# Concord Concord is a feature complete ECS for LÖVE. It's main focus is performance and ease of use. With Concord it is possibile to easily write fast and clean code. This readme will explain how to use Concord. Additionally all of Concord is documented using the LDoc format. Auto generated docs for Concord can be found in `docs` folder, or on the [Github page](https://tjakka5.github.io/Concord/). --- ## Table of Contents [Installation](#installation) [ECS](#ecs) [API](#api) : - [Components](#components) - [Entities](#entities) - [Systems](#systems) - [Worlds](#worlds) - [Assemblages](#assemblages) [Quick Example](#quick-example) [Contributors](#contributors) [License](#licence) --- ## Installation Download the repository and copy the 'concord' folder into your project. Then require it in your project like so: ```lua local Concord = require("path.to.concord") ``` Concord has a bunch of modules. These can be accessed through Concord: ```lua -- Modules local Entity = Concord.entity local Component = Concord.component local System = Concord.system local World = Concord.world -- Containers local Components = Concord.components ``` --- ## ECS Concord is an Entity Component System (ECS for short) library. This is a coding paradigm where _composition_ is used over _inheritance_. Because of this it is easier to write more modular code. It often allows you to combine any form of behaviour for the objects in your game (Entities). As the name might suggest, ECS consists of 3 core things: Entities, Components, and Systems. A proper understanding of these is required to use Concord effectively. We'll start with the simplest one. ### Components Components are pure raw data. In Concord this is just a table with some fields. A position component might look like `{ x = 100, y = 50}`, whereas a health Component might look like `{ currentHealth = 10, maxHealth = 100 }`. What is most important is that Components are data and nothing more. They have 0 functionality. ### Entities Entities are the actual objects in your game. Like a player, an enemy, a crate, or a bullet. Every Entity has it's own set of Components, with their own values. A crate might have the following components (Note: Not actual Concord syntax): ```lua { position = { x = 100, y = 200 }, texture = { path = "crate.png", image = Image }, pushable = { }, } ``` Whereas a player might have the following components: ```lua { position = { x = 200, y = 300 }, texture = { path = "player.png", image = Image }, controllable = { keys = "wasd" }, health = { currentHealth = 10, maxHealth = 100}, } ``` Any Component can be given to any Entity (once). Which Components an Entity has will determine how it behaves. This is done through the last thing... ### Systems Systems are the things that actually _do_ stuff. They contain all your fancy algorithms and cool game logic. Each System will do one specific task like say, drawing Entities. For this they will only act on Entities that have the Components needed for this: `position` and `texture`. All other Components are irrelevant. In Concord this is done something alike this: ```lua drawSystem = System({pool = {position, texture}}) -- Define a System that takes all Entities with a position and texture Component function drawSystem:draw() -- Give it a draw function for _, entity in ipairs(self.pool) do -- Iterate over all Entities that this System acts on local position = entity.position -- Get the position Component of this Entity local texture = entity.texture -- Get the texture Component of this Entity -- Draw the Entity love.graphics.draw(texture.image, position.x, position.y) end end ``` ### To summarize... - Components contain only data. - Entities contain any set of Components. - Systems act on Entities that have a required set of Components. By creating Components and Systems you create modular behaviour that can apply to any Entity. What if we took our crate from before and gave it the `controllable` Component? It would respond to our user input of course. Or what if the enemy shot bullets with a `health` Component? It would create bullets that we'd be able to destroy by shooting them. And all that without writing a single extra line of code. Just reusing code that already existed and is guaranteed to be reuseable. --- ## API ### General design Concord does a few things that might not be immediately clear. This segment should help understanding. #### Requiring files Since you'll have lots of Components and Systems in your game Concord makes it a bit easier to load things in. ```lua -- Loads all files in the directory, and puts the return value in the table Systems. The key is their filename without any extension local Systems = {} Concord.utils.loadNamespace("path/to/systems", Systems) print(Systems.systemName) -- Loads all files in the directory. Components automatically register into Concord.components, so loading them into a namespace isn't necessary. Concord.utils.loadNamespace("path/to/components") print(Concord.components.componentName) ``` #### Method chaining ```lua -- Most (if not all) methods will return self -- This allowes you to chain methods myEntity :give("position", 100, 50) :give("velocity", 200, 0) :remove("position") :destroy() myWorld :addEntity(fooEntity) :addEntity(barEntity) :clear() :emit("test") ``` ### Components When defining a ComponentClass you need to pass in a name and usually a `populate` function. This will fill the Component with values. ```lua -- Create the position class with a populate function -- The component variable is the actual Component given to an Entity -- The x and y variables are values we pass in when we create the Component Concord.component("position" function(component, x, y) component.x = x or 0 component.y = y or 0 end) -- Create a ComponentClass without a populate function -- Components of this type won't have any fields. -- This can be useful to indiciate state. local pushableComponentClass = Concord.component("position") ``` ### Entities Entities can be freely made and be given Components. You pass the name of the ComponentClass and the values you want to pass. It will then create the Component for you. Entities can only have a maximum of one of each Component. Entities can not share Components. ```lua -- Create a new Entity local myEntity = Entity() -- or local myEntity = Entity(myWorld) -- To add it to a world immediately ( See World ) ``` ```lua -- Give the entity the position Component defined above -- x will become 100. y will become 50 myEntity:give("position", 100, 50) ``` ```lua -- Retrieve a Component local position = myEntity.position print(position.x, position.y) -- 100, 50 ``` ```lua -- Remove a Component myEntity:remove("position") ``` ```lua -- Entity:give will override a Component if the Entity already has it -- Entity:ensure will only put the Component if the Entity does not already have it Entity:ensure("position", 0, 0) -- Will give -- Position is {x = 0, y = 0} Entity:give("position", 50, 50) -- Will override -- Position is {x = 50, y = 50} Entity:give("position", 100, 100) -- Will override -- Position is {x = 100, y = 100} Entity:ensure("position", 0, 0) -- Wont do anything -- Position is {x = 100, y = 100} ``` ```lua -- Retrieve all Components -- WARNING: Do not modify this table. It is read-only local allComponents = myEntity:getComponents() for ComponentClass, Component in ipairs(allComponents) do -- Do stuff end ``` ```lua -- Assemble the Entity ( See Assemblages ) myEntity:assemble(assemblageFunction, 100, true, "foo") ``` ```lua -- Check if the Entity is in a world local inWorld = myEntity:inWorld() -- Get the World the Entity is in local world = myEntity:getWorld() ``` ```lua -- Destroy the Entity myEntity:destroy() ``` ### Systems Systems are defined as a SystemClass. Concord will automatically create an instance of a System when it is needed. Systems get access to Entities through `pools`. They are created using a filter. Systems can have multiple pools. ```lua -- Create a System local mySystemClass = Concord.system(pool = {"position"}) -- Pool named 'pool' will contain all Entities with a position Component -- Create a System with multiple pools local mySystemClass = Concord.system( pool = { -- This pool will be named 'pool' "position", "velocity", }, secondPool = { -- This pool's name will be 'secondPool' "health", "damageable", } ) ``` ```lua -- If a System has a :init function it will be called on creation -- world is the World the System was created for function mySystemClass:init(world) -- Do stuff end ``` ```lua -- Defining a function function mySystemClass:update(dt) -- Iterate over all entities in the Pool for _, e in ipairs(self.pool) -- Do something with the Components e.position.x = e.position.x + e.velocity.x * dt e.position.y = e.position.y + e.velocity.y * dt end -- Iterate over all entities in the second Pool for _, e in ipairs(self.secondPool) -- Do something end end ``` ```lua -- Systems can be enabled and disabled -- When systems are disabled their callbacks won't be executed. -- Note that pools will still be updated -- This is mainly useful for systems that display debug information -- Systems are enabled by default -- Enable a System mySystem:setEnable(true) -- Disable a System mySystem:setEnable(false) -- Get enabled state local isEnabled = mySystem:isEnabled() print(isEnabled) -- false ``` ```lua -- Get the World the System is in local world = System:getWorld() ``` ### Worlds Worlds are the thing your System and Entities live in. With Worlds you can `:emit` a callback. All Systems with this callback will then be called. Worlds can have 1 instance of every SystemClass. Worlds can have any number of Entities. ```lua -- Create World local myWorld = Concord.world() ``` ```lua -- Add an Entity to the World myWorld:addEntity(myEntity) -- Remove an Entity from the World myWorld:removeEntity(myEntity) ``` ```lua -- Add a System to the World myWorld:addSystem(mySystemClass) -- Add multiple Systems to the World myWorld:addSystems(moveSystemClass, renderSystemClass, controlSystemClass) ``` ```lua -- Check if the World has a System local hasSystem = myWorld:hasSystem(mySystemClass) -- Get a System from the World local mySystem = myWorld:getSystem(mySystemClass) ``` ```lua -- Emit an event -- This will call the 'update' function of all added Systems if they have one -- They will be called in the order they were added myWorld:emit("update", dt) -- You can emit any event with any parameters myWorld:emit("customCallback", 100, true, "Hello World") ``` ```lua -- Remove all Entities from the World myWorld:clear() ``` ```lua -- Override-able callbacks -- Called when an Entity is added to the World -- e is the Entity added function myWorld:onEntityAdded(e) -- Do something end -- Called when an Entity is removed from the World -- e is the Entity removed function myWorld:onEntityRemoved(e) -- Do something end ``` ### Assemblages Assemblages are functions to 'make' Entities something. An important distinction is that they _append_ Components. ```lua -- Make an Assemblage function -- e is the Entity being assembled. -- cuteness and legs are variables passed in function animal(e, cuteness, legs) e :give(cutenessComponentClass, cuteness) :give(limbs, legs, 0) -- Variable amount of legs. 0 arm. end) -- Make an Assemblage that uses animal -- cuteness is a variables passed in function cat(e, cuteness) e :assemble(animal, cuteness * 2, 4) -- Cats are twice as cute, and have 4 legs. :give(soundComponent, "meow.mp3") end) ``` ```lua -- Use an Assemblage myEntity:assemble(cat, 100) -- 100 cuteness ``` --- ## Quick Example ```lua local Concord = require("concord") -- Defining components Concord.component("position", function(c, x, y) c.x = x or 0 c.y = y or 0 end) Concord.component("velocity", function(c, x, y) c.x = x or 0 c.y = y or 0 end) local Drawable = Concord.component("drawable") -- Defining Systems local MoveSystem = Concord.system({ pool = {"position", "velocity"} }) function MoveSystem:update(dt) for _, e in ipairs(self.pool) do e.position.x = e.position.x + e.velocity.x * dt e.position.y = e.position.y + e.velocity.y * dt end end local DrawSystem = Concord.system({ pool = {"position", "drawable"} }) function DrawSystem:draw() for _, e in ipairs(self.pool) do love.graphics.circle("fill", e.position.x, e.position.y, 5) end end -- Create the World local world = Concord.world() -- Add the Systems world:addSystems(MoveSystem, DrawSystem) -- This Entity will be rendered on the screen, and move to the right at 100 pixels a second local entity_1 = Concord.entity(world) :give("position", 100, 100) :give("velocity", 100, 0) :give("drawable") -- This Entity will be rendered on the screen, and stay at 50, 50 local entity_2 = Concord.entity(world) :give("position", 50, 50) :give("drawable") -- This Entity does exist in the World, but since it doesn't match any System's filters it won't do anything local entity_3 = Concord.entity(world) :give("position", 200, 200) -- Emit the events function love.update(dt) world:emit("update", dt) end function love.draw() world:emit("draw") end ``` --- ## Contributors - __Positive07__: Constant support and a good rubberduck - __Brbl__: Early testing and issue reporting - __Josh__: Squashed a few bugs and generated docs - __Erasio__: I took inspiration from HooECS. He also introduced me to ECS - __Speak__: Lots of testing for new features of Concord - __Tesselode__: Brainstorming and helpful support --- ## License MIT Licensed - Copyright Justin van der Leij (Tjakka5)