Adding a platform to multiple Platform Categories

[dsync89]

Is there a way to add a Platform to more than one Platform Categories, where some of it is nested.

For example, adding the Platform Bandai Handheld (LCD) to [MESS] and [Handhelds (LCD)] Platform Category where [Handhelds (LCD)] is nested under [MESS]
 

- MESS
    - Handhelds (LCD)

 

Initially I thought the Platform.Category support multiple values via semicolon `;`, but turned out it doesn't and LB will just literally add it instead.

 

Code snippet

                        ...
						IDataManager dataManager = PluginHelper.DataManager;
						IPlatform finalGameTargetPlatform = ...
						...
						// Only add Platform Category if settings is enabled
                        if (IsAddPlatformCategory)
                        {
                            // Set the platform's Category property for MULTIPLE categories ---
							// matchingSystemConfig is a model that holds a list of Platform Categories for a Platform
                            if (matchingSystemConfig != null && matchingSystemConfig.PlatformCategory != null && matchingSystemConfig.PlatformCategory.Any())
                            {
                                // First, ensure all parent categories exist in LaunchBox.
                                // If they don't, create them.
                                IPlatformCategory[] allPlatformCategories = dataManager.GetAllPlatformCategories();
                                var existingCategoryNames = allPlatformCategories.Select(c => c.Name).ToHashSet(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);

                                foreach (var categoryName in matchingSystemConfig.PlatformCategory)
                                {
                                    if (!existingCategoryNames.Contains(categoryName))
                                    {
                                        dataManager.AddNewPlatformCategory(categoryName);
                                        // Add to our temporary HashSet to avoid re-checking in the same run
                                        existingCategoryNames.Add(categoryName);
                                        MessageBox.Show($"Platform Category '{categoryName}' did not exist in LaunchBox and has been created.", "Platform Category Created", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);
                                    }

                                    finalGameTargetPlatform.Category = categoryName;
                                    MessageBox.Show($"Platform '{finalGameTargetPlatform.Name}' assigned to Categories: '{finalGameTargetPlatform.Category}'", "Category Assignment", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);
                                    dataManager.Save(true);
                                }

                                // Now, set the Category property of the platform.
                                // LaunchBox uses a semicolon-separated string to represent MULTIPLE categories.
                                // finalGameTargetPlatform.Category = string.Join(";", matchingSystemConfig.PlatformCategory);
                                // Example: "MESS (TV Games);MESS (TEST)"

                                //MessageBox.Show($"Platform '{finalGameTargetPlatform.Name}' assigned to Categories: '{finalGameTargetPlatform.Category}'", "Category Assignment", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);
                            }
                        }

 

[C-Beats]

In app you'd just check the check box for everyone parent you want. In the plugin you have to add a parent relationship to every model you want it applied. I'd have to look at remember what the interface is called.

[dsync89]

Thanks @C-Beats for looking into this! I thought it could be `DataManager.GetAllParents()`, but found the list is empty. 

                                foreach (var categoryName in matchingSystemConfig.PlatformCategory)
                                {
                                    if (!existingCategoryNames.Contains(categoryName))
                                    {
                                        dataManager.AddNewPlatformCategory(categoryName);
                                        existingCategoryNames.Add(categoryName); // Add to our in-memory list
                                        MessageBox.Show($"Platform Category '{categoryName}' did not exist and has been created.", "Category Created", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);

                                        PluginHelper.DataManager.Save(true); // persist it just in case it's not updated
                                    }
                                }

                                IParent[] allParentRelationships = dataManager.GetAllParents();
                                foreach (var parent in allParentRelationships)
                                {
                                    MessageBox.Show($"IParent parent.PlatformName={parent.PlatformName}, parent.ParentPlatformName={parent.ParentPlatformName}, parent.ParentPlatformCategoryName={parent.ParentPlatformCategoryName}", "Parent Assignment", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);

                                }

Inspecting `Parents.xml` and I can see all the Parents for each new Platform that I created. However calling `dataManager.GetAllParents();` doesn't seem to retrieve those entries.

<?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes"?>
<LaunchBox>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Takara Tomy TV Game</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>JoyPalette TV Games</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Epoch TV Games</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Tomy Handhelds (LCD)</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Nintendo Game and Watch</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Takara e-kara</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>RADICA Play TV</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Hasbro TV Games</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Milton Bradley Handhelds (LCD)</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Parker Brothers Handhelds (LCD)</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Tronica Handhelds (LCD)</PlatformName>
  </Parent>

 

[C-Beats]

59 minutes ago, dsync89 said:

Thanks @C-Beats for looking into this! I thought it could be `DataManager.GetAllParents()`, but found the list is empty. 

                                foreach (var categoryName in matchingSystemConfig.PlatformCategory)
                                {
                                    if (!existingCategoryNames.Contains(categoryName))
                                    {
                                        dataManager.AddNewPlatformCategory(categoryName);
                                        existingCategoryNames.Add(categoryName); // Add to our in-memory list
                                        MessageBox.Show($"Platform Category '{categoryName}' did not exist and has been created.", "Category Created", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);

                                        PluginHelper.DataManager.Save(true); // persist it just in case it's not updated
                                    }
                                }

                                IParent[] allParentRelationships = dataManager.GetAllParents();
                                foreach (var parent in allParentRelationships)
                                {
                                    MessageBox.Show($"IParent parent.PlatformName={parent.PlatformName}, parent.ParentPlatformName={parent.ParentPlatformName}, parent.ParentPlatformCategoryName={parent.ParentPlatformCategoryName}", "Parent Assignment", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);

                                }

Inspecting `Parents.xml` and I can see all the Parents for each new Platform that I created. However calling `dataManager.GetAllParents();` doesn't seem to retrieve those entries.

<?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes"?>
<LaunchBox>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Takara Tomy TV Game</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>JoyPalette TV Games</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Epoch TV Games</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Tomy Handhelds (LCD)</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Nintendo Game and Watch</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Takara e-kara</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>RADICA Play TV</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Hasbro TV Games</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Milton Bradley Handhelds (LCD)</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Parker Brothers Handhelds (LCD)</PlatformName>
  </Parent>
  <Parent>
    <PlatformName>Tronica Handhelds (LCD)</PlatformName>
  </Parent>

 

Yeah you had the right call but if that's what your file looks like you don't have any parent relationships. Need both a parent and a child identifier for valid parent relationships. You data file only shows the parent in each. I thought we had a way to manipulate parents via plugin code but not seeing the call to do so.

[dsync89]

Yea I couldn't find any references to add the parent relationship too. Intuitively one would have thought it would be something like IPlatform.AddParent(). Hope it's just something that I missed, I'm certainly sure there are ways to do it. IPlatform does seems to have a Category but I'm not sure if it's relevant. Tried to put a semicolon in that field thinking that it could be the delimiter, but no luck there.

[C-Beats]

31 minutes ago, dsync89 said:

Yea I couldn't find any references to add the parent relationship too. Intuitively one would have thought it would be something like IPlatform.AddParent(). Hope it's just something that I missed, I'm certainly sure there are ways to do it. IPlatform does seems to have a Category but I'm not sure if it's relevant. Tried to put a semicolon in that field thinking that it could be the delimiter, but no luck there.

Yeah, I feel pretty confident that isn't going to work anywhere. My plugin I use on my own personal build does this so let me check how I hooked it up. I admit I may have use some undocumented stuff to make it happen so I wouldn't get my hopes up too much just yet.