1 # API documentation for version 0.5.0
3 As a modder, you are free to write basically about everything and are also
4 relatively free in the presentation of information. The Documentation
5 System has no restrictions on content whatsoever.
7 ### Categories and entries
8 In the documentation system, everything is built on categories and entries.
9 An entry is a single piece of documentation and is the basis of all actual
10 documentation. Categories group multiple entries of the same topic together.
12 Categories also define a template which is used to determine how the final
13 result in the Entry tab looks like. Entries themselves have a data field
14 attached to them, this is a table containing arbitrary metadata which is
15 used to construct the final formspec which is used on the Entry tab.
18 ### Viewed and hidden entries
19 The mod keeps track of which entries have been viewed by any player.
20 Any entry which has been accessed by a player is instantly marked as “viewed”.
22 It also allows entries to be hidden. Hidden entries are not visible or
23 normally accessible to players until they become revealed by function calls.
25 Marking an entry as viewed or revealed is not reversible with this API.
26 The viewed and hidden states are stored in the file `doc.mt` inside the
30 Entry aliases are alternative identifiers for entry identifiers. With the
31 exception of the alias functions themselves, When a function demands an
32 `entry_id` you can either supply the original `entry_id` or any alias of the
36 I present to you some possible use cases to give you a rough idea what
37 this mod is capable and how certain use casescould be implemented.
39 ### Simple use case: Minetest basics
40 I want to write in freeform short help texts about the basic concepts of
41 Minetest or my subgame. First I define a category called “Basics”, the data
42 for each of its entry is just a freeform text. The template function simply
43 creates a formspec where this freeform text is displayed.
45 ### Complex use case: Blocks
46 I could create a category called “Blocks”, and this category is supposed to
47 contain entries for every single block in the game. For this case, a freeform
48 approach would be very inefficient and error-prone, as a lot of data can be
51 Here the template function comes in handy: The internal entry data
52 contain a lot of different things about a block, like block name, identifier,
53 custom description and most importantly, the definition table of the block.
55 Finally, the template function takes all that data and turns it into
56 sentences which are just concatenated, telling as many useful facts about
57 this block as possible.
60 This is a list of all publicly available functions.
63 The most important functions are `doc.new_category` and `doc.new_entry`. All other functions
64 are mostly used for utility and examination purposes.
66 These functions are available:
68 * `doc.new_category`: Adds a new category
69 * `doc.new_entry`: Adds a new entry
70 * `doc.show_entry`: Shows a particular entry to a player
71 * `doc.show_category`: Shows the entry list of a category to a player
72 * `doc.show_doc`: Opens the main Documentation System form for a player
73 * `doc.get_category_definition`: Returns the definition table of a category
74 * `doc.get_entry_definition`: Returns the definition table of an entry
75 * `doc.entry_exists`: Checks whether an entry exists
76 * `doc.entry_viewed`: Checks whether an entry has been viewed/read by a player
77 * `doc.entry_revealed`: Checks whether an entry is visible and normally accessible to a player
78 * `doc.mark_entry_as_viewed`: Manually marks an entry as viewed/read by a player
79 * `doc.mark_entry_as_revealed`: Make a hidden entry visible and accessible to a player
80 * `doc.add_entry_alias`: Add an alternative name which can be used to access an entry
81 * `doc.add_entry_aliases`: Add multiple alternative names which can be used to access an entry
82 * `doc.get_category_count`: Returns the total number categories
83 * `doc.get_entry_count`: Returns the total number of entries in a category
84 * `doc.get_viewed_count`: Returns the number of entries a player has viewed in a category
85 * `doc.get_revealed_count`: Returns the number of entries a player has access to in a category
86 * `doc.get_hidden_count`: Returns the number of entries which are hidden from a player in a category
88 ### `doc.new_category(id, def)`
89 Adds a new category. You have to define an unique identifier, a name
90 and a template function to build the entry formspec from the entry
93 **Important**: You must call this function before any player joins, but not later.
96 * `id`: Unique category identifier as a string
97 * `def`: Definition table, it has the following fields:
98 * `name`: Category name to be shown in the interface
99 * `description`: (optional) Short description of the category,
100 will be shown as tooltip. Recommended style (in English):
101 First letter capitalized, no puncation at end of sentence,
103 * `build_formspec`: The template function. Takes entry data as its
104 only parameter (has the data type of the entry data) and must
105 return a formspec which is inserted in the Entry tab.
106 * `sorting`: (optional) Sorting algorithm for display order of entries
107 * `"abc"`: Alphabetical (default)
108 * `"nosort"`: Entries appear in no particular order
109 * `"custom"`: Manually define the order of entries in `sorting_data`
110 * `"function"`: Sort by function defined in `sorting_data`
111 * `sorting_data`: (optional) Additional data for special sorting methods.
112 * If `sorting=="custom"`, this field must contain a table (list form) in which
113 the entry IDs are specified in the order they are supposed to appear in the
114 entry list. All entries which are missing in this table will appear in no
115 particular order below the final specified one.
116 * If `sorting=="function"`, this field is a compare function to be used as
117 the `comp` parameter of `table.sort`. The parameters given are two entries.
118 * This field is not required if `sorting` has any other value
119 * `hide_entries_by_default` (optional, experimental): If `true`, all entries
120 added to this category will start as hidden, unless explicitly specified otherwise
123 Note: For function-based sorting, the entries provided in the compare function have the
127 name = n, -- entry name
128 data = d, -- arbitrary entry data
131 #### Using `build_formspec`
132 For `build_formspec` you can either define your own function which
133 procedurally generates the entry formspec or you use one of the
134 following predefined convenience functions:
136 * `doc.entry_builders.text`: Expects entry data to be a string.
137 It will be inserted directly into the entry. Useful for entries with
139 * `doc.entry_builders.formspec`: Entry data is expected to contain the
140 complete entry formspec as a string. Useful if your entries. Useful
141 if you expect your entries to differ wildly in layouts.
143 When building your formspec, you have to respect the size limitations.
144 The documentation system uses a size of `12,9` and you should place
145 all your formspec elements at positions not lower than `0.25,0.5` to
151 ### `doc.new_entry(category_id, entry_id, def)`
152 Adds a new entry into an existing category. You have to define the category
153 to which to insert the entry, the entry's identifier, a name and some
154 data which defines the entry. Note you do not directly define here how the
155 end result of an entry looks like, this is done by `build_formspec` from
156 the category definition.
158 **Important**: You must call this function before any player joins, but not later.
161 * `category_id`: Identifier of the category to add the entry into
162 * `entry_id`: Unique identifier of the new entry, as a string
163 * `def`: Definition table, it has the following fields:
164 * `name`: Entry name to be shown in the interface
165 * `hidden`: (optional) If `true`, entry will not be displayed in entry list
166 initially (default: `false`); it can be revealed later
167 * `data`: Arbitrary data attached to the entry. Any data type is allowed;
168 The data in this field will be used to create the actual formspec
169 with `build_formspec` from the category definition
174 ### `function doc.show_doc(playername)`
175 Opens the main documentation formspec for the player (Main tab).
178 * `playername`: Name of the player to show the formspec to
180 ### `doc.show_category(playername, category_id)`
181 Opens the documentation formspec for the player at the specified category
185 * `playername`: Name of the player to show the formspec to
186 * `category_id`: Category identifier of the selected category
191 ### `doc.show_entry(playername, category_id, entry_id, ignore_hidden)`
192 Opens the documentation formspec for the player showing the specified entry
193 of a category (Entry tab). If the entry is hidden, an error message
194 is displayed unless `ignore_hidden==true`.
197 * `playername`: Name of the player to show the formspec to
198 * `category_id`: Category identifier of the selected category
199 * `entry_id`: Entry identifier of the entry to show
200 * `ignore_hidden`: (optional) If `true`, shows entry even if it is still hidden
201 to the player; this will automatically reveal the entry to this player for the
207 ### `doc.get_category_definition(category_id)`
208 Returns the definition of the specified category.
211 * `category_id`: Category identifier of the category to the the definition
215 The category's definition table as spefied in the `def` argument of
216 `doc.new_category`. The table fields are the same.
218 ### `doc.get_entry_definition(category_id, entry_id)`
219 Returns the definition of the specified entry.
222 * `category_id`: Category identifier of entry's category
223 * `entry_id`: Entry identifier of the entry to get the definition for
226 The entry's definition table as spefied in the `def` argument of
227 `doc.new_entry`. The table fields are the same.
229 ### `doc.entry_exists(category_id, entry_id)`
230 Checks if the specified entry exists and returns `true` or `false`.
233 * `category_id`: Category identifier of the category to check
234 * `entry_id`: Entry identifier of the entry to check for its existance
237 Returns `true` if and only if:
239 * The specified category exists
240 * This category contains the specified entry
242 Otherwise, returns `false`.
244 ### `doc.entry_viewed(playername, category_id, entry_id)`
245 Tells whether the specified entry is marked as “viewed” (or read) by
249 * `playername`: Name of the player to check
250 * `category_id`: Category identifier of the category to check
251 * `entry_id`: Entry identifier of the entry to check
254 `true`, if entry is viewed, `false` otherwise.
256 ### `doc.entry_revealed(playername, category_id, entry_id)`
257 Tells whether the specified entry is marked as “revealed” to the player
258 and thus visible and generally accessible.
261 * `playername`: Name of the player to check
262 * `category_id`: Category identifier of the category to check
263 * `entry_id`: Entry identifier of the entry to check
266 `true`, if entry is revealed, `false` otherwise.
268 ### `doc.mark_entry_as_viewed(playername, category_id, entry_id)`
269 Marks a particular entry as “viewed” (or read) by a player. This will
270 also automatically reveal the entry to the player permanently.
273 * `playername`: Name of the player for whom to mark an entry as “viewed”
274 * `category_id`: Category identifier of the category of the entry to mark
275 * `entry_id`: Entry identifier of the entry to mark
280 ### `doc.mark_entry_as_revealed(playername, category_id, entry_id)`
281 Marks a particular entry as “revealed” to a player. If the entry is
282 declared as hidden, it will become visible in the list of entries for
283 this player and will always be accessible with `doc.show_entry`. This
284 change is permanently.
286 For entries which are not normally hidden, this function has no direct
290 * `playername`: Name of the player for whom to reveal the entry
291 * `category_id`: Category identifier of the category of the entry to reveal
292 * `entry_id`: Entry identifier of the entry to reveal
297 ### `doc.add_entry_alias(category_id, entry_id, alias)`
298 Adds a single alias for an entry. When an entry has an alias, supplying the
299 alias to a function which demands an `entry_id` will work as if the original
300 `entry_id` has been supplied. Aliases are true within one category only.
303 * `category_id`: Category identifier of the category of the entry in question
304 * `entry_id`: The original (!) entry identifier of the entry to create an alias
306 * `alias`: Alias (string) for `entry_id`
311 ### `doc.add_entry_aliases(category_id, entry_id, aliases)`
312 Adds an arbitrary amount of aliases for an entry at once. Apart from that, this
313 function has the same effect as `doc.add_entry_alias`.
316 * `category_id`: Category identifier of the category of the entry in question
317 * `entry_id`: The original (!) entry identifier of the entry to create aliases
319 * `aliases`: Table/list of aliases (strings) for `entry_id`
324 ### `doc.get_category_count()`
325 Returns the number of registered categories.
327 ### `doc.get_entry_count(category_id)`
328 Returns the number of entries in a category.
331 * `category_id`: Category identifier of the category in which to count entries
334 Number of entries in the specified category.
336 ### `function doc.get_viewed_count(playername, category_id)`
337 Returns how many entries have been viewed by a player.
340 * `playername`: Name of the player to count the viewed entries for
341 * `category_id`: Category identifier of the category in which to count the
345 Amount of entries the player has viewed in the specified category. If the
346 player does not exist, this function returns `nil`.
348 ### `function doc.get_revealed_count(playername, category_id)`
349 Returns how many entries the player has access to (non-hidden entries)
353 * `playername`: Name of the player to count the revealed entries for
354 * `category_id`: Category identifier of the category in which to count the
358 Amount of entries the player has access to in the specified category. If the
359 player does not exist, this function returns `nil`.
361 ### `function doc.get_hidden_count(playername, category_id)`
362 Returns how many entries are hidden from the player in this category.
365 * `playername`: Name of the player to count the hidden entries for
366 * `category_id`: Category identifier of the category in which to count the
370 Amount of entries hidden from the player. If the player does not exist,
371 this function returns `nil`.
374 ## Extending this mod (naming conventions)
375 If you want to extend this mod with your own functionality, it is recommended
376 that you put all API functions into `doc.sub.<name>`.
377 As a naming convention, if your mod depends on `doc`, your mod name should also start
378 with “`doc_`”, like `doc_items`, `doc_minetest_game`, `doc_identifier`.
380 One mod which uses this convention is `doc_items` which uses the `doc.sub.items`