Silksong.DataManager

DataManager is a mod that saves and loads data - global as well as save slot-specific - on behalf of other mods.

Using the mod

To use DataManager as a developer, you will need to do the following:

1. Add a dependency on the Silksong.DataManager NuGet package
2. Add a BepInDependency attribute on your plugin class for the org.silksong-modding.datamanager plugin
3. Implement one of the data interfaces provided by DataManager (discussed in more depth below)

As a simple example:

using Silksong.DataManager;
using BepInEx;

public class SaveData
{
    public long rngSeedForSomePurpose;
}

[BepInAutoPlugin(id: "io.github.username.my-mod")]
[BepInDependency("org.silksong-modding.datamanager")]
public partial class MyPlugin : BaseUnityPlugin, ISaveDataMod<SaveData>
{
    public SaveData? SaveData { get; set; }

    // rest of mod class
}

Types of data

DataManager supports global data, which is an alternative to BepInEx configuration, and per-save data which is effectively a modded extension to save data.

All data types are handled by generic interfaces, such as IGlobalDataMod<T> where T is the type of data you want to store. DataManager will automatically serialize your data as JSON at appropriate times. DataManager uses the Newtonsoft.Json library for serialization and the serialization behavior can be altered by using Newtonsoft.Json attributes in advanced use cases.

In the case that a mod needs to add its own data manually instead of or in addition to these interfaces, the paths used by DataManager can all be found in the DataPaths class.

Global data

Global data is available for cases where data is needed across multiple saves, or outside of saves such as in the menu. DataManager offers 2 types of global data which mod developers can choose between based on their use case. Save data is automatically sychronized across devices by Steam Cloud.

IProfileDataMod

IProfileDataMod<T> is ideal for mods that want a more powerful alternative to BepInEx configuration. Data is stored in the same location as BepInEx configuration files, which means that is scoped to your profile in the mod loader. It is loaded when the game opens and saved when the game closes; you can access it in your plugin's Start method.

IGlobalDataMod

IGlobalDataMod<T> is an alternative to IProfileDataMod<T> which is saved in the save data directory, in <save directory>/Modded/Global/<plugin ID>.json.dat. There are 2 benefits of this location:

1. It will be synced across devices by Steam Cloud
2. It will be available across multiple profiles

Therefore, if either of these use cases are relevant to your mod, you should use IGlobalDataMod<T>. Similar to IProfileDataMod<T>, this data is loaded when the game opens and saved when the game closes; you can access it in your plugin's Start method.

Save-specific data

Save-specific data is a way for your mod to add its own data to a save file. DataManager supports both mutable and immutable data.

IOnceSaveDataMod

IOnceSaveDataMod<T> provides immutable data which is set at the beginning of the file and never updated again. It is stored in <save directory>/Modded/userN/OncePerSave/<mod ID>.json.dat. Data is saved when a game starts, specifically at the end of GameManager.StartNewGame and loaded when loading into a file. Immutable data results in fewer disk operations which makes the game more performant, so developers are encouraged to use it when possible.

ISaveDataMod

ISaveDataMod<T> is used for all mutable save data. It is stored in <save directory>/Modded/userN/SaveData/<mod ID>.json.dat. Data is saved when the game is saved and loaded when loading into a file.