Saving and Loading data.

[BottledHate]

just some stuff i've learned since july... :) i hope
 someone can learn from this.

dl the entire how-to HERE (updated with all posts)

--////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
--//Everything you need to: 
--//  save strings and tables
--//  load strings and tables
--//  verify/make files and paths
--//-------------------------
--///by ?ottledHat?\\\
--//  resources:
--//     [URL]http://www.lua.org/manual/4.0/manual.html#6.4[/URL]
--//     [URL]http://www.lua.org/manual/5.0/manual.html#5.6[/URL]
--//-------------------------
--//  paths may be absolute: "c:\\path\\to\\a dir\\file.txt"
--//  relative to current dir: "scripts/save data/savefile.txt"
--//  UNC(network) paths use "\\\\pcname\\share\\this folder\\file.txt" --only if proper rights exist.. ;)
--//-------------------------


--//-------------------------
--//VERIFY FILE (make)
--//-------------------------
--///verifyFile()\\\
--//  make file and path(s)
--//  can used to verify a save/load file at start to prevent read/write errors
--//  when the verify funtion is used no changes are made to the file if it exists. a blank file with no data is created otherwise.
--//  optional returns: 1 file exists.. 2 on success new file made returns.. 0 on fail 
--//        ...fails if path/filename is invalid to winblows. 
--//  strip the function, put in main or at top of script to verify/make your global file at start.

--//LUA5 / BCDC / DCDM
         function verifyFile(file) --//(make file)
            local f,e = io.open(file, "a+" ) 
            if f then f:close() return 1
            else 
               local _,_,path = string.find(file, "(.+[/_\\]).+$") 
               if path ~= nil then os.execute("mkdir ".."\""..gsub(path, "/", "\\").."\"") end
               f,e = io.open( file, "a+" )
               if f then f:close() return 2
               else return 0 end
            end
         end
         
--//LUA4 / PTOKAX
         function verifyFile(file)--//(make file)
            local f,e = openfile( file, "a+" )
            if f then closefile(f) return 1
            else 
               local _,_,path = strfind(file, "(.+[/_\\]).+$") 
               if path ~= nil then execute("mkdir ".."\""..gsub(path, "/", "\\").."\"") end
               f,e = openfile( file, "a+" )
               if f then closefile(f) return 2
               else return 0 end
            end
         end
         
--//verifFile() EXAMPLE.
         MySaveFile = "scripts/data/thisbot/settings.txt"
         x = verfyFile(MySaveFile)
         if x = 0 then
            --fail..path/filename is invalid to winblows
         elseif x = 1
            --file exists.
         elseif x = 2
            --file or path did not exist.. now they do.
         end


--//-------------------------
--//SAVE DATA .. (strings)
--//-------------------------
--///saveData()\\\
--//  used to save a string to a file.
--//  will make file and path if they don't exist.
--//  optional returns: 1 data saved.. 2 data saved to new file.. returns.. 0 on fail 
--//        ...fails if path/filename is invalid to winblows, or file locked to other process.

--//LUA5 / BCDC / DCDM
         function saveData(file,string) 
            local f,e = io.open(file, "a+" ) --// [URL]http://www.lua.org/manual/5.0/manual.html#5.6[/URL]  <--more output options/ "a+" appends
            if f then 
            f:write(string)
            f:close() 
            return 1
            else 
               local _,_,path = string.find(crazyFileName, "(.+[/_\\]).+$") 
               if path ~= nil then os.execute("mkdir ".."\""..gsub(path, "/", "\\").."\"") end
               f,e = io.open( file, "a+" )
               if f then 
               f:write(string)
               f:close()
               return 1
               else 
               --**yourGlobalFileName** = "_DefaultFileName"--//EDIT to your global and default filenames.(no path!)
               --saveData(**yourGlobalFileName**, string) --//for if you use the default filename...
               return 0 
               end
            end
         end
         
--//LUA4 / PTOKAX
         function saveData(file, string)
            local f,e = openfile( file, "a+" )--// [URL]http://www.lua.org/manual/4.0/manual.html#6.4[/URL]   <--more output options/ "a+" appends
            if f then
               write(f,string)
               closefile(f)
               return 1
            else
               local _,_,path = strfind(sFileName, "(.+[/_\\]).+$") 
               if path ~= nil then execute("mkdir ".."\""..gsub(path, "/", "\\").."\"") end
               f,e = openfile( sFileName, "a+" )
               if f then
                  write(f,string) 
                  closefile(f)
                  return 2
               else
               --**yourGlobalFileName** = "_DefaultFileName"--//EDIT to your global and default filenames.(no path!)
               --saveData(**yourGlobalFileName**, string) --//for if you use the default filename...
               return 0
               end
            end
         end
         
--//saveData() EXAMPLE.
         MySaveFile = "scripts/data/thisbot/settings.txt"
         MySaveData = "bleh blah bluh"
         x = saveData(MySaveFile, MySaveData)
         if x = 0 then
            --fail..path/filename is invalid to winblows
         elseif x = 1
            --file exists. data saved... (in this case "a+" appends)
         elseif x = 2
            --file or path did not exist.. now they do. data saved
         end


--//-------------------------
--//SERIALIZE TABLES
--//-------------------------
--///Serialize()\\\
--//  used to convert a table into a string for saving. this allows for quick easy reading back in.
--//  tTable = the table you want to save. sTableName = the tables name as a string. sTab = leave blank or "".

--//LUA5 / BCDC / DCDM
         function Serialize(tTable, sTableName, sTab)
            sTab = sTab or "";
            sTmp = ""
            sTmp = sTmp..sTab..sTableName.."={"
            local tStart = 0
            for key, value in tTable do
               if tStart == 1 then
                  sTmp = sTmp..",\r\n"
               else
                  sTmp = sTmp.."\r\n"
                  tStart = 1
               end
               local sKey = (type(key) == "string") and string.format("[%q]",key) or string.format("[%d]",key);
               if(type(value) == "table") then
                  sTmp = sTmp..SerializeCrazy(value, sKey, sTab.."\t");
               else
                  local sValue = (type(value) == "string") and string.format("%q",value) or tostring(value);
                  sTmp = sTmp..sTab.."\t"..sKey.." = "..sValue
               end
            end
            sTmp = sTmp.."\r\n"..sTab.."}"
            return sTmp
         end
         
--//LUA 4 / PTOKAX
         function Serialize(tTable, sTableName, sTab)
            sTab = sTab or "";
            sTmp = ""
            sTmp = sTmp..sTab..sTableName.."={"
            local tStart = 0
            for key, value in tTable do
               if tStart == 1 then
                  sTmp = sTmp..",\r\n"
               else
                  sTmp = sTmp.."\r\n"
                  tStart = 1
               end
               local sKey = (type(key) == "string") and format("[%q]",key) or format("[%d]",key);
               if(type(value) == "table") then
                  sTmp = sTmp..Serialize(value, sKey, sTab.."\t");
               else
                  local sValue = (type(value) == "string") and format("%q",value) or tostring(value);
                  sTmp = sTmp..sTab.."\t"..sKey.." = "..sValue
               end
            end
            sTmp = sTmp.."\r\n"..sTab.."}"
            return sTmp 
         end
         
--//Serialize() EXAMPLE.
   --// this example will cover converting the table with Serialize, saveing with saveData, then loading with dofile.
         MyTable = {["bleh"] = 1, ["bloop"] = {["bloop1"] = "bleeeep1", ["bloop2"] = "bleeeep2"}}
         MySaveFile = "scripts/data/thisbot/settings.txt"
         
         MySaveData = Serialize(MyTable, "MyTable", "") -- the second argument determines the name of the table when read back in.
         
         x = saveData(MySaveFile, MySaveData)
         if x = 0 then
            --fail..path/filename is invalid to winblows
         elseif x = 1
            --file exists. data saved... (in this case "a+" appends)
         elseif x = 2
            --file or path did not exist.. now they do. data saved
         end
         
--//ok, so the file is all saved now.. and the script is restarting due to whatever reason.. 
--to load the table back into the script...
         x = verifyFile(MySaveFile)
         if x = 0 then
            --fail..path/filename is invalid to winblows
         elseif x = 1
            dofile(MySaveFile) --loads the table into the scipt, with the name being the second argument passed to serialize.. in this case "MyTable" (no change) 
            --file exists.
         elseif x = 2
            --file or path did not exist.. now they do.
            --//rebuild your blank tables static values!
         end
--//  so why verify then dofile?
--//  because if the file did not exist. then there is no tabel data. and if you have static vaules in the table..
--//  when your script tries to access them it will error out. so you would wnat to built the blank table there.
--//  think of it as first run and someone new is using your script, so they don't have save data file yet... 
--//  meaning there is nothing to load in...


--//-------------------------
--//Load TABLES (that were serialized)
--//-------------------------
--//  loading tables that were serialized is the quickest and easiest way to load saved data. (that i have found)
--//  the only thing needed is dofile.
--//  i usually verify the file before doing the dofile to make sure there are no errors.

--//LUA 4 / LUA 5
         dofile("yourfilename")
--//dofile() EXAMPLE.
   --see example for Serialize for dofile.


--//This is the end... for now... i hope you were able
--//  to learn something from this file. more file manipulation
--//  to come! requests welcomed.
--///BH\\\
--////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

:D

-BH

[BottledHate]

a couple random ones..

--//Remove a line number from a file.
--//  with a lil moding this function can easily, add data before/after/on a line number.. read line number, and more.

--// LUA 5
         function removeLine(file,rline)
            local lineN = 1
            local tmp =""
            for line in io.lines(filename) do
               if lineN ~= rline then
                  tmp = tmp..line.."\r\n"
               end
            lineN = lineN +1
            end
            local f,e = io.open( filename, "w+" ) --// [URL]http://www.lua.org/manual/5.0/manual.html#5.6[/URL]  <--more output options/ "w+" overwrites.
            if f then
               f:write( tmp )
               f:close()
            end
         end
         
--//LUA 4
         function removeLine(file,rline)
            local lineN,tmp = 1, ""
            readfrom(file)
            while 1 do
               local line = read()
               if line == nil then break
               else
                  if lineN ~= rline then tmp = tmp..line.."\n" end
                  lineN = lineN + 1
               end
            end
            readfrom()
            local f,e = openfile(file, "w+" ) --//... "w+" overwrites
            if f then 
               write(f,tmp)
               closefile(f)    
            end
         end


--//load DC++ favorite users into talble (LUA5 BCDC / DCDM only)
--// easily modded to do other things.
--// returns a table in the format {["nick1"] = 1, ["nick2"] = 1, ["nick3"] = 1, ... } ...so the names are hashed
         function loadFavUsers()
            local start=0
            local favUsers={}
            for line in io.lines("Favorites.xml") do
               if string.find(line, "") then
                  return favUsers
                  break         
               end
               if start ==1 then
                  local s,e,favnick = string.find(line, "") then 
                  start=1
               end
         end

-BH

[NightLitch]

Nice going, some interesting parts.

Keep it coming / NightLitch

[BottledHate]

somehow i forgot to add this one:

--//-------------------------
--//LOAD DATA .. (strings)
--//-------------------------
--///loadData()\\\
--//  used to load an entire file to a string.
--//  returns files text as string, or nil on fail 

--//LUA5 / BCDC / DCDM
         function loadData(file)
            local tmp = ""
            local f,e = io.open(file,"r")
            if f then 
               tmp = f:read("*a")
               f:close(f)
               return tmp
            else return nil end
         end
         
--//LUA4 / PTOKAX
         function loadData(file)
            local tmp = ""
            local f,e = openfile(file,"r")
            if f then 
               tmp = read(f,"*a")
               closefile(f)
               return tmp
            else return nil end
         end
--//loadData() EXAMPLE.         
         MySaveFile = "scripts/data/thisbot/settings.txt"
         MySavedData = loadData(MySaveFile)

dl the entire file w/ all the functions here .

-BH

[Mardeg]

One thing I thought might be useful is for saving/loading simple arrays, for when you don't need data associated with them, or don't care what numbers are associated with them either.

I keep a list of everyone who has read the rules in an array,  using table.insert (and table.remove when they break a rule after reading them, so they must re-read the rules to be re-added) for updating, and save it like this:

function OnExit()
	io.output("readrules.lay")
	local s = ((table.getn(readrules) ~= 0) and "\""..table.concat(readrules,"\",\"").."\"" or "")
	io.write("readrules = {"..s.."}") 
	io.output()
end

then for loading it:

function Main()
	local afile = "readrules.lay"
	local handle = io.open(afile,"r") 
	if handle then
		handle:close()
		dofile(afile)
		os.remove(afile)
	else
		readrules = {}
	end
end

I haven't tried turning it into generic loadarray() savearray() functions, so you're welcome to yourself.