I’m at the stage in my game where I’m adding a highscores system to it. I have a game over screen where I plan to save the score to the database and I then want to access and display it in my highscores screen. I’ve heard Ice is good, but I’m not sure how to use it.
What do you guys suggest and/or could you teach me how to use Ice? 
[import]uid: 103624 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 319648[/import]
Are you only planning on displaying one highscore or multiples?
The Ice page in sample code actually has a number of examples already 
Peach [import]uid: 52491 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 75911[/import]
I’d say look at JSON. To describe it briefly, JSON is a really simple way to save or load a table, and it’s native in Corona. To be exact, JSON is just a way to convert a table into a text string, or the other way around, and besides that all you need is the file IO functions to load or save this text file.
I’m at work now but I did this yesterday and can share code later tonight if you need it. [import]uid: 70134 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 75955[/import]
I’m not sure which one to use! Ice is simple but JSON is included with Corona so I don’t need extra files. 
Could I see a JSON example? It might narrow down my decision. [import]uid: 103624 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 75995[/import]
Real quick (from work
This is what I put in main.lua on startup:
-- SETUP HIGHSCORES !!!
require("json")
local path = system.pathForFile( "highscores.txt", system.DocumentsDirectory )
-- io.open opens a file at path. returns nil if no file found
local file = io.open( path, "r" )
if file then
print("Highscore File Found!")
-- read all contents of file into a string
local contents = file:read( "\*a" )
highscoreTable = json.decode(contents)
print(highscoreTable[1])
io.close( file )
else
-- create file because it doesn't exist yet
print("Creating New Highscore File!")
file = io.open( path, "w" )
highscoreTable = {10000, 9000, 8000, 7000, 6000, 5000, 4000, 3000, 2000, 1000}
local highscoreTableJSON = json.encode(highscoreTable)
file:write(highscoreTableJSON)
io.close( file )
end And this is what I put on gameover:
-- check against highScore !!!
if score \< highscoreTable[10] then
-- not in the list so do nothing!
else
-- somewhere in the list!
local tempTable = {}
local counter = 0
local highscoreEntered = false
for i = 1, 10 do
if (score \> highscoreTable[i]) and (highscoreEntered == false) then
tempTable[i] = score
counter = counter + 1
highscoreEntered = true
else
tempTable[i] = highscoreTable[i-counter]
end
end
for i = 1, 10 do
highscoreTable[i] = tempTable[i]
end
end
-- save highScore to file!!!
local path = system.pathForFile( "highscores.txt", system.DocumentsDirectory )
print("Saving Highscore File!")
file = io.open( path, "w+" )
local highscoreTableJSON = json.encode(highscoreTable)
file:write(highscoreTableJSON)
io.close( file ) Basically I save the 10 highest scores. Go over this and see how that looks, for now. More info later if needed.
Thomas.
[import]uid: 70134 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 75997[/import]
In the else statement, what do all of those numbers in the brackets do?
Also, I had an error in the code when I put it in the first time and now I can’t find the file to delete it and create a newer, updated one. Where did the highscores.txt save to? [import]uid: 103624 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 76002[/import]
Check the text in the terminal when you start the code in the simulator. This tells you where the temp data for the project is on your hard-drive.
What error did you get? Make sure you start with an ‘empty’ project, meaning: don’t start with a self-made highscores.txt file - the code takes care of this! [import]uid: 70134 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 76005[/import]
The numbers in the brackets are just 10 startup scores, from 10000 to 1000. You could also put zeros instead for a really empty start. [import]uid: 70134 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 76007[/import]
To be completely clear: the numbers between brackets are a table containing 10 entries. JSON converts the table to a text file so it can be saved - and all of this is in the ‘else’ part meaning: if there is no file called highscores.txt present (only the first time the app is started) write a table to disk containing these values: {10000, 9000, 8000, … }
The second time your app starts, it will see this freshly created file right away and won’t have to write a new one. [import]uid: 70134 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 76008[/import]
So, the main.lua code just does this:
if there is a file called highscores.txt then
read that file into the variable highscoreTable
else (so, if that file doesn’t exist yet - the first time the app is started)
write our own empty file containing these ten default values: 10000, 9000, …
end [import]uid: 70134 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 76009[/import]
I just realized something that may be a problem. My score is saved as a $0.00 because in my game you collect coins. Is there a way I can adapt the code above to support a dollar/cents value? [import]uid: 103624 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 76056[/import]
The problem won’t be in the main.lua code but in the second part, because that’s where the score is treated as a number (as it should be, because you want to determine which place in the top-10 scores the new score will take).
But honestly, please tell me you keep track of the score as a number, and not as a string! Just use number, and add the dollar sign in the displaying of the score.
So, what exactly was the problem you get? [import]uid: 70134 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 76080[/import]
I guess that I don’t have the problem because I format the number into a string when it’s displayed.
[lua]textMoney.text = string.format("$%.02f", storyboard.money)[/lua]
I added the code and there aren’t any errors, so that’s a good thing. Now, how would I display the scores from the table in my highscores screen? [import]uid: 103624 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 76085[/import]
Would something like this work?
[lua]textFirst = display.newText(group, string.format("$%.02f", highscoreTable[1]), 20, 20, “309”, 75)[/lua] [import]uid: 103624 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 76236[/import]
Hi,
The crawlspace library might help:-
http://www.crawlspacegames.com/crawl-space-corona-sdk-library/
I haven’t used it yet but the saving/loading of High Scores looks very easy to implement and the code is easy to follow.
Has lots of other features too.
Cheers
Nick
[import]uid: 50787 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 76282[/import]
My highscores only update on restart. For example, if I get a highscore and then check the highscores page, it won’t show it because it hasn’t the decoding of the highscores table hasn’t been updated.
What should I do? Should I just copy and paste the code in my main.lua and remove the else statment, or is there an easier way? [import]uid: 103624 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 76451[/import]
I guess I’m just old school about this, but I use a sqllite database [import]uid: 36054 topic_id: 19648 reply_id: 76452[/import]