SimHub JSONio plugin

from SimHubPluginSdk

• switch to SlipGrip branch for Custom ShakeIt effects implemented in C#

What

 
A common list of custom SimHub properties with some values potentially specific to each sim and car.

In this example, properties are managed for ShakeIt Wheel Slip haptics:

• a global Property list
  • each Property object a Name and Value
• a Game list
  • each Game object a name, game-specific defaults Property List<> and CList of Car objects
    • each Car object a carID and its List<> of Property objects
      • each Property object a Name and Value
• Properties to be managed are configured in JSONio.ini.

Error Messages   Init(), End(), JSON descriptions

How this plugin was developed

• instead of just copying that SimHubPluginSdk repository
  • created a new Visual Studio JSONio WPF project, then quit
  • deleted everything in that project except JSONio.sln and JSONio.csproj
  • copied Properties/ and source files from SimHubPluginSdk/
  • performed GVIM split diff on JSONio.sln and JSONio.csproj to preserve new ProjectGuid, etc
  • forgot to update namespace from User.PluginSdk to JSONio e.g. in Properties/...!
  • easily missed namespace in .xaml called xmlns:local="clr-namespace:..."
• this.AddAction("ChangeProperties",(a, b) => saves changed Car properties list,
  then loads properties matching changed Car.ID and Game gname.
  • updates Values list from defaults for Game gname if no Car.ID match
  • could implement this.AddEvent("CarChange");
    in public void Init(PluginManager pluginManager),
    • then this.TriggerEvent("CarChange");
      in public void DataUpdate(PluginManager pluginManager, ref GameData data)
  • but instead, by GitHub NCalc 'CarChange' event in JSONio.ini:

     [ExportEvent]
     name='CarChange'
     trigger=changed(20, [DataCorePlugin.GameData.CarId]) 
    

- my experience:  SimHub ignored this Source when JSONio.ini was first loaded...

• in JSONio.cs Init()
  • create and update global property settings
  • create and maintain games object and JSON file
    • populate from configured .json file, if existing
  • populate simValues object from saved Settings, games and JASONio.ini
  • in this.AddAction("ChangeProperties",(a, b)
    • create new Game object in games when none match current Game name
    • set game for matching games.data.name
  • additional this.AddAction()s for modifying Car and defaults values

Jagged List<> supports e.g. dynamically adding and deleting elements (based on JSONio.ini)
better than jagged array.

To Do   24 Apr 2024

• done stop mouse click messing with selected property in UI
• done property indicating a new car
• done manage some SimHub properties not-per car, e.g. ShakeIt frequency limits
  • some tricks:
    • conversion to/from Car class has uses only first pCount List<Values>,
      which GameHandler class uses to save cars into Games data for .json file.
    • JSONio knows about properties beyond pCount in List<Values> simValues...
      • these are NOT saved in .json files
      • these ARE available as SimHub properties e.g. for ShakeIt
      • these ARE available for value changes in user interface
  • refactored to use only List<Values> simValues for user interface;
    • using JSONio.ini, convert from/to DataPluginSettings Settings in Init()/End()
    • restore/save simValue.Current values from/to GameHandler games.Car from/to JSONio.json
• done slim .json format storing only one instance of property names, instead of redundantly per-car

To Do   5 Feb 2025 V1.24

• done: generate release .zip file for Release 1.25 and newer builds
• done document error messages
• done SetDefault(): {Gname} not in slim.data.gList
  • trying to change a default on first car
  • try CarChange()
• done disable sorting property columns in UI
• done UI feedback for property value change
• done buttons not enabled when bad JSON is loaded
• done handle too short slim.data.gList[gndx].cList[0].Vlist.Count
  • KEY CONCEPT: slim.data should be ready for saving as JSON after Init()
    • whether or not user changes any property values
    • no practical use for write flag;
      write new JSON only when users change certain values:
      • current per-car values
      • default global or per-game values
• done add distinct JSONio.ini configuration for per-game properties:
  • global saved to, restored from SimHub DataPluginSettings
  • per game saved to, restored from JSON per DataCorePlugin.ExternalScript.JSONio.file
  • per car same as per game; game properties are first "car" in game cList
• done handle property moves (by .ini reconfiguration) among per-car, per-game and global.
  • use ini default values for moves
• done Init() bugs:  substantial refactoring
  • done when JSONio.file property not 'PluginsData/JSONio.json',
    initially generated JSONio.file is wrong... better later..??!
  • done save global properties and all property names to Settings
• SimHub [WatchDog] Stacks dump for OOps() popups
  • invoke MessageBox.Show() by TriggerEvent() .. but not in Init()...
  • MessageBox.Show() in Init() does not display (UI thread not yet launched).
• done Help link
• done Change() for slider
• done set write true in SetDefault(); run DefaultCopy() in End() if write

To Do   16 Feb 2025 V1.24

• done: SaveCar() in Changed()only if badgndxorcndx`
• done: skip OOpa() in Load() if empty Msg`
• done: pList should be gCount, not simValues.Count
• done: convert slider TextBox to a button
  • click reassigns slider to current Selection value
• done: bug fix: SaveCar() now explicitly saves per-car and per-game changes for existing cars
• done: bug fix: preserve saved settings only for first instance of previous game car
• OxyScope integration

New to me

• C# List<> patterns, particularly with non-trivial objects.
  • Here are some snippits with List<Student>
  • stackoverflow:  list search
  • M$ Learn:  List.FindIndex Method:  index of item in a list:

     	int index = properties.FindIndex(a => a.Name == name);
    
     	if (-1 == index)
     		properties.Add ( new Property() { Name=name, Value=value });
     	else if (replace && properties[index].Value != value)
     		properties[index].Value = value;
    

• C# JSON
  • In Visual Studio, add Newtonsoft.Json.NET package...
  • pretty-print JSON from C# AKA serialize

     	using Newtonsoft.Json;
    
     	if (games.Save_Car(current, gname) || changed)
     	{
     		string js = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(games.data, Formatting.Indented);
    

  • Eventually, Read and Parse a JSON File in C# AKA deserialize

     	if (File.Exists(path))  
     	{  
     		games = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<Games>(File.ReadAllText(path));  
     	} else changed = true;  
    

• C# WPF DataGrid in XAML  -  more references
  • 4 column table:
    • property name
    • default value
    • previous value
    • current value
  • XML header of row labels, as above
  • programatically add a row for each property configured
  • highlight current value of only selected property
  • first steps in Visual Studio:
    • click Control.xaml
    • select View->Designer
    • drag in DataGrid from Common WPF Controls
      • fiddle with margins for Grid and DataGrid to make space for Label
      • add DataGrid column Headers
    • drag in buttons for previous, next, +, -, etc
• C# Dispatcher.Invoke()
  • WPF DataGrid user interface updates want a method.
  • Invoking method on WPF DataGrid resources is disallowed from other threads.
  • Dispatcher.Invoke() is less code than subscribing to PropertyChanged events
• invoke MessageBox.Show()
  • should be able to run on plugin's View (UI) thread..?
  • but plugin UI thread starts (GetWPFSettingsControl()) after Init()
    • queue Msg until UI thread launch, then View.Dispatcher.Invoke(() => View.OOpsMB());
    • [WatchDog] Abnormal Inactivity detected gets provoked if message box displays > 5 seconds...

Updates

• 3 April 2024:
  - bind Values class to DataGrid columns

			<DataGrid.Columns>
				<DataGridTextColumn Header="Property" Binding="{Binding Name}" />
				<DataGridTextColumn Header="Default" Binding="{Binding Default}" />
				<DataGridTextColumn Header="Current" Binding="{Binding Current}" />
				<DataGridTextColumn Header="Previous" Binding="{Binding Previous}" />
			</DataGrid.Columns>
		...
		public class Values
		{
			public string Name { get; set; }
			public string Default { get; set; }
			public string Current { get; set; }
			public string Previous { get; set; }
		}
		...
		public List<Values> simValues;

		public SettingsControl()
		{
			InitializeComponent();

			simValues = new List<Values>();
			dg.ItemsSource = simValues;
		}

- bind WPF button clicks directly to Plugin Action methods

• 4 Apr: - test buttons
  - populate List<Values> from existing current, previous, etc

• 5 Apr: - fully functional by buttons
  - Select hightlight forced for button changes, will not work for dashboard
  - simValues updated from original Lists, pending refactor
  - property updates by dashboard should work...

• 7 Apr: - per-car fully functional by buttons and dashboard
  - thanks to arguably sketchy code rearranging...
  - still to do:  fully integrate simValues in JSONio.cs

• C# WPF XY plot:  SimHub already uses OxyPlot

  • using OxyPlot
    • website   documentation
    • Bart De Meyer - Blog
    • CodeProject
    • stackoverflow example

• 12 May 2024 - MessageBox

  • SimHub Event triggers do not work from plugin Init()
  • MessageBox() during Init() (e.g. for JASONio.ini configuration errors)
    provokes extensive SimHub log error message.
  • for game runtime, added "JSONioOOps" TriggerEvent and
    this.AddAction("OopsMessageBox", (a, b) => OOpsMB());

• 12 Oct - sync most code to SlipGrip branch

13 Oct - configurable slider

• instead of hard-coded to Gscale
• configured in NCalcScripts/JSONio.ini,
  where value may be any name in JSONio.properties, e.g.:

[ExportProperty]
name='JSONio.slider'
value='Gscale' 

6 Feb 2025 build release .zip

• removed obsolete Documentation\release.sh
• in JSONio.csproj:

  <PropertyGroup>
    <PostBuildEvent>
      cd "$(ProjectDir)"
      if $(ConfigurationName) == Release (7z u R:\TEMP\JSONio.zip NCalcScripts\JSONio.ini)
      cd "bin\Release"
      if $(ConfigurationName) == Release (7z u R:\TEMP\JSONio.zip JSONio.dll)
    </PostBuildEvent>
  </PropertyGroup>

Init() refactor

• restore Settings
  • reconcile with JSONio.ini global properties
• load Slim .json
  • reconcile JSONio.ini car- and game -specific
• bool changed set true if any .json mismatches