Storing Maps ... Simple Question

[Keger]

I am planning on storing game maps to a text file. Each
of my hexes has a value (1024 possible for each) .
So, the map will have a height and width in hexes and
then I will read the map array one value at a time to
the text file.

There will be any number of maps available with different
sizes. The player can choose, edit or create them.

How do you guys go about this?

Thanks

[kedaman]

Easiest as well as most efficient way to go is to store the maps binary as a single type,ex:

Type mapfile
  map() as mapdata
end type
Type mapdata
  data() as integer
End type
...
dim data as mapfile
...
put#1,,data

[Keger]

Thanks kedaman

I was trying to do that earlier but was failing miserably.
I need to get the hang of random file access.
Anyway, I'll figure it out. Just need to find a few more
examples. How come its only the simple things that
beat me up?

Thanks again
Its good to know what the proes do.

[Brykovian]

Keger ... Look up info on "Binary Files", not "Random Access" ...

In its most basic form, you open one for writing like this:

Dim FileNum as Integer
FileNum = FreeFile
Open "myfile.dat" for Binary Access Write as #FileNum

There's info in the VB help file about how to lock the file as well as other options.

Then, to write data to the file, you simply use

Put #FileNum,  1, Data

That number (1, in the above example) is what byte of the file to start writing ... The nice thing about it is that you can write entire arrays of whatever type you wish with a single statement.

Then, to read the file open it with "Access Read" and use Get # to retrieve things ...

Hope that gets you started.

-Bryk

[Keger]

Thanks Brykovian

You would have thought that I could figure that out .

Ok...
So you said something about arrays
can I put a whole array in, in one shot or ????

[kedaman]

You can put an array in one shot, but the dimensions won't store, unless you do it manually. As I suggested carefully planning a tree of UDT's as a header for the file contents, you can put the whole UDT in one shot without any fuss about other datatypes.

[Keger]

Thanks
I got it !
Everything works ! ! !