Extend FileObject to support writing SimObjects

While SimObjects all have their own .save methods that will write them out to a file, there is no current functionality that allows you to have a file opened for write and to dump a SimObjects script representation into that file stream. This small resource will allow you to do this.

For this resource we will be modifying two files

Core/fileObject.cc

and

Core/fileObject.h

First we need to open up fileObject.h and around line 37 you'll want to add this function prototype.

Core/fileObject.h

void writeObject( SimObject* object );

Next we need to add this function as well as it's ConsoleMethod counterpart into fileObject.cc. So open up your fileObject.cc and let's just drop this in at the very bottom of the file for simplicity's sake.

Core/fileObject.cc

ConsoleMethod( FileObject, writeObject, void, 3, 3, "FileObject.write(SimObject)" )
{
   SimObject* obj = Sim::findObject( argv[2] );
   if( !obj )
   {
      Con::printf("FileObject::writeObject - Invalid Object!");
      return;
   }
   object->writeObject( obj );
}

void FileObject::writeObject( SimObject* object )
{
   object->write( stream, 0 );
}

That is it and you should be good to go!

I hope some of you find this as useful as I have. Below to illustrate it's use, I have included a small script snippit.

// Create File Object.
   %file = new FileObject();
   // Open The File
   %file.openForWrite( ExpandFilename(%filename) );
   // Write Header.
   %file.writeLine( $ObjectFileHeader );
   // Write Datablock Header
   %file.writeLine( $ObjectDataBlockHeader );
   // Write Datablock
   %file.writeObject( $editObject.config );

Note that $editObject.config is a pointer to the objects datablock which is subsequently written to the open file stream!

-justin'