project files for topdown, common parsing function and format

**Michael Hartlef** · 02-05-2007, 07:06

Sure Kent, I will try to come up with something over the next days.

**kryton9** · 02-05-2007, 09:48

Thanks Mike.

**kryton9** · 03-05-2007, 07:27

OH MY, oh my... I might have found the perfect solution for support files. It does support files the way Petr originally wanted, is totally flexible and as simple as can be. I came upon it in working on Remmer tonight. I decided to add one more feature to this version and came upon this really cool class for creating ini files. It is sooooo coool.

If you guys are interested, it would be easy enough to make it a module for thinBasic. Look it over, tell me what you think.
Go to your Turbo Delphi Help, set your filter for Delphi and do a seach on this:
tIniFile

Look at the "Using TIniFile and TMemIniFile" section. As you can see they have 2 very powerful methods.

Here is a page with a great explanation and working sample:
http://delphi.about.com/od/objectpas.../aa120401a.htm

This is the best of all worlds if you ask me. Amazing!!

**Petr Schreiber** · 03-05-2007, 07:58

kryton,

we know Eros is not from Earth, but did you know he is also able to travel in time ?
This is why "INI" module already exists in thinBASIC although you requested it now

INI_GetKey
INI_SetKey
INI_GetSectionsList
INI_GetSectionKeysList

INI files are quite interesting, and lot of people is used to ... use them

. Maybe it could really be the solution!

Bye,
Petr

**kryton9** · 03-05-2007, 09:19

That is amazing Petr, well there we go, that is the solution I think.

Eros we need videos tutorials of you showing us all this unknown power in this wondeful langage of yours!!

I am glad Petr knew about this, as other features he points out that I don't know about.

Thanks again Petr for knowing about that!!

**ErosOlmi** · 03-05-2007, 10:09

Ken,

I do my best to keep an help file updated. Many times reading help file in not first option for many people (me included) because it takes a lot of time most of which dedicated to understand how help is organized (every help file has its own organization style). But, believe me, it takes more time to write help file than developing new functionalities.

Regarding INI file, thinBasic has a specific INI module that is quite fast in execution so even big INI files can be handled quite easily and quickly. So far we have developed the following functions but more can be added if needed:

INI_GetKey
INI_SetKey
INI_GetSectionsList
INI_GetSectionKeysList

We like INI files for storing application parameters. XML files are also good but I personally prefer INI because they are easy to handle and to understand if key names are well written.

Let me know.
Eros

**kryton9** · 03-05-2007, 10:19

Thanks Eros, this is going to be great to use!!

**kryton9** · 12-05-2007, 07:30

I guess with the ini file. We can just add sections to it to allow new features to come into the program, game etc.

I am thinking that each project(scene) will have its own ini file. A level might have more than one scene, probably numerous scenes.
So perhaps we could do something like this?

Game Ini
the sections contain the Level Ini's used.
the level ini's have the scene ini's used to make the levels
the scene ini's have everything that makes that scene

I don't know where the triggers for the game would go? I am sure I am missing some other things, but wanted to get the ball rolling on this thought thread too