The "Live" State

Context: HL Kit … Advanced Authoring Concepts 

Overview

A variety of objects possess a "live" state. The "live" state controls whether an object behaves as if it exists (live) or does not exist (non-live). This makes it possible to automatically include objects within your data files and then dynamically have them appear or disappear, based on conditions within the portfolio that the user is constructing.

The "live" state applies equally to both visual elements and structural elements. A simple example of using the "live" state with visual elements is the various tab panels associated with each different class. All of those tabs are always defined and present, but each appears only when levels of the corresponding class have been added to the character. This is controlled via the "live" state.

For structural elements, the "live" state is primarily used to govern picks. A classic example in the Savage Worlds data files is arcane skills. Arcane skills are only possessed by a character when he has selected the corresponding arcane background. As such, the "live" state is used to control whether the arcane skills are made available.