Comments on: Data-Driven Design http://programmerjoe.com/2007/02/21/data-driven-design/ Whats with all the screaming? Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:45:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 By: Joe http://programmerjoe.com/2007/02/21/data-driven-design/#comment-697 Joe Mon, 05 Mar 2007 18:05:46 +0000 http://programmerjoe.com/2007/02/21/data-driven-design/#comment-697 That's fairly similar to what we're doing now. We have a text file that defines the enum values and then access them by name (read: string) in the code. We don't actually look them up in the code very often (or at all in some cases) so there isn't much of an efficiency hit there. And the boost we get from designers being able to add their own enum values is huge. If only we didn't have all those legacy enums... :) That’s fairly similar to what we’re doing now. We have a text file that defines the enum values and then access them by name (read: string) in the code. We don’t actually look them up in the code very often (or at all in some cases) so there isn’t much of an efficiency hit there. And the boost we get from designers being able to add their own enum values is huge.

If only we didn’t have all those legacy enums… :)

]]> By: Rich Bryant http://programmerjoe.com/2007/02/21/data-driven-design/#comment-684 Rich Bryant Mon, 05 Mar 2007 10:25:54 +0000 http://programmerjoe.com/2007/02/21/data-driven-design/#comment-684 There's a couple of ways but what seems to popular right now is to define a class which exposes a collection and load that collection from XML. It's a workaround way to get some of the benefits of .NET's XML integration without using the framework. There’s a couple of ways but what seems to popular right now is to define a class which exposes a collection and load that collection from XML.

It’s a workaround way to get some of the benefits of .NET’s XML integration without using the framework.

]]> By: Joe http://programmerjoe.com/2007/02/21/data-driven-design/#comment-673 Joe Mon, 05 Mar 2007 02:37:25 +0000 http://programmerjoe.com/2007/02/21/data-driven-design/#comment-673 The only reason we're using compile-time enums is that they pre-date our use of XML by a couple years. We really only started using XML extensively for static game data about 2.5 years ago, and some of these enums go back to the early days of the project over 4 years ago. It sounds like you're referring to a specific technique, though. Is there some sort of standard way to define enums in XML and then use them from C++ code? The only reason we’re using compile-time enums is that they pre-date our use of XML by a couple years. We really only started using XML extensively for static game data about 2.5 years ago, and some of these enums go back to the early days of the project over 4 years ago.

It sounds like you’re referring to a specific technique, though. Is there some sort of standard way to define enums in XML and then use them from C++ code?

]]> By: Rich Bryant http://programmerjoe.com/2007/02/21/data-driven-design/#comment-670 Rich Bryant Mon, 05 Mar 2007 02:05:00 +0000 http://programmerjoe.com/2007/02/21/data-driven-design/#comment-670 Hmm, hard coded enums? Why not simply use strong typing instead and inherit from the XML? Or is there an app-specific reason? Hmm, hard coded enums?

Why not simply use strong typing instead and inherit from the XML?

Or is there an app-specific reason?

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