Difference between revisions of "File system"

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(mostly formatting :-))
 
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== File system ==
 
== File system ==
In Gideros runtime, there are 3 kinds of directories:
+
In Gideros runtime, there are now, 4 kinds of directories:
 
*'''resource directory'''
 
*'''resource directory'''
 
*'''document directory'''
 
*'''document directory'''
 
*'''temporary directory'''
 
*'''temporary directory'''
 +
*'''buffer directory'''
  
 
== Resource directory ==
 
== Resource directory ==
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The resource directory is the default directory. Therefore, to access the files you specify the file path as it is:
 
The resource directory is the default directory. Therefore, to access the files you specify the file path as it is:
<source lang="lua">
+
<syntaxhighlight lang="lua">
 
local sprite1 = Texture.new("gfx/sprite1.png")
 
local sprite1 = Texture.new("gfx/sprite1.png")
 
local sprite2 = Texture.new("gfx/sprite2.png")
 
local sprite2 = Texture.new("gfx/sprite2.png")
Line 32: Line 33:
 
local music = Sound.new("audio/game-music.mp3")
 
local music = Sound.new("audio/game-music.mp3")
 
local click = Sound.new("audio/click.wav")
 
local click = Sound.new("audio/click.wav")
</source>
+
</syntaxhighlight>
  
 
You can also use the io library provided by Lua:
 
You can also use the io library provided by Lua:
<source lang="lua">
+
<syntaxhighlight lang="lua">
 
io.read("data/list.txt")
 
io.read("data/list.txt")
</source>
+
</syntaxhighlight>
  
  
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You can access the files in the resource directory by adding "|R|" at the beginning of the file name, but you don't need to:
 
You can access the files in the resource directory by adding "|R|" at the beginning of the file name, but you don't need to:
<source lang="lua">
+
<syntaxhighlight lang="lua">
 
local sprite1 = Texture.new("|R|gfx/sprite1.png")
 
local sprite1 = Texture.new("|R|gfx/sprite1.png")
</source>
+
</syntaxhighlight>
  
 
== Document directory ==
 
== Document directory ==
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In order to specify a file in the document directory, append '''|D|''' to the beginning of the filename:
 
In order to specify a file in the document directory, append '''|D|''' to the beginning of the filename:
<source lang="lua">
+
<syntaxhighlight lang="lua">
 
io.write("|D|save.txt")
 
io.write("|D|save.txt")
</source>
+
</syntaxhighlight>
  
 
Here is an example of how you can copy a file from the resource directory to the document directory:
 
Here is an example of how you can copy a file from the resource directory to the document directory:
<source lang="lua">
+
<syntaxhighlight lang="lua">
 
--function to copy file
 
--function to copy file
 
local function copy(src, dst)
 
local function copy(src, dst)
Line 88: Line 89:
 
     copy("database.db", "|D|database.db")
 
     copy("database.db", "|D|database.db")
 
end
 
end
</source>
+
</syntaxhighlight>
  
 
== Temporary directory ==
 
== Temporary directory ==
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In order to specify a file in the temporary directory, append '''|T|''' to the beginning of the file name. Example:
 
In order to specify a file in the temporary directory, append '''|T|''' to the beginning of the file name. Example:
<source lang="lua">
+
<syntaxhighlight lang="lua">
 
io.write("|T|tempfile.txt")
 
io.write("|T|tempfile.txt")
</source>
+
</syntaxhighlight>
 
   
 
   
 
This storage may be used to display some temporary data, like in the following example, images downloaded from the internet:
 
This storage may be used to display some temporary data, like in the following example, images downloaded from the internet:
<source lang="lua">
+
<syntaxhighlight lang="lua">
 
--download completed
 
--download completed
 
local function onComplete(event)
 
local function onComplete(event)
Line 119: Line 120:
 
--add event listener
 
--add event listener
 
loader:addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, onComplete)
 
loader:addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, onComplete)
</source>
+
</syntaxhighlight>
 +
 
 +
== Buffer directory ==
 +
Gideros Studio now provides a '''buffer directory''' (see: [[Buffer]]) to store data into a file. The Buffer class acts as FIFO buffer with Gideros internal file system integration. Once created, buffer data can be accessed by internal gideros functions that normally use files, such as textures or sounds.
 +
 
 +
The buffer will be deleted after the application session finishes.
 +
 
 +
In order to specify a file in the buffer directory, append '''|B|''' to the beginning of the buffer name. Example:
 +
<syntaxhighlight lang="lua">
 +
io.append("|B|buffer.ext")
 +
</syntaxhighlight>
 +
 +
This storage may be used to create a '''''Shoutcast''''' stream. Please see Gideros example '''\Audio\Shoutcast Player'''.
  
 
== To sum up ==
 
== To sum up ==
 
Here is a list of possible file operations:
 
Here is a list of possible file operations:
<source lang="lua">
+
<syntaxhighlight lang="lua">
 
io.read("file.txt") -- open file.txt in the resource directory to read
 
io.read("file.txt") -- open file.txt in the resource directory to read
 
io.read("|R|file.txt") -- open file.txt in the resource directory to read (same as above)
 
io.read("|R|file.txt") -- open file.txt in the resource directory to read (same as above)
 
io.read("|D|file.txt") -- open file.txt in the document directory to read
 
io.read("|D|file.txt") -- open file.txt in the document directory to read
io.read("|T|file.txt") -- open file.txt in the temporary directory to read
+
io.get("|B|buffer.ext") -- gets the data from the buffer
</source>
+
</syntaxhighlight>
  
 
== File execution order ==
 
== File execution order ==
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'''PREV.''': [[Event system]]<br/>
 
'''PREV.''': [[Event system]]<br/>
 
'''NEXT''': [[Profiling]]
 
'''NEXT''': [[Profiling]]
 +
 +
 +
{{GIDEROS IMPORTANT LINKS}}

Latest revision as of 22:22, 18 November 2023

The Ultimate Guide to Gideros Studio

File system

In Gideros runtime, there are now, 4 kinds of directories:

  • resource directory
  • document directory
  • temporary directory
  • buffer directory

Resource directory

Your code, images, audios and all other files reside in the resource directory. Consider the test project below, and examine the 3 directories and corresponding files.

Resource directory.png

The files seen above are stored on a real device and Gideros Player like the following:

{resource directory}/gfx/sprite1.png
{resource directory}/gfx/sprite2.png
{resource directory}/gfx/background.png
{resource directory}/audio/game-music.mp3
{resource directory}/audio/click.wav
{resource directory}/data/list.txt
{resource directory}/main.lua
{resource directory}/game.lua

The resource directory is the default directory. Therefore, to access the files you specify the file path as it is:

local sprite1 = Texture.new("gfx/sprite1.png")
local sprite2 = Texture.new("gfx/sprite2.png")
local background = Texture.new("gfx/background.png")
local music = Sound.new("audio/game-music.mp3")
local click = Sound.new("audio/click.wav")

You can also use the io library provided by Lua:

io.read("data/list.txt")


Note: the resource directory is read-only and you should not try to write any files there


You can access the files in the resource directory by adding "|R|" at the beginning of the file name, but you don't need to:

local sprite1 = Texture.new("|R|gfx/sprite1.png")

Document directory

You can store a file created by your application in the document directory. The files created in this directory are permanent among application sessions. For example, you can create and then read files in the document directory to save player progress, or keep latest GPS coordinates, ...

In order to specify a file in the document directory, append |D| to the beginning of the filename:

io.write("|D|save.txt")

Here is an example of how you can copy a file from the resource directory to the document directory:

--function to copy file
local function copy(src, dst)
    local srcf = io.open(src, "rb")
    local dstf = io.open(dst, "wb")

    local size = 2^13    -- good buffer size (8K)
    while true do
        local block = srcf:read(size)
        if not block then break end
        dstf:write(block)
    end

    srcf:close()
    dstf:close()
end

--function to check if file exists
local function exists(file)
    local f = io.open(file, "rb")
    if f == nil then
        return false
    end
    f:close()
    return true
end

--usage
if not exists("|D|database.db") then
    copy("database.db", "|D|database.db")
end

Temporary directory

Gideros Studio provides a temporary directory to store files that may not stay permanent between different sessions. Therefore, files created in this directory are not guaranteed to exist when the application runs next time, and may be deleted after the application session finishes.

In order to specify a file in the temporary directory, append |T| to the beginning of the file name. Example:

io.write("|T|tempfile.txt")

This storage may be used to display some temporary data, like in the following example, images downloaded from the internet:

--download completed
local function onComplete(event)
	--store image in temporary folder
	local out = io.open("|T|image.png", "wb")
	out:write(event.data)
	out:close()

	--display it to user
	local b = Bitmap.new(Texture.new("|T|image.png"))
	b:setAnchorPoint(0.5, 0.5)
	b:setPosition(160, 240)
	stage:addChild(b)
end

--load image
local loader = UrlLoader.new("http://www.giderosmobile.com/giderosmobile.png")

--add event listener
loader:addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, onComplete)

Buffer directory

Gideros Studio now provides a buffer directory (see: Buffer) to store data into a file. The Buffer class acts as FIFO buffer with Gideros internal file system integration. Once created, buffer data can be accessed by internal gideros functions that normally use files, such as textures or sounds.

The buffer will be deleted after the application session finishes.

In order to specify a file in the buffer directory, append |B| to the beginning of the buffer name. Example:

io.append("|B|buffer.ext")

This storage may be used to create a Shoutcast stream. Please see Gideros example \Audio\Shoutcast Player.

To sum up

Here is a list of possible file operations:

io.read("file.txt") -- open file.txt in the resource directory to read
io.read("|R|file.txt") -- open file.txt in the resource directory to read (same as above)
io.read("|D|file.txt") -- open file.txt in the document directory to read
io.get("|B|buffer.ext") -- gets the data from the buffer

File execution order

By default Gideros executes all your project Lua files in the following order:

  • init.lua will always be executed first
  • then all the files in alphabetical order (upper case first, then lowercase), while resolving code dependencies
  • main.lua will always be executed last

Note: the rule about main.lua and init.lua only applies to top level files. If they are in sub directories, they lose their specificity.

strict.lua

strict.lua checks uses of undeclared global variables.

If strict.lua is executed, all global variables must be ‘declared’ through a regular assignment (even assigning nil will do) in a main chunk before being used anywhere or assigned to inside a function.

Although optional, it is a good habit to use it when developing Lua code.

For a detailed explanation of strict.lua, please refer to http://www.lua.org/pil/14.2.html

To execute strict.lua before all other Lua files, simply add strict.lua and init.lua to asset library and make strict.lua dependent to init.lua.

You can download strict.lua from File:Strict.lua that originally comes with the Lua distribution.


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