How to read Inventory Slots and fill an Array..?

Dad3353

The Inventory system is working well, for one Scene (Level...). I can pick up Items and they go into their correct Slots, and I can drop them. The Slots are filled, when the Scene opens, from a manually-filled Array. This fine, for the first Scene. If I change Scene, the Array is reset, and filled again with the manual Array contents, and any Items added or dropped since are forgotten. This needs changing, but how..?
I need to be able to recreate the Array, by emptying it, then reading the Slot contents to fill the Array with the content. Array manipulation is not my strong point, nor is he reading of the Slots. Any pointers would be appreciated.

# Here is the bare bones of the present Array emptying...

for lv_chil in get_node("/root/" + lv_iven_leve + "/Player/Inventory/InventoryWindow/SlotContainer").get_children():
			lv_inve_slot.append(lv_chil)
			lv_chil.set_item(null)
			lv_chil.lv_inve = self

# ... and the Slot filling from the Array...

for lv_item in lv_star_item:
	add_item(lv_item)

func add_item (pv_item : Item):
	var lv_slot = get_slot_to_add(pv_item)
	
	if lv_slot == null:
		return

	if lv_slot.lv_item == null:
		lv_slot.set_item(pv_item)
	elif lv_slot.lv_item == pv_item:
		lv_slot.add_item()

... I can expand further and supply Scene trees etc if more is needed; a general method or pseudo-code could be useful. Thanks in advance for any assistance offered, meanwhile...
Thanks for reading; have a great day.

DaveTheCoder

Dad3353 Array manipulation is not my strong point

Do you mean arrays in GDScript, or arrays in general? Didn't you say you had been programming a long time? Or am I thinking of someone else?

I once heard an integrated circuit designer explain: "An array is like a bunch of drawers." 🙂

What about making the current Slots and default Slots globals? Then changes would persist across scene changes.

I would create a Slots class in a file slots.gd for encapsulation, with methods for initializing to the default, adding a slot, removing a slot, etc. The current instance of the class would be a global.

Toxe

Dad3353 There are a bunch of ways.

Store the inventory in an Autoload node, which is basically a Singleton with all its pros and cons. That way you can access it from anywhere, all the time.
Or store the inventory in some kind of Inventory node somewhere in the scene tree.
Or pass the inventory down to every newly instantiated scene.

I am not sure what the exact issue is.

PS: I started with BASIC on the Commodore 64.

Dad3353

DaveTheCoder ...

I started programming on a PDP11, with punch-cards, in 14-bit 'words', using toggle switches. I spent quite some time with Atari 68K ASM programming (plus the usual 'GFA Basic's etc...), then on to higher level Production Management stuff, with Paradox, and some C++ (I didn't do so much coding then, just the analysis and programming, others tapped the code...). All that to say that, firstly, I'm OK with the principles of the stuff, and secondly : yes, I'm old, and have less retention than in daze of yore.
I can probably integrate the Slots into my Globals (more shoehorns...), but would still need to be able to read their contents into an Array (for Load/Save operations, later..?).
And 'Yes, arrays in GDScript'. I've been making this Dungeon Master since 2021, learning Blender and Godot 3.5 along the way. At 76 next birthday, I'm not sure when or if Level 5 will be complete (Entry, Levels 1 and 2 are operational, 3 is WIP, 4 and 5 are built, but not populated yet. Adding this Inventory (plus Particle explosions on a bug's demise...) is, for me, a major overhaul (and an opportunity to check it all works well...). I still have to add the bonus/malus associated with each Item (Poison antidote, or vaccination, health/stamina up, or down if the Item given turns out to be rotten...), and have the creatures 'spawn' the random Item when they expire. There are certainly better ways of organising the whole venture, but, for this Project, that ship has sailed. I'm pleased with the result so far; t'will be all the better once I get these pesky Arrays mastered (well, if not 'mastered', at least 'operational..!).
Sorry, long post. Arrays, then. Should I just pile in and fight my way through..? I'll win in the end, that's certain, but there may be other versions of Godot by then..! Any pointers, or pseudo-code, compatible with my code above..? :-)

DaveTheCoder

Dad3353 started programming on a PDP11, with punch-cards, in 14-bit 'words', using toggle switches.

I started in college with Fortran 66, using an IBM Selectric typewriter connected to a IBM System/360 mainframe with an RJE line. 🙂

I had some later experience with punch cards, when I needed to make cards to read another programmer's card deck into a file. I also used cards occasionally to print files when all the time-sharing terminals were busy.

And a mainframe I used had to be booted by entering some instructions using toggle switches on the panel.

I learned Motorola 68000 assembly code using an early Mac, by writing assembly code on paper, translating the code into hex, and patching the hex into memory to execute it.

I'm younger than you, but not a lot. 🙂

fire7side

I started with color basic on my RadioShack color computer. 32k. There are some old timers on this forum. You'd think I'd be better at programming by now, but I keep trying something else out and forgetting everything.