I want to be able to add/change the menu options for my object from a list in a XML. How would I do this? I looked at the way the Stereo does it, but that is way more complex than what I need, and I couldn't simplify it enough to work for me.

The pure scripting tutorial covers how to make your script tunable, add tunable variables to it and how the XML resource needs to be added. You can simply add more tunable variables to the code and script. The only difference to the tutorial code is that you'll actually use the variables, e.g. in the OnStartup() method or the InteractionDefinitions' Test() methods.

I understand how to make a script tunable and such. My problem is how to make a list in the xml, and how to use that list as strings for my menu choices.

Great tutorial, btw.

EA formatted XML Tables are pretty simple to implement.

You create a unique named XML file, and then use the XmlDbData.ReadData() function to retrieve the information.

XmlDbData data = XmlDbData.ReadData("MyUniquelyNameXMLFile");

Retrieve the XmlDbTable you are interested in (there could be multiple in the file. ie: The "Careers" file has a table for each individual career).

if (!data.Tables.TryGetValue("MyTable", out table)) return false;

From there, you run through each row in the table:

foreach(XmlDbRow row in table.Rows)
{
...
}

Finally, read the field you are looking for into a structure for later use.

string myfield = row.GetString("MyField", "");

sMyFields.Add(myfield);

When you want to use those values in your menu interaction, read the values from sMyFields and go from there.

----

Various examples of XML Table usage can be found in the Core, search for functions that start with the word "Parse" (ie: Career::ParseCareerData)

Cheers.

Oh, I see. I didn't get it before. Is that for your pose box project? If so, I'd recommend to use an ObjectPickerDialog to present the possible choices.

twallan: Thanks. That's actually how I had been trying to do it, but I couldn't get it to work. And I still can't get it to work, even after you've explained it. I think I'm losing it at the "sMyFields.Add(myfield);" part. Either that or I'm not reading the values right. Can you explain that a little further? The EA examples use a Dictionary to store a bunch of stuff, which is confusing me because I only need one or two lists of strings.

Buzzler: That sounds like a good idea(and yes, it's for the pose box), but I can't even get the regular menu to work. I wouldn't know where to start with that.

The simplest method is to define sMyFields as follows:

public static List<string> sMyFields = new List<string>();

Place that line in one of your classes.

If you want a simple string list, you could add a tunable (or two) like this example from S3_0333406C_00000000_4D02F4BA2106FDD1_VenueAmbienceManager_0x4d02f4ba2106fdd1%%+_XML.xml:


This should then make the strings "bar_amb_lounge_lo", "bar_amb_lounge_med" and "bar_amb_lounge_high" available in the variable kCocktailLoungeAmbienceSoundStrings. In the class it looks like this:



Once you have the strings, you could add your interactions based on whether or not something is in the list.

If you want to use a single interaction function to handle similar interactions that are only different depending on one or two variables, take a look at:
Sims3.Gameplay.Abstracts.Door+DEBUG_OpenClose

I found it quite helpful as an example to create interactions that take arguments and can handle them.

Thanks everybody. I still was not able to get the XMLTable to work, I was able to get the menu to work using velocitygrass's suggestion(although XMLTables seem like the more efficient way).

Show your code, I say.

The 'not working' or the 'working' one? Because I don't have the 'not working' one, I would have to try then FAIL again, lol.

So you don't want to use the XMLTable stuff anymore?

Oh yeah, I would much rather use the XMLTable and the ObjectPickerDialog. I just don't have the broken code anymore, so to post it I'll have to write it wrong again. But I will if I have to(to get it working the way I want).

The XML format you'd like to use, would be a good start. And you probably use some sort of generic interaction to put your data to use. That might be of interest, too.

The XML format I would like to use is this:


For testing, I was just using a ShowTNS message to see if it worked.