Thing Element (Data)

Context: HL Kit … Kit Reference … Data File Reference 

The "thing" Element

The vast majority of objects that will comprise your data files are "things", which will be added to actors and customized via scripts. By definition, all behaviors for things are inherited by any derived picks, unless specified otherwise. Each thing is specified through the use of a "thing" element. The complete list of attributes for this element is below.

id	Id – Specifies the unique id of the thing. This id is used in all references to the thing.
compset	Id – Specifies the unique id of the component set from which this thing is derived.
name	Text – Public name associated with the thing. Maximum length of 100 characters.
description	(Optional) Text – Detailed description text associated with the thing, for display to the user. Default: Empty.
summary	(Optional) Text – Brief summary description for the thing, for display to the user in space-constrained situations. If empty, the full description is always used as the summary. Default: Empty.
isunique	(Optional) Boolean – Indicates whether this thing is treated as unique within each container. If unique, a single pick is only ever added, while non-unique things can be separately added any number of times. Default: "no".
holdable	(Optional) Boolean – Indicates whether this thing can be held within other other things, such as backpacks hold various pieces of gear. Default: "yes".
maxlimit	(Optional) Integer – Specifies the maximum number of instances of this thing that can be added to a given container. If zero, there is no limit imposed. Default: "0".
panellink	(Optional) Id – Specifies the unique id of a panel that is officially associated with this thing. Scripts can generically determine the panel linked to a thing to mark it invalid if picks within the panel are invalid. If empty, the default panel linkage defined by components is assumed. Default: Empty.
stacking	(Optional) Set – Designates the default stacking behavior to be assumed whenever this thing is purchased by the user. Must be one of these values: solo – Item is created individually, so buying 5 of the thing will add 5 separate instances of the thing to the container. new – Item is purchased as a new group, so buying 5 of the thing will add one new instance of the thing that has a quantity of 5. merge – Item is merged to any existing instance of the thing within the container, adding the quantity purchased to the existing quantity. If item does not currently exist, "new" behavior is used. never – Item can never support stacking. Default: "solo".
lotsize	(Optional) Integer – Specifies the number of items typically purchased as a single unit when buying this thing. For example, bullets might be purchased by the box, with a box having 25 bullets in it. Default: "1".
replaces	(Optional) Id – Specifies the unique id of another thing which is completely replaced by this thing. All references to the replaced thing are automatically mapped to this thing, such as bootstrapping. This allows you to wholesale replace a built-in item with new behaviors of your own choosing. If empty, no replacement behavior is utilized. Default: Empty.
buytemplate	(Optional) Id – Specifies the unique id of a template that is used for purchasing the thing. This attribute is only applicable to things which have a child entity and whose purchase cost is variable based on the user-specified composition of the child entity. The specified template is used similarly to the buy template that appears within tables and choosers. However, the template is centered at the bottom of the form used for editing the child gizmo. This mechanism is needed when you have something like a user-customizable magic item within the d20 System, where the cost is based on the options selected by the user. If empty, no template is associated with the thing. Default: Empty.
xactspecial	(Optional) Integer – When a buy template is shared between two or more portals or things, the template behavior may need to be tailored based on the usage. If this need arises, this attribute specifies a unique value that identifies this particular usage. By assigning a different value to each usage and keying on it within the template's Position script, you can tailor the template appropriately. Default: "0".
isprivate	(Optional) Boolean – Indicates whether this thing should be kept private from users within the integrated Editor. When a user creates a new thing as a copy of another thing, all existing things derived from the compset are presented for use as the copy source. By making this thing private, it will not appear for selection. Default: "no".

The "thing" element also possesses child elements that define various facets of the thing. The list of these child elements is below and must appear in the order shown. Click on the link to access the details for each element.

fieldval	Zero or more "fieldval" elements may appear as defined by the given link. This element specifies the starting value for individual fields within the thing.
arrayval	Zero or more "arrayval" elements may appear as defined by the given link. This element specifies the starting value for individual array and matrix elements within the thing.
usesource	Zero or more "usesource" elements may appear as defined by the given link. This element specifies the sources relied upon for this thing to be accessible to the user.
tag	Zero or more "tag" elements may appear as defined by the given link. This element specifies any tags that are automatically assigned to the thing.
bootstrap	Zero or more "bootstrap" elements may appear as defined by the given link. This element specifies any things that are automatically bootstrapped when this thing is added to a container.
containerreq	Zero or more "containerreq" elements may appear as defined by the given link. This element specifies any container requirements for the thing.
gear	An optional "gear" element may appear as defined by the given link. This element defines a Gear Script for the thing to calculate its weight.
link	Zero or more "link" elements may appear as defined by the given link. This element specifies the specific pick linkages that exist for this thing.
eval	Zero or more "eval" elements may appear as defined by the given link. This element specifies any Eval Scripts that must be performed for the thing.
evalrule	Zero or more "evalrule" elements may appear as defined by the given link. This element specifies any EvalRule Scripts that must be performed for the thing.
pickreq	Zero or more "pickreq" elements may appear as defined by the given link. This element specifies any dependencies upon other picks within the container.
exprreq	Zero or more "exprreq" elements may appear as defined by the given link. This element specifies any expression-based dependencies upon the state of the container.
prereq	Zero or more "prereq" elements may appear as defined by the given link. This element specifies any pre-requisite tests that are applied to the thing.
child	An optional "child" element may appear as defined by the given link. This element defines the particulars of a child entity that is attached by the thing.
minion	An optional "minion" element may appear as defined by the given link. This element defines the particulars of a minion that is attached by the thing.

The "fieldval" Element

The "fieldval" element defines the starting values to use for various fields within the thing. To initialize elements within arrays and matrices, please see the "arrayval" element (below). The complete list of attributes for this element is below.

field	Id – Unique id of the field for which to specify a starting value.
value	Text – Starting value to assign to the field. If the field is text-based, the value is simply assigned, although it may be truncated if it exceeds the defined maximum length for the field. If the field is value-based, the text is converted to a floating point value and assigned.

The "arrayval" Element

The "arrayval" element defines the starting values to use for individual elements within array and matrix fields of the thing. To initialize elements within fields that are not an array or matrix, please see the "fieldval" attribute (above). The complete list of attributes for this element is below.

field	Id – Unique id of the field for which to specify a starting value. If the field is not an array or matrix, an error is reported.
index	Integer – Specifies the row index of the element to be initialized. The first element of arrays and matrices is index zero.
column	(Optional) Integer – Specifies the column of the element to be initialized within a matrix. The first element of matrices is index zero. This attribute is required for matrix elements and may be omitted for array elements. Default: Empty.
value	Text – Starting value to assign to the field element. If the field is text-based, the value is simply assigned, although it may be truncated if it exceeds the defined maximum length for the field. If the field is value-based, the text is converted to a floating point value and assigned.

The "linkage" Element

The "linkage" element defines a linkage to another pick that is associated with every thing for the component. The complete list of attributes for this element is below.

linkage	Id – Specifies the unique id of the linkage being defined for the component.
optional	(Optional) Boolean – Indicates whether this linkage is optional or required for all picks. Default: "no".

The "identity" Element

The "identity" element defines an identity tag group for the component and all derived things. The complete list of attributes for this element is below.

group

Id – Unique id of the tag group that will be used for identity handling of all things derived from this component. NOTE! This tag group does not need to exist. If it does not, it is automatically created and setup appropriately by the Kit, but you may not add further dynamic tags to a tag group that is auto-created in this way.

The "displace" Element

The "displace" element defines the displacement behavior for the component and all derived things. The complete list of attributes for this element is below.

target

(Optional) Set – Designates the target into which picks derived from this component will be displaced. Must be one of these values: hero – Picks are displaced into the hero/actor, regardless of location in the structural hierarchy. parent – Picks are displaced into the immediate container. Default: "hero".

PCDATA

TagExpr – Specifies a tag expression that determines whether an individual pick is displaced. This tag expression is applied to the pick itself - not the container. Furthermore, the tag expression does include tags that are automatically added to the pick at creation, such as auto-tags from a table or a bootstrap. The tag expression is only applied once, when the pick is first added to the container, after which the pick is either displaced or not for the rest of its existence.

The "shadow" Element

The "shadow" element defines the shadowing behavior for the component and all derived things. The complete list of attributes for this element is below.

target

(Optional) Set – Designates the target into which picks derived from this component will be shadowed. Must be one of these values: hero – Picks are shadowed into the hero/actor, regardless of location in the structural hierarchy. parent – Picks are shadowed into the immediate container. Default: "hero".

PCDATA

TagExpr – Specifies a tag expression that determines whether an individual pick is shadowed. This tag expression is applied to the pick itself - not the container. Furthermore, the tag expression does include tags that are automatically added to the pick at creation, such as auto-tags from a table or a bootstrap. The tag expression is only applied once, when the pick is first added to the container, after which the pick is either shadowed or not for the rest of its existence.

The "creation" Element

The "creation" element defines a Creation Script for the component. The complete list of attributes for this element is below.

PCDATA

Script – Specifies the code comprising the Creation script.

The "deletion" Element

The "deletion" element defines a Deletion Script for the component. The complete list of attributes for this element is below.

PCDATA

Script – Specifies the code comprising the Deletion script.

The "xactsetup" Element

The "xactsetup" element defines an TransactSetup Script for the component. The complete list of attributes for this element is below.

PCDATA

Script – Specifies the code comprising the TransactSetup script.

The "xactbuy" Element

The "xactbuy" element defines an TransactBuy Script for the component. The complete list of attributes for this element is below.

PCDATA

Script – Specifies the code comprising the TransactBuy script.

The "xactsell" Element

The "xactsell" element defines an TransactSell Script for the component. The complete list of attributes for this element is below.

PCDATA

Script – Specifies the code comprising the TransactSell script.

The "loadfixup" Element

The "loadfixup" element defines a LoadFixup Script for the component. The complete list of attributes for this element is below.

PCDATA

Script – Specifies the code comprising the LoadFixup script.

The "merge" Element

The "merge" element defines a Merge Script for the component. The complete list of attributes for this element is below.

PCDATA

Script – Specifies the code comprising the Merge script.

The "split" Element

The "split" element defines a Split Script for the component. The complete list of attributes for this element is below.

PCDATA

Script – Specifies the code comprising the Split script.

Example

The following example demonstrates what a "component" element might look like. All default values are assumed for optional attributes.

<component id="WeaponBase" name="Weapon"
      autocompset="no" hasshortname="yes" panellink="armory">
  <field id="wpDamage" name="Damage" type="derived" maxlength="20"/>
  <field id="wpNetAtk" name="Net Attack" type="derived"/>
  <usage usagepool="mypool"/>
  <linkage linkage="attribute" optional="no"/>
  <identity group="Weapon"/>
  <displace target="hero">Helper.Displace</displace>
  <tag group="Equipment" tag="Hand"/>
  <eval index="1" phase="Final" priority="5000"><![CDATA[
    ~insert script code here
    ]]></eval>
  <evalrule value="1" phase="Validate" priority="5000" message="Resource overspent">
    ~insert script code here
    ]]></evalrule>
  <prereq message="Requirement not met">
    <match>Helper.WeapCheck</match>
    <valid><![CDATA[
      ~insert script code here
      ]]></valid>
    </prereq>
  </component>