(Godot) Saving multiple keys and reloading them

Question

I'm kind of stumped. I've followed and adapted the save system from this.

To phrase the problem, I'm unsure how to load the dictionaries back into the original variables. Most likely easier to explain the problem as you see it.

# This would be "GlobalData"
onready var KEY = name

# Stats dictionary
var stats:= {
    "health" : 75,
    "stamina": 25
}

# Meta Dictionary
var meta:= {
    "testing": "I'm a totally random thing",
    "testing2": 2002,
    "date": "Thursday, 2020-08-20, 20:12"
}

# Load both into array to iterate through upon saving
var list = [stats, meta]

func save(save_game:Resource):
    var i = 0
    for element in list:
        
        # Make a unique key based on iteration
        var temp:String = KEY + String(i)
        
        # Store data to key
        save_game.data[temp] = element
        i = i+1
        

func load(save_game:Resource):
    var i = 0
    
    # === Where the error lies === #
    # While saving works fine, I cannot use the list array to push content back into the original dictionaries
    # If I targeted the dictionary by it's variable, then it got applied.

    for element in list:
        var temp:String = KEY + String(i)
        element = save_game.data[temp]
        i = i+1

So, my question relies in "how do I re-apply the loaded data?". Do I have to write the list into a way, that it would store the dictionary name too? Or is it possible to somehow call the name of the element to get it to target the original variable/dictionary?

PS. Don't ask why I'm not using i++ or i+=1. Errors out.

The more I try push this problem, the worse it gets. Perhaps not worth over-engineering it, and should stick to a single dictionary and throw everything inside that. Or at least, as long as somehow could give pointers, because I can't think of any good way to approach this anymore. — Hiki Hallow, Aug 21 '20 at 12:26
Eh, a youtube tutorial is not a good way to reference what seems to be a sort of library you are using -- the part that actually stores the data is not visible in your question, can you provide a link to the source or something more usable?. None the less, it would seem reasonable to just store your dictionaries and reload them as a single entry, instead of key by key. Also, why are you changing your key names arbitrarily? In your example there's no overlap in the names, just use the names as is. If you have overlap, you need a unique mapping that works both ways. — fede s., Aug 22 '20 at 18:47

fede s. · Accepted Answer · 2020-08-23T23:07:53.540

The KEY value, as used by GDQuest in that video, identifies the node on which the save/load methods are called, not every piece of data you save individually.

You have many options to achieve what you want. This are two simple ones:

1 - More in line with what the video is doing: create a dictionary to contain all your separate information, and store that under the node unique key.

...
func save(save_game:Resource):
    var node_data = {
        stats = stats,
        meta = meta,
    }
    
    save_game.data[KEY] = node_data
  
func load(save_game:Resource):
    stats = save_game.data[KEY].stats


    meta = save_game.data[KEY].meta

2 - More in line with what you are trying to do: create unique fixed keys for each dictionary/element you are storing, and use that to save/load them.

onready var KEY_STATS = name + "_stats" 
onready var KEY_META = name  + "_meta"
...

func save(save_game:Resource):
    save_game.data[KEY_STATS] = stats
    save_game.data[KEY_META] = meta
  
func load(save_game:Resource):
    meta = save_game.data[KEY_STATS]
    stats = save_game.data[KEY_META]

Haven't tried any of this, but it should be at least a reference of where your problem is.

Please, for future questions, include all the relevant code, or at least provide a link to the source if it's too big to include in the question. https://stackoverflow.com/help/how-to-ask

Somehow I didn't come upon this kind of solution and decided to brute force it. I'll leave a link on GDQuest's video, for future reference to anyone trying to achieve the same. Thank you and have a nice day. :) — Hiki Hallow, Aug 23 '20 at 19:32

(Godot) Saving multiple keys and reloading them

1 Answers1