This library is focused on simplifing similar repetitive tasks that you have to deal with writing and reading messages from server to client and vice versa.

In this section you will learn how to setup and use the library.

To download it you have to go in the GitHub's release section and download the lastest release. Then you just have to add to the references DarkRiftLibrary-MLAPI.dll: Go in Solution Explorer/ Right click on Reference/Add Reference/Browse and search for it. If you're using Unity, then you have to create a folder called Plugins and move the DarkRiftLibrary-MLAPI.dll file to the folder.

This library is simple and immediate... It provides you a new interface called ISync that you can implement in your classes that need to be synced. Once you derive from it, you have to implement a property called TypeID, which stores the ID of the current class. It is used to unpack a received message into one specific type. Then there are 2 methods which you should already know: Serialize and Deserialize. They can be used to serialize and deserialize all the object. Finally there are 2 new methods called SerializeOptional and DeserializeOptional. As the name suggests, they are used to serialize and deserialize data depending on a condition, which is the tag parameter. You can use the tag to know in which situation you're in and, depending on it, you can serialize and deserialize one field instead of another. In GitHub you can find a folder called Example where there are 2 Visual Studio projects: the client and the server. You can try them starting the server and then starting the client: you will be asked to write a number between 0 and 6, and you will have to write in twice because you will get an error (don't worry).

Serialization

• SerializeOptional(DarkRiftWriter, int) Used to serialize data depending on the tag condition.
• Extensions (which call SerializeOptional(DarkRiftWriter, int))
  • DarkRiftWriter.Write(ISync sync, bool sendTypeID = false) Serializes sync using the default tag (-1) and it has the condition to send the TypeID.
  • DarkRiftWriter.Write(ISync sync, int tag, bool sendTag = false, bool sendTypeID = false) Serializes sync using the tag, it has the condition to send the Tag and has the condition to send the TypeID.
  • DarkRiftWriter.Write(ISync sync, ExtraSyncData extraSyncData, int tag = -1) Serializes sync using the tag, it has the condition enum extraSyncData where you can choose the extra data to send.

Deserialization

• DeserializeOptional(DarkRiftReader, int) Used to deserialize data depending on the tag condition.
• Extenstions (which call DeserializeOptional(DarkRiftReader, int))

  • ISync ReadSerializable() Deserializes the message into a new instance of a type written in the message (which has to implement ISync) and as tag it uses the one written in the message or -1 if there isn't (default).

  • T ReadSerializable<T>() Deserializes the message into a new instance of the type given (which has to implement ISync) and as tag it uses the one written in the message or -1 if there isn't (default).

  • ISync ReadSerializable(int tag) Deserializes the message into a new instance of a type written in the message (which has to implement ISync) and as tag it uses the parameter tag. T ReadSerializable<T>(int tag) Deserializes the message into a new instance of a type given (which has to implement ISync) and as tag it uses the parameter tag.

  • ReadSerializable(DarkRiftReader reader) Deserializes the message and updates the given instance (which has to implement ISync) and as tag it uses the one written in the message or -1 if there isn't (default).

  • ReadSerializable(DarkRiftReader reader, int tag) Deserializes the message and updates the given instance (which has to implement ISync) and as tag it uses the parameter tag.

Extras ISync has 1 property: TypeID which stores the ID of the type of the class. You have to assign one unique number to each class that implements ISync so that when you will read a message without knowing the type to cast to, the library will use the TypeID written in the message to return the correct Type. NOTE: if you know the type everytime you receive a message, then you can don't use TypeID and choose to not send it to slightly reduce the bandwidth!

• .NET Framework 4.7.2
• DarkRift 2

Apache-2.0

• Penca53