anathema/anathema — Issue #67: Save the properties of the equipments in the character save files.
Author: kelemen
Created: 2012-02-15 19:34:36+00:00
State: open

Now if you create and save a character and want to copy that character to a different computer, the equipments will not be transfered.

Currently the ways around it (those I can reasonably think of):

1. Copy the equipment.yap as well
2. Manually add the same equipments to the database.

The first method doesn't work if the other computer has a non-empty database as it would overwrite it. Also since equipment.yap can only be copied if anathema is not runnig is a further inconvenience.

The second method always works but of course it is extremly awkward. Also you have to be careful, since if you make a typo in the name the items will still not match.

### Proposed solution

I propose therefore to add those items to the character save file just under the root tag under a new "equipments" tag. This of course introduces possible problem: What if the other computer already have an item but with different properties?

There are more way to solve the newly introduced problem: The easiest is to simply ignore the database when an item exists in both the character definition file and the database. Of course, it would also be possible to ignore the item definition from the character file.

Apart from the previous behaviour, a new button (or somthing similar) should be added to allow importing the items from the character definition file into the local database (and overwrite items in it). If only this new button is provided, it would make sence to ignore the defintion from the character file because with this button only the only way the user can see the items of the character is the way defined in the character file (and not in the local database). Although another button could be added to overwrite the items of the character with the ones in the local database.

My preferred solution would be to display the items of the character with defintion of the character save file and provide both buttons (to import the items to the database and another for overwriting the items of the character from the local database).

I'm willing to implement this feature if you agree that it would be worthwhile.