Difference between revisions of "Category:Oblivion XML"
Rebranding XML "traits" as "attributes"; cleaned up example code
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=== What is XML? === | === What is XML? === | ||
XML stands for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XML eXtensible Markup Language], a generic syntax used to encode a series of parent-child relationships. An XML document contains a hierarchy of ''elements'', each described by a set of '' | XML stands for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XML eXtensible Markup Language], a generic syntax used to encode a series of parent-child relationships. An XML document contains a hierarchy of ''elements'', each described by a set of ''attributes''. | ||
In Oblivion, XML is used to encode the user interface. Every button, box, piece of text, and colorful widget in a menu (or the HUD) is an element in that menus XML document. And each of these elements has ''child'' elements that describe it's color, size, graphical texture, location, etc. | In Oblivion, XML is used to encode the user interface. Every button, box, piece of text, and colorful widget in a menu (or the HUD) is an element in that menus XML document. And each of these elements has ''child'' elements that describe it's color, size, graphical texture, location, etc. | ||
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Or it might be another xml element: | Or it might be another xml element: | ||
<image> <text> </text> </image> | <image> <text> </text> </image> | ||
In this case, the "inner" element is the ''child'' of the outer element. An element can | In this case, the "inner" element is the ''child'' of the outer element. An element can have more than one child, and those children might have children of their own, and so on. This is what creates the hierarchy that is characteristic of XML. | ||
If an element has no children, like the first example above, then the opening/closing tag syntax can be abbreviated to: | If an element has no children, like the first example above, then the opening/closing tag syntax can be abbreviated to: | ||
<text /> | <text /> | ||
Element '' | Element ''attributes'' are written as name/value pairs in the opening tag: | ||
<image | <image attributeName="attributeValue"> </image> | ||
Attributes are an essential part of XML - they refine & control elements, and differentiate elements of the same type from one another. Oblivion only recognizes a few attributes, however, using child elements to refine & control instead. See the next section, on [[#Oblivion XML Schema|Oblivion XML Schema]] for more details. | |||
''Comments'' can be added | ''Comments'' can be added by enclosing them with "<!--" and "-->": | ||
<!-- this is a comment --> | <!-- this is a comment --> | ||
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=== Oblivion XML Schema === | === Oblivion XML Schema === | ||
<!-- An example of an '[[Object Element#Image|Image]]' Object Element | <!-- | ||
An example of an '[[Object Element#Image|Image]]' Object Element. | |||
This image has it's [[XML Attribute|'name' attribute]] set to 'MyImage', and it's [[Property Element#Sizeable|'height' property]] set to | |||
10 pixels. It's [[Property Element#Sizeable|width]] is set to twice it's height using the '[[Operator Element#Copy Operator|copy]]' and '[[Operator Element#Algebraic Operators|mul]]' operators | |||
--> | |||
<image name="MyImage"> | |||
<height> 10 </height> | |||
<width> | |||
<copy src="MyImage" trait="height" /> | <copy src="MyImage" trait="height" /> | ||
<mul> 2 </mul> | <mul> 2 </mul> | ||
</width> | </width> | ||
</image> | </image> | ||
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XML is a general syntax - the meaning of a given element depends entirely on the program parsing the file. | XML is a general syntax - the meaning of a given element depends entirely on the program parsing the file. | ||
The Oblivion XML parser divides elements into three basic categories. They don't really have official names, so the names chosen below ("Object", "Property", and "Operator" Elements) were chosen just for this | The Oblivion XML parser divides elements into three basic categories. They don't really have official names, so the names chosen below ("Object", "Property", and "Operator" Elements) were chosen just for this wiki. | ||
[[Object Element|"Object" Elements]] define actual objects in the menu, such as buttons, text, images, etc. There are only a few different kinds of object elements, but they are used repeatedly to create the complex menu structures. | [[Object Element|"Object" Elements]] define actual objects in the menu, such as buttons, text, images, etc. There are only a few different kinds of object elements, but they are used repeatedly to create the complex menu structures. | ||
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It's also possible to insert new element types into a menu document. Oblivion will | It's also possible to insert new element types into a menu document. Oblivion will | ||
interpret any element type that starts with an underscore as a 'custom' Property Element. Such elements obviously won't have any built-in affects, but they can be referred to by name from Operator Elements and OBSE script functions, and may contain Operator Elements as children. It is common to break up long formulas by inventing one of these custom elements to intermediate values. | interpret any element type that starts with an underscore as a 'custom' Property Element. Such elements obviously won't have any built-in affects, but they can be referred to by name from Operator Elements and OBSE script functions, and may contain Operator Elements as children. It is common to break up long formulas by inventing one of these custom elements to hold intermediate values. | ||
<!-- | |||
<_GreyColor> 255 </_GreyColor> | Use a custom property '_GreyColor' to set a common | ||
<string> This is some text </string> | intensity level for all three color properties | ||
--> | |||
<text name="sometext"> | |||
<_GreyColor> 255 </_GreyColor> | |||
<string> This is some text </string> | |||
<red> <copy src="me()" trait="_GreyColor"/> </red> | <red> <copy src="me()" trait="_GreyColor"/> </red> | ||
<blue> <copy src="me()" trait="_GreyColor"/> </blue> | <blue> <copy src="me()" trait="_GreyColor"/> </blue> | ||
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</text> | </text> | ||
Because most aspects of menu objects like buttons, icons, etc. are controlled by their Property Elements, Oblivion doesn't make much use of conventional XML | Because most aspects of menu objects like buttons, icons, etc. are controlled by their Property Elements, Oblivion doesn't make much use of conventional XML attributes. However, the three [[XML Attribute|attributes]] that are recognized ("name", "src", and "trait") are essential for the use of [[Operator Element|Operators]]. | ||
=== Oblivion Menu Files === | === Oblivion Menu Files === | ||
Menu xml data is stored in the ''Oblivion\Data\Menus'' directory. Each menu is stored in it's own file. Oblivion reloads a menu from disk every time it is opened, so changes to the file can be seen by closing and re-opening the menu - a very useful trick for editing. | Menu xml data is stored in the ''Oblivion\Data\Menus'' directory. Each menu is stored in it's own file. Oblivion reloads a menu from disk every time it is opened, so changes to the file can be seen by closing and re-opening the menu - a very useful trick for editing. Some menus never close (e.g. the HUD) - these can be reloaded in game using "Reload ''menuname''" [[:Category:Console Functions|console function]]. | ||