Managing .json Files

Solar2D General Questions/Discussion
#1

So I was reading through the tutorials on reading and writing files and got to here: https://docs.coronalabs.com/guide/data/readWriteFiles/index.html#androidrestrict. I’m now thoroughly confused. Does this mean that for all of the image files of sprites I want to use that if I want to export to Android (even just for testing) I have to copy them over to the documents directory? Also I’ve opened up the documents directory via the simulator but don’t know how to actually create a file there during runtime. I currently am working on a multi-level puzzle game which stores data in the following format for world 1 right now:

[ {   "states":[    1,    0,    0,    0,    0,    0,    0,    0,    0   ],   "normalStarScores":[   0,    0,    0,    0,    0,    0,    0,    0,    0   ],   "reverseStarScores":[   0,    0,    0,    0,    0,    0,    0,    0,    0   ]  } ]

A 0 in the states array represent a locked level, 1 a new (open but incomplete, by the player) level, and 2 a completed level. The other two arrays representing the stars collected (0 for not collected, 1 for collected). This is currently in data-save.json (I also have a data-world.json however it is only read). Both are currently in scene/data in the resource directory.

So how do I actually make a new file in the documents directory and do I actually have to copy all of my graphics and read-only files over?

#2

No, all your graphics can remain as they are.  If you want to store progress then you would write a json file to the documents directory.

This will explain how to do the file i/o - https://coronalabs.com/blog/2014/10/14/tutorial-saving-and-loading-lua-tables-with-json/

#3

Thanks. So I’ve read that tutorial before but my problem now is just trying to wrap my head around how you actual write to a file if the file does not yet exist in the documents directory/how to physically create the .json file itself

#4

Your json is real simple and can be made from game state objects.  Just do something like this

function saveData()   --create your structure to save   local data = {}   data.states = {1,2,3,4}   data.normalStarScores = {1,2,1,1}   data.reverseStarScores = {0,0,0,0}      --save it  local loadsave = require( "loadsave" )  -- Require the 'loadsave' module  loadsave.saveTable( data, "settings.json" ) end

You then extend when you want to save more data as your app grows

#5

Ah thank you. That makes more sense now

#6

No, all your graphics can remain as they are.  If you want to store progress then you would write a json file to the documents directory.

This will explain how to do the file i/o - https://coronalabs.com/blog/2014/10/14/tutorial-saving-and-loading-lua-tables-with-json/

#7

Thanks. So I’ve read that tutorial before but my problem now is just trying to wrap my head around how you actual write to a file if the file does not yet exist in the documents directory/how to physically create the .json file itself

#8

Your json is real simple and can be made from game state objects.  Just do something like this

function saveData()   --create your structure to save   local data = {}   data.states = {1,2,3,4}   data.normalStarScores = {1,2,1,1}   data.reverseStarScores = {0,0,0,0}      --save it  local loadsave = require( "loadsave" )  -- Require the 'loadsave' module  loadsave.saveTable( data, "settings.json" ) end

You then extend when you want to save more data as your app grows

#9

Ah thank you. That makes more sense now