED

An embedded object with a data description, recursively traverse and embedded | class/structure based on an additional type description (Use DEFINE_EMBEDDED instead)

FIELD_CUSTOM

A special type that contains function pointers to its read/write/parse functions (Use DEFINE_CUSTOM_FIELD instead)

FIELD_CLASSPTR

CBaseEntity pointer

FIELD_EHANDLE

CHandle or EHANDLE

FIELD_EDICT

edict_t pointer

FIELD_POSITION_VECTOR

A world coordinate value, which is fixed up across level-transitions automatically

FIELD_TIME

A floating point time value, which is fixed up across level-transitions automatically

FIELD_TICK

An integer tick count, which is fixed up similarly to FIELD_TIME

FIELD_MODELNAME

Engine string that is a model name (Must be precached)

FIELD_SOUNDNAME

Engine string that is a sound name (Must be precached)

FIELD_INPUT

A list of inputted data fields, all derived from CMultiInputVar

FIELD_FUNCTION

A class function pointer (Think, Use, etc.)

FIELD_VMATRIX

A VMatrix

Note:Output coordinates are NOT worldspace

FIELD_VMATRIX_WORLDSPACE

A VMatrix that maps some localspace to worldspace (translation is fixed up on level-transitions)

FIELD_MATRIX3X4_WORLDSPACE

matrix3x4_t that maps some localspace to worldspace (translation is fixed up on level-transitions)

FIELD_INTERVAL

A start and range floating point interval ( e.g., 3.2->3.6 == 3.2 and 0.4 )

FIELD_MODELINDEX

A model index

FIELD_MATERIALINDEX

A material index (using the material precache string table)

DEFINE_KEYFIELD and DEFINE_KEYFIELD_NOT_SAVED

Both link a variable to a FGD keyvalue, allowing it to be configured by mappers in Hammer (i.e. read from the entity lump). Depending on which you use, the value will or will not be embedded in saved games. Arguments are the same in either case:

DEFINE_KEYFIELD( variable, field_type, "HammerName" )

Note:HammerName is case insensitive.

Tip:To get an entity from Hammer, define a char* and FIELD_STRING, then use gEntList.FindEntityByName() in Spawn() to get a pointer.

DEFINE_CUSTOM_FIELD and DEFINE_CUSTOM_KEYFIELD

Allows custom interpretation of a variable with regards to how it is saved and restored. By passing in the reference to a handler class, the user is able to handle serialization of the data entirely.

The handler class must descend from the CClassPtrSaveRestoreOps class; it uses the Save() and Restore() functions for serialization.

For more information, see uses of CClassPtrSaveRestoreOps within the code base.

DEFINE_OUTPUT

Links an output event to a named identifier used by Hammer.

DEFINE_OUTPUT( COutputEvent, "HammerOutputName")

DEFINE_INPUTFUNC

This macro is used to link named inputs from Hammer to functions in the engine. This also defines the type of parameter being passed in to the function from the Entity I/O system. The macro is defined as:

DEFINE_INPUTFUNC( parameterType, "inputName", InputFunction )

The parameterType can be any of the following FIELD_ types:

• FIELD_VOID
• FIELD_INTEGER
• FIELD_VECTOR
• FIELD_CHARACTER
• FIELD_SHORT
• FIELD_FLOAT
• FIELD_STRING
• FIELD_VECTOR
• FIELD_POSITION_VECTOR
• FIELD_COLOR32
• FIELD_BOOLEAN
• FIELD_EHANDLE
• FIELD_CLASSPTR

DEFINE_INPUT

This macro is a combination of DEFINE_INPUTFUNC and DEFINE_KEYFIELD. It creates both a keyvalue and an input with the specified name. The input sets the linked variable to whatever parameter is passed through. This bypasses the need to create an input function whose sole purpose is to set a data member to a passed value. The macro is declared as:

DEFINE_INPUT( variableName, variableType, "keyvalue_and_input_name" )

DEFINE_ARRAY and DEFINE_AUTO_ARRAY

As their names suggest, these macros deal with saving and restoring array values. The number of elements in the array must be declared when using DEFINE_ARRAY, whereas DEFINE_AUTO_ARRAY will cause the code to automatically determine the size of the array at compile time. Arrays can also be saved individually, but this is usually only useful when you need to link them to keyvalues.

The macros are declared as:

DEFINE_ARRAY( variable, variableType, numElements )

DEFINE_AUTO_ARRAY( variable, variableType )

DEFINE_THINKFUNC

Entities with a custom think function must declare it:

DEFINE_THINKFUNC( MyThink )

Think functions must be void.

DEFINE_ENTITYFUNC

Entities using a custom touch function must declare that function via this macro declaration.

Touch functions must be of the type:

typedef void (CBaseEntity::*ENTITYFUNCPTR)(CBaseEntity *pOther );

DEFINE_USEFUNC

Entities using a custom use function must declare that function via this macro declaration.

Use functions must be of the type:

typedef void (*UseFunc)(
	CBaseEntity *pActivator,
	CBaseEntity *pCaller,
	USE_TYPE useType,
	float value
);

Others

Some variable types are independent from the common fields and must use specific macros to work correctly:

• dlls\simtimer.h
  • DEFINE_SIMTIMER - Defines a SimTimer
• game_shared\physics_saverestore.h
  • DEFINE_PHYSPTR - Defines a physics pointer
  • DEFINE_PHYSPTR_ARRAY - Defines a physics pointer array
• game_shared\saverestore_bitstring.h
  • DEFINE_BITSTRING - Defines a CBitStringT, CBitString, or CFixedBitString
• game_shared\saverestore_utlmap.h
  • DEFINE_UTLMAP - Defines a CUtlMap
• game_shared\saverestore_utlrbtree.h
  • DEFINE_UTLRBTREE - Defines a CUtlRBTree
• game_shared\saverestore_utlvector.h
  • DEFINE_UTLVECTOR - Defines a CUtlVector
• game_shared\soundenvelope.h
  • DEFINE_SOUNDPATCH - Defines a CSoundPatch
• public\saverestore.h
  • DEFINE_ENTITY_FIELD
  • DEFINE_ENTITY_GLOBAL_FIELD
  • DEFINE_GLOBAL_FIELD
  • DEFINE_GLOBAL_KEYFIELD
  • DEFINE_AUTO_ARRAY2D
  • DEFINE_EMBEDDED_OVERRIDE
  • DEFINE_EMBEDDEDBYREF
  • DEFINE_EMBEDDED_ARRAY
  • DEFINE_EMBEDDED_AUTO_ARRAY
  • DEFINE_PRED_TYPEDESCRIPTION
  • DEFINE_PRED_TYPEDESCRIPTION_PTR
  • DEFINE_PRED_FIELD
  • DEFINE_PRED_ARRAY
  • DEFINE_FIELD_NAME
  • DEFINE_PRED_FIELD_TOL
  • DEFINE_PRED_ARRAY_TOL
  • DEFINE_FIELD_NAME_TOL
• public\stdstring.h
  • DEFINE_STDSTRING - Defines a std::string.