Scripting Temporary Feature – Arma Reforger
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Developing or updating a feature may happen over the course of multiple days and sometimes having the ability to switch it on/off for feature or performance comparison is a good thing. Multiple options are available.
Bool Switch
class TAG_TestEntity : GenericEntity
{
[Attribute(defvalue: "0")]
protected bool m_bActivateFeature; // can be changed during runtime with SetActivateFeature
void SetActivateFeature(bool activate)
{
m_bActivateFeature = activate;
}
void PublicMethod()
{
if (m_bActivateFeature)
{
// feature actions
}
else
{
// old/no feature actions
}
}
}
Preprocessor If
Sometimes a bool switch is not a possible solution (due to required data initialisation or other systems, etc). A preprocessor definition can be used:
class TAG_TestEntity : GenericEntity
{
protected ref array<int> m_aObjectData;
#ifdef TAG_ACTIVATE_FEATURE
protected ref array<int> m_aNewFeatureData; // this will not exist at all in the object if the flag is not defined, therefore no reference/memory will be attributed
#endif
void PublicMethod()
{
#ifdef TAG_ACTIVATE_FEATURE
// feature actions
#else
// old/no feature actions - m_aNewFeatureData can NOT be referenced as it does not exist here
#endif
}
void TAG_TestEntity()
{
m_aObjectData = {};
#ifdef TAG_ACTIVATE_FEATURE
// all these operations will not happen at all - actually, all these instructions will not even exist if the flag is not defined
m_aNewFeatureData = {};
for (int i = 0; i < 1001; i++)
{
m_aNewFeatureData.Insert(i * 2);
}
#endif
}
}
This is very often used with #ifdef WORKBENCH across Arma Reforger code, allowing code to only be compiled for Workbench usage (saving memory space in game).
Definition
A preprocessor value can be defined in two ways:
- preprocessor definition, using #define TAG_ACTIVATE_FEATURE at the top of the file - required in every file that uses it. Can be commented with //
- the scrDefine startup parameter ArmaReforgerSteam.exe -scrDefine TAG_ACTIVATE_FEATURE