[fpc-pascal] Saving user created component structure to LFM file

[Martin Friebe]

Hi,

I may have found a way top solve my problem (saving a list of components 
from various places, not necesarely all nested in the top level 
component / See below)

The question now is, how forward-compatible is this ode. How much do I 
have to expect any of the current code to change in ways that would 
break my solution?

What I would do:
The outer container has no nested components of it's own. It seems I can 
hook into (override) TComponent.WriteState which is calling 
WriteComponentData (properties, then Children). Since no children are 
there, I can make my own calls to WriteComponent from there, supplying 
all the components, of all the helper objects.

On Read, I can Hook into ReadState. I can let the reader add them 
normally, and sort them out/once they have been read by the reader. I 
ReadState, I can also sort out to get rid of the default list of 
objects/components (since new ones are loaded).  This must be in 
ReadState, not in Loaded, because Loaded is called after, and I would 
run into trouble making the diff between the default, and reloaded objects)

The generated LFM file definitely looks like any LFM file (it has a 
component, with properties first then other nested Components)

Any ideas, if this is a bad idea (like in will break soon)?

Thanks Martin


Martin Friebe wrote:
> Hi, I have a problem saving a certain component struicture to an LFM
> (lazarus) file and read it back.
>
> since a good amount of code is in FPC, I am not sure which list to go to?
>
> There is classes/writer.inc with has TBinaryObjectWriter. This is where
> things go first.
> Then, later this gets translated into text. This translation seems to be
> stricter in terms of  what can be nested.
>
>
> Anyway the problem is, that if I want to save a component (that can be
> of different class/classes) then I can use WriteComponent. But only if I
> am in a Component that is itself written with WriteComponent.
>
> In the final LFM it seems a Component can only be nested in an other
> component. It does not seem to be possible to put it in:
> - Not in a subcomponent (because a subcomponent does not write it's
> class, but just the properties that are visible for the class given by
> the property
>     property Foo: TPanel read .. write ...
>  writes
>     Foo.Name = 'abc'
>     Foo.Top = 1
>     ...
> - Not in a TCollection, or at least I havent managed. Also again a
> TCollection is restricted to one classs for all Items
> - Not Using DefineProperties
>  All propwerties with define property are of the kind
>      Name = Value
>  I can add a list, but even inside the list I can not write a component
>
>
> What I want to archive is theFollowing. I have
>
> TMainComponent = class (foo)
>   property Options : TPersitentBar read  x write x;
> end
>
> If It has to be it can be a TComponent, with SubComponent in
> TComponentStyle.
> Problem 1)   Options is always created in the constructor, it can not be
> stored as a nested Component in the LFM. If it was, it would exist twice
> (once created in the constructor, and once loaded from the lfm)
>
> TPersitentBar should have a list of components, variable number, and
> different subclasses (could inherit from TPersistent, only Component if
> it makes it easier)
>
> How can I get this list saved into the lfm? Each item has a diff class,
> and diff properties, so they must saved via WriteComponent. (Which does
> not work for DefineProerties)
>
> And of course a default list of items is created in the constructor, so
> I need to detect if they are loaded, and remove the defaults.
>
> Any Idea?
>
> Example of the final structure (if only it was valid)
>
> object MainComp1 : TMainComponent
>      Options.AllowFoo = 1
>      Options.AllowABC = 2
>      object Options.SubOptionsForCars : TCarOptions
>          MAxCar = 4
>      end
>      object Options.SubOptionsForTrains : TTrainOptions
>          MAxTrain = 1
>      end
> end
>
>
> Best Regards
> Martin
>
>
>
>
>
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