Dynamically create PieceSlot for PieceWindow ListWidget

Module Design
1

Dear all,

I have the following question:
So I am trying to create in code the some PieceSlot on some objects.
They are added, but I don’t see the real name and I am not sure on how to include the image of the Piece slot. This is my code so far:
PieceSlot newPieceSlot = new PieceSlot();
_logger.info(“unit name” + testUnit.get_unitFullName());

            newPieceSlot.setAttribute("name", testUnit.get_unitFullName());
            newPieceSlot.setAttribute("entryName", testUnit.get_unitFullName());

            //generate images
            generatePieceSlotImage(testUnit);

            newPieceSlot.setAttribute("pieceDefinition", "test.PNG");
            _logger.info("new PieceSlot: " + newPieceSlot.getName() + " " + newPieceSlot.toString());
            
            listWidget.add(pieceSlot);

Anyone has any experience with this?

2

Before I give any advice, could you please describe what you are trying to achieve?

3

Dynamically set up module content with external data, which also means the pieceslots.

4

I’m not sure why you expect this to do anything at all when the definition of PieceSlot.setAttribute() is

  public void setAttribute(String name, Object value) {
  }

Calling random methods and passing random data as arguments is not going to get you very far. What you are trying to do is not easy and requires an in-depth knowledge of Vassal internals. Based on other programmers coming new to Vassal, the skills you need can be built up over a couple of months of intensive study.

You will need to investigate the PieceDefiner and how it builds GamePieces and generates pieceDefinitions. Try running Vassal under a debugger and look into the data structures it is building and passing around.

If you have a pre-existing GamePiece, you can call PieceSlot.setPiece() to set that piece into the PieceSlot.

That GamePiece will need to be built up from a BascPiece and any Decorators you require to implement that piece.

Regards.

5

Will do more investigation and debugging for further understanding. Thanks for the small hint!

Looking at the debugging now, but how would you ideally be able to debug a module with maven?
Would you create a main class around the module? Or create a method in VASSAL engine, that will directly call that module?

6

got it working. Strange…I changed args to vmargs, that failed, switched it back to args, then it worked.