DataConfig

Serialization framework for Unreal Engine that just works!

Unreal Engine features a powerful Property System which implements C++ runtime reflection. DataConfig is a serialization framework build on top of it. Notably features:

• Out of the box JSON/MsgPack read write.
• Full support for UPROPERTY()/UCLASS()/USTRUCT()/UENUM().
• Pull/Push styled API for verbatim data access and lossless type infomation.
• Designed as a collection of tools that can be easily extended to support other formats.

Integration

Download the latest DataConfig plugin to get started. More details here.

Documentation

See DataConfig Book for details.

Example

Given a struct annotated and processed with Unreal's Property System:

UENUM()
enum class EDcTestExampleEnum
{
    Foo, Bar, Baz
};

USTRUCT()
struct FDcTestExampleStruct
{
    GENERATED_BODY()
    UPROPERTY() FString StrField;
    UPROPERTY() EDcTestExampleEnum EnumField;
    UPROPERTY() TArray<FColor> Colors;
};

DataConfig can deserialize an instance from JSON with the snippet below:

FString Str = TEXT(R"(
    {
        "StrField" : "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet",
        "EnumField" : "Bar",
        "Colors" : [
            "#FF0000FF", "#00FF00FF", "#0000FFFF"
        ]
    }
)");

FDcTestExampleStruct Dest;

//  create and setup a deserializer
FDcDeserializer Deserializer;
DcSetupJsonDeserializeHandlers(Deserializer);
Deserializer.AddPredicatedHandler(
    FDcDeserializePredicate::CreateStatic(DcExtra::PredicateIsColorStruct),
    FDcDeserializeDelegate::CreateStatic(DcExtra::HandlerColorDeserialize)
);

//  prepare deserialize context
FDcPropertyDatum Datum(&Dest);
FDcJsonReader Reader(Str);
FDcPropertyWriter Writer(Datum);

FDcDeserializeContext Ctx;
Ctx.Reader = &Reader;
Ctx.Writer = &Writer;
Ctx.Deserializer = &Deserializer;
DC_TRY(Ctx.Prepare());

//  kick off deserialization
DC_TRY(Deserializer.Deserialize(Ctx));

//  validate results
check(Dest.StrField == TEXT("Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet"));
check(Dest.EnumField == EDcTestExampleEnum::Bar);
check(Dest.Colors[0] == FColor::Red);
check(Dest.Colors[1] == FColor::Green);
check(Dest.Colors[2] == FColor::Blue);

Note that enum is deserialized by its name and FColor is deserialized from a html color string like #RRGGBBAA.

Say if we accidentally mistyped the EnumField value:

{
    "StrField" : "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet",
    "EnumField" : "Far",

DataConfig would fail gracefully with diagnostics:

# DataConfig Error: Enum name not found in enum type: EDcTestExampleEnum, Actual: 'Far'
- [JsonReader] --> <in-memory>4:25
   2 |    {
   3 |        "StrField" : "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet",
   4 |        "EnumField" : "Far",
     |                           ^
   5 |        "Colors" : [
   6 |            "#FF0000FF", "#00FF00FF", "#0000FFFF"
- [PropertyWriter] Writing property: (FDcTestExampleStruct)$root.(EEDcTestExampleEnum)EnumField

License

DataConfig is released under MIT License.

It would be trememdously helpful if you credit us in your projects. See the license page for details.