Add SoftTypeReference<T> to scripting API for lazy-load type references (via typename)

Source/Editor/CustomEditors/Editors/TypeEditor.cs

@@ -393,13 +393,10 @@ namespace FlaxEditor.CustomEditors.Editors
             if (_element != null)
             {
                 _element.CustomControl.ValueChanged += () => SetValue(_element.CustomControl.Value.Type);
-
                 if (_element.CustomControl.Type == ScriptType.Object)
-                {
                     _element.CustomControl.Type = Values.Type.Type != typeof(object) || Values[0] == null ? ScriptType.Object : TypeUtils.GetObjectType(Values[0]);
             }
         }
-        }
 
         /// <inheritdoc />
         public override void Refresh()
@@ -407,11 +404,9 @@ namespace FlaxEditor.CustomEditors.Editors
             base.Refresh();
 
             if (!HasDifferentValues)
-            {
                 _element.CustomControl.Value = new ScriptType(Values[0] as Type);
         }
     }
-    }
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Default implementation of the inspector used to edit reference to the <see cref="FlaxEditor.Scripting.ScriptType"/>. Used to pick classes.
@@ -425,10 +420,8 @@ namespace FlaxEditor.CustomEditors.Editors
             base.Initialize(layout);
 
             if (_element != null)
-            {
                 _element.CustomControl.ValueChanged += () => SetValue(_element.CustomControl.Value);
         }
-        }
 
         /// <inheritdoc />
         public override void Refresh()
@@ -436,10 +429,33 @@ namespace FlaxEditor.CustomEditors.Editors
             base.Refresh();
 
             if (!HasDifferentValues)
-            {
                 _element.CustomControl.Value = (ScriptType)Values[0];
         }
     }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Default implementation of the inspector used to edit reference to the <see cref="FlaxEngine.SoftTypeReference"/>. Used to pick classes.
+    /// </summary>
+    [CustomEditor(typeof(SoftTypeReference)), DefaultEditor]
+    public class SoftTypeReferenceEditor : TypeEditorBase
+    {
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        public override void Initialize(LayoutElementsContainer layout)
+        {
+            base.Initialize(layout);
+
+            if (_element != null)
+                _element.CustomControl.ValueChanged += () => SetValue(new SoftTypeReference(_element.CustomControl.ValueTypeName));
+        }
+
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        public override void Refresh()
+        {
+            base.Refresh();
+
+            if (!HasDifferentValues)
+                _element.CustomControl.ValueTypeName = ((SoftTypeReference)Values[0]).TypeName;
+        }
     }
 
     /// <summary>

Source/Engine/Scripting/SoftTypeReference.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2012-2023 Wojciech Figat. All rights reserved.
+
+using System;
+
+namespace FlaxEngine
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// The soft reference to the scripting type contained in the scripting assembly.
+    /// </summary>
+    public struct SoftTypeReference : IComparable, IComparable<SoftTypeReference>
+    {
+        private string _typeName;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Gets or sets the type full name (eg. FlaxEngine.Actor).
+        /// </summary>
+        public string TypeName
+        {
+            get => _typeName;
+            set => _typeName = value;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Gets or sets the type (resolves soft reference).
+        /// </summary>
+        public Type Type
+        {
+            get => _typeName != null ? Type.GetType(_typeName) : null;
+            set => _typeName = value?.FullName;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="SoftTypeReference"/>.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="typeName">The type name.</param>
+        public SoftTypeReference(string typeName)
+        {
+            _typeName = typeName;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Gets the soft type reference from full name.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="s">The type name.</param>
+        /// <returns>The soft type reference.</returns>
+        public static implicit operator SoftTypeReference(string s)
+        {
+            return new SoftTypeReference { _typeName = s };
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Gets the soft type reference from runtime type.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="s">The type.</param>
+        /// <returns>The soft type reference.</returns>
+        public static implicit operator SoftTypeReference(Type s)
+        {
+            return new SoftTypeReference { _typeName = s?.FullName };
+        }
+
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        public override string ToString()
+        {
+            return _typeName;
+        }
+
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        public override int GetHashCode()
+        {
+            return _typeName?.GetHashCode() ?? 0;
+        }
+
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        public int CompareTo(object obj)
+        {
+            if (obj is SoftTypeReference other)
+                return CompareTo(other);
+            return 0;
+        }
+
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        public int CompareTo(SoftTypeReference other)
+        {
+            return string.Compare(_typeName, other._typeName, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        }
+    }
+}

Source/Engine/Scripting/SoftTypeReference.h

@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2012-2023 Wojciech Figat. All rights reserved.
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "Scripting.h"
+#include "ScriptingObject.h"
+#include "Engine/Core/Log.h"
+#include "Engine/Core/Types/String.h"
+#include "Engine/Serialization/SerializationFwd.h"
+
+/// <summary>
+/// The soft reference to the scripting type contained in the scripting assembly.
+/// </summary>
+template<typename T = ScriptingObject>
+API_STRUCT(InBuild) struct SoftTypeReference
+{
+protected:
+    StringAnsi _typeName;
+
+public:
+    SoftTypeReference() = default;
+
+    SoftTypeReference(const SoftTypeReference& s)
+        : _typeName(s._typeName)
+    {
+    }
+
+    SoftTypeReference(SoftTypeReference&& s) noexcept
+        : _typeName(MoveTemp(s._typeName))
+    {
+    }
+
+    SoftTypeReference(const StringView& s)
+        : _typeName(s)
+    {
+    }
+
+    SoftTypeReference(const StringAnsiView& s)
+        : _typeName(s)
+    {
+    }
+
+    SoftTypeReference(const char* s)
+        : _typeName(s)
+    {
+    }
+
+public:
+    FORCE_INLINE SoftTypeReference& operator=(SoftTypeReference&& s) noexcept
+    {
+        _typeName = MoveTemp(s._typeName);
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+    FORCE_INLINE SoftTypeReference& operator=(StringAnsi&& s) noexcept
+    {
+        _typeName = MoveTemp(s);
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+    FORCE_INLINE SoftTypeReference& operator=(const SoftTypeReference& s)
+    {
+        _typeName = s._typeName;
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+    FORCE_INLINE SoftTypeReference& operator=(const StringAnsiView& s)
+    {
+        _typeName = s;
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+    FORCE_INLINE bool operator==(const SoftTypeReference& other) const
+    {
+        return _typeName == other._typeName;
+    }
+
+    FORCE_INLINE bool operator!=(const SoftTypeReference& other) const
+    {
+        return _typeName != other._typeName;
+    }
+
+    FORCE_INLINE bool operator==(const StringAnsiView& other) const
+    {
+        return _typeName == other;
+    }
+
+    FORCE_INLINE bool operator!=(const StringAnsiView& other) const
+    {
+        return _typeName != other;
+    }
+
+    FORCE_INLINE operator bool() const
+    {
+        return _typeName.HasChars();
+    }
+
+public:
+    // Gets the type full name (eg. FlaxEngine.Actor).
+    StringAnsiView GetTypeName() const
+    {
+        return StringAnsiView(_typeName);
+    }
+
+    // Gets the type (resolves soft reference).
+    ScriptingTypeHandle GetType() const
+    {
+        return Scripting::FindScriptingType(_typeName);
+    }
+
+    // Creates a new objects of that type (or of type T if failed to solve typename).
+    T* NewObject() const
+    {
+        const ScriptingTypeHandle type = Scripting::FindScriptingType(_typeName);
+        auto obj = ScriptingObject::NewObject<T>(type);
+        if (!obj)
+        {
+            if (_typeName.HasChars())
+                LOG(Error, "Unknown or invalid type {0}", String(_typeName));
+            obj = ScriptingObject::NewObject<T>();
+        }
+        return obj;
+    }
+};
+
+template<typename T>
+uint32 GetHash(const SoftTypeReference<T>& key)
+{
+    return GetHash(key.GetTypeName());
+}
+
+// @formatter:off
+namespace Serialization
+{
+    template<typename T>
+    bool ShouldSerialize(const SoftTypeReference<T>& v, const void* otherObj)
+    {
+        return !otherObj || v != *(SoftTypeReference<T>*)otherObj;
+    }
+    template<typename T>
+    void Serialize(ISerializable::SerializeStream& stream, const SoftTypeReference<T>& v, const void* otherObj)
+    {
+        stream.String(v.GetTypeName());
+    }
+    template<typename T>
+    void Deserialize(ISerializable::DeserializeStream& stream, SoftTypeReference<T>& v, ISerializeModifier* modifier)
+    {
+        v = stream.GetTextAnsi();
+    }
+}
+// @formatter:on

Source/Engine/Serialization/JsonConverters.cs

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ using Newtonsoft.Json;
 namespace FlaxEngine.Json
 {
     /// <summary>
-    /// Serialize references to the FlaxEngine.Object as Guid.
+    /// Serialize references to the <see cref="FlaxEngine.Object"/> as Guid.
     /// </summary>
     /// <seealso cref="Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConverter" />
     internal class FlaxObjectConverter : JsonConverter
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ namespace FlaxEngine.Json
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Serialize SceneReference as Guid in internal format.
+    /// Serialize <see cref="SceneReference"/> as Guid in internal format.
     /// </summary>
     /// <seealso cref="Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConverter" />
     internal class SceneReferenceConverter : JsonConverter
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ namespace FlaxEngine.Json
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Serialize SoftObjectReference as Guid in internal format.
+    /// Serialize <see cref="SoftObjectReference"/> as Guid in internal format.
     /// </summary>
     /// <seealso cref="Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConverter" />
     internal class SoftObjectReferenceConverter : JsonConverter
@@ -111,7 +111,36 @@ namespace FlaxEngine.Json
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Serialize SoftObjectReference as Guid in internal format.
+    /// Serialize <see cref="SoftTypeReference"/> as typename string in internal format.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <seealso cref="Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConverter" />
+    internal class SoftTypeReferenceConverter : JsonConverter
+    {
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, object value, Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer serializer)
+        {
+            writer.WriteValue(((SoftTypeReference)value).TypeName);
+        }
+
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        public override object ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, object existingValue, Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer serializer)
+        {
+            var result = new SoftTypeReference();
+            if (reader.TokenType == JsonToken.String)
+                result.TypeName = (string)reader.Value;
+
+            return result;
+        }
+
+        /// <inheritdoc />
+        public override bool CanConvert(Type objectType)
+        {
+            return objectType == typeof(SoftTypeReference);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Serialize <see cref="Margin"/> as Guid in internal format.
     /// </summary>
     /// <seealso cref="Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConverter" />
     internal class MarginConverter : JsonConverter
@@ -237,7 +266,7 @@ namespace FlaxEngine.Json
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Serialize LocalizedString as inlined text is not using localization (Id member is empty).
+    /// Serialize <see cref="LocalizedString"/> as inlined text is not using localization (Id member is empty).
     /// </summary>
     /// <seealso cref="Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConverter" />
     internal class LocalizedStringConverter : JsonConverter

Source/Engine/Serialization/JsonSerializer.cs

@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ namespace FlaxEngine.Json
             settings.Converters.Add(ObjectConverter);
             settings.Converters.Add(new SceneReferenceConverter());
             settings.Converters.Add(new SoftObjectReferenceConverter());
+            settings.Converters.Add(new SoftTypeReferenceConverter());
             settings.Converters.Add(new MarginConverter());
             settings.Converters.Add(new VersionConverter());
             settings.Converters.Add(new LocalizedStringConverter());