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 C# list of games
  • 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.

How

• 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 let SimHub do it, by 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 games object
    • 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

My understanding of C# is that games could be a jagged array,
but jagged List<> better supports e.g. adding and deleting elements, based on JSONio.ini.

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
• OxyPlot 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

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: - fully functional by buttons and dashboard
  - thanks to arguably sketch 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'