Could someone help me understand where I'm going wrong with the modular system?

[Max_Caine]

I'm currently doing a "CE-Enhanced" version of Lore+ (just tarting up what's already been done). My first test ended in dismal failure. The second one worked (without me changing a thing) and I don't quite understand what's gone wrong in the first that worked in the second.

Here's the logfile for the first test (I've appended the section of interest)

Mon Aug 04 15:38:15 2014: Xenonauts, version .Mon Aug 04 15:38:15 2014: Pixel Shader Version: ffff0300Mon Aug 04 15:38:20 2014: MOD INFO: Initializing mod list (highest priority last).Mon Aug 04 15:38:20 2014: MOD INFO: Adding mod directory: mods/LorePlusCEEnhanced/Mon Aug 04 15:38:20 2014: MOD INFO: Merged strings from mod mods/LorePlusCEEnhanced/ .Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD INFO: Merging Excel XML for researches.xml from mod mods/LorePlusCEEnhanced/ .Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.ScoutingMission which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.ResearchMission which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.TerrorMission which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.GroundAttackMission which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.BombingRunMission which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.InterceptionMission which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.BaseBuildMission which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.BaseAttackMission which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.ReaperClass which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.WraithClass which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.HarridanClass which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.SebillianClass1 which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.SebillianClass2 which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.SebillianClass3 which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.CaesanClass1 which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.CaesanClass2 which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.CaesanClass3 which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.CaesanClass4 which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.AndronClass1 which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:38:21 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.AndronClass2 which has empty column(s).

And

Mon Aug 04 15:38:22 2014: MOD INFO: Merging XML for mission_researches.xml from mod mods/LorePlusCEEnhanced/ .Mon Aug 04 15:38:22 2014: MOD INFO: Merging element MissionResearches .Mon Aug 04 15:38:22 2014: MOD ERROR: There are multiple elements to update: MissionResearchMon Aug 04 15:38:22 2014: MOD ERROR: Merging XML for mission_researches.xml from mod mods/LorePlusCEEnhanced/ failed.Mon Aug 04 15:38:23 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Mon Aug 04 15:38:23 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Mon Aug 04 15:38:23 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Mon Aug 04 15:38:23 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Mon Aug 04 15:38:23 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Mon Aug 04 15:38:23 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Mon Aug 04 15:38:23 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Mon Aug 04 15:38:23 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Mon Aug 04 15:38:23 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Mon Aug 04 15:38:23 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Mon Aug 04 15:38:35 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label ''

In-between those two is a much longer section where the xenopedia and strings are merged without issues.

Here's the logfile for the second test:

Mon Aug 04 15:48:53 2014: MOD INFO: Using texture xenopediaimages/sebillian_noncom from mod mods/LorePlusCEEnhanced/ .Mon Aug 04 15:49:11 2014: MOD INFO: Using texture xenopediaimages/scouting from mod mods/LorePlusCEEnhanced/ .Mon Aug 04 15:49:28 2014: MOD INFO: Merging Excel XML for researches.xml from mod mods/LorePlusCEEnhanced/ .Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.ScoutingMission which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.ResearchMission which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.TerrorMission which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.GroundAttackMission which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.BombingRunMission which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.InterceptionMission which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.BaseBuildMission which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.BaseAttackMission which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.ReaperClass which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.WraithClass which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.HarridanClass which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.SebillianClass1 which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.SebillianClass2 which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.SebillianClass3 which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.CaesanClass1 which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.CaesanClass2 which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.CaesanClass3 which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.CaesanClass4 which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.AndronClass1 which has empty column(s).Mon Aug 04 15:49:29 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.AndronClass2 which has empty column(s).

The merges in the second test only occured in researches - not in the xenopedia or strings. Furthermore, two files from xenopediaimages were referred to directly. I've done somethng wrong - this much is clear, but I'm afraid I don't understand where I've gone wrong.

EDIT: Here's a sample of what it looks like in researches.xml

         <Row ss:AutoFitHeight="0" ss:Height="51">   <Cell ss:StyleID="s72"><Data ss:Type="String">Researches.ScoutingMission</Data></Cell>   <Cell ss:StyleID="s72"><Data ss:Type="Number">0</Data></Cell>   <Cell ss:StyleID="s73"><Data ss:Type="String">UFOs</Data></Cell>   <Cell ss:StyleID="s74"><Data ss:Type="String">Items.AlienLightScoutDatacore</Data></Cell>   <Cell ss:StyleID="s72"/>   <Cell ss:StyleID="s74"><Data ss:Type="String">UnlockKnowledge( "Researches.ScoutingMission" );</Data></Cell>   <Cell ss:StyleID="s76"><Data ss:Type="String">Researches.ScoutingMission</Data></Cell>  </Row>  <Row ss:AutoFitHeight="0" ss:Height="51">   <Cell ss:StyleID="s72"><Data ss:Type="String">Researches.ResearchMission</Data></Cell>   <Cell ss:StyleID="s72"><Data ss:Type="Number">0</Data></Cell>   <Cell ss:StyleID="s73"><Data ss:Type="String">UFOs</Data></Cell>   <Cell ss:StyleID="s74"><Data ss:Type="String">Items.AlienScoutDatacore</Data></Cell>   <Cell ss:StyleID="s72"/>   <Cell ss:StyleID="s74"><Data ss:Type="String">UnlockKnowledge( "Researches.ResearchMission" );</Data></Cell>   <Cell ss:

EDIT 2: Having re-read the documentation on the modular system, it would appear that in the first modmerge researches had all the new files appended to it, then in the second those files were updated. I'm uncertain on why this would suddenly cause it to work. Furthermore, only two of the new images were added, and those were the files that should have appeared in the first test. I don't understand how MODMERGEAPPEND works with the researches Excel XML, but I think that's something I should have done.

Edited August 4, 2014 by Max_Caine

[kabill]

Few things, in case they're helpful:

1) I think most of those errors can be ignored. When you add new entries to an xml spreadsheet, the error log reports errors if there are columns empty but actually there's nothing wrong with those columns being empty because there's no relevant information you needed to put in them. E.g. in mods I've made adding new items, I get errors telling me the new items have columns missing in their files(e.g. 'alenium value') but the items work fine anyway.

2) You don't need to do anything with MODMERGEAPPEND unless you're adding something to an existing researches entry (which IIRC Lore+ doesn't do). Indeed, since everything in Lore+ is a new entry, all you should have to do with most of the files (researches.xml, strings.xml and xenopedia.xml) is produce files with the new entries you're adding and the game will do all the work for you.

3) As such, the main error I think you're likely to need to deal with is the one pertaining to the new mission research file. I probably know what the issue is here, but I can't say for certain without being able to see what you've done.

On that matter, if you want to upload what you've done so far I'm happy to take a look and see if I can offer some more specific guidance.

[Solver]

Also an upload of the mission_researches file would be useful for me, so that I can test a resolution for the current problem it exhibits.

[Max_Caine]

Here you go: CE-Enhanced Lore+. If I can get this to work, then this will be the "True Form" Lore+, both with llunaks modular loading and Solvers CE enhancements.

I've noticed this seems to happen with every new Lore+ research topic - not just the ufo mission types, but the alien class analysis as well which shouldn't be affected by mission_researches.

[kabill]

Hope you don't mind, but here's some replacement files which, so far as I can tell, should work:

[ATTACH]5171[/ATTACH]

I've not tested whether what I've done with the mission researches file works 'cause I'd have to play through a whole mission to do so, but I'm 99% certain it will work.

Basically, all I've done is the following:

1) For researches, xenopedia and strings, I've removed all of the vanilla elements as they didn't need to be there. The game therefore just adds the new elements from the mod into the game.

2) For missionresearches, I put MODMERGE="replace" in the highest-level element, which should outright replace everything in the file. The problem you had in that file is that there's multiple <MissionResearch> elements, and since there's more than one the game doesn't know which of the vanilla ones to update. Ideally, the entries would be set up with an identifying attribute the game can be told how to differentiate the different entries (e.g. by having a "name" attribute) but they don't. As such, the only solution is to replace the file outright. (To be clear, this is nothing you can do anything about, since it's the xml structure which is the problem.)

Lore+ Files.zip

Lore+ Files.zip

[Max_Caine]

Okay, so I came back home, tried out the new files curtosy of kabill... (had to put a modinfo file in) and exactly the same thing happened! The first time around it didn't work and the new stuff was appended. The second time around the researches file was updated, and now it works.

Possibly one of two things - either there's an issue with missionresearches, which is something I can check out by getting rid of missionresearches. The second is that there's a problem with the way that I did researches, which is through notepad++. If it's the first I can just excise missionresearches. If it's the second then, well.. that's a problem. I wouldn't know what to do. I don't have Excel, libreoffice doesn't either save, or saves it in a way that causes Xenonauts to crash and OpenOffice doesn't work half the time and the other half can't read the file.

[kabill]

I'm not sure I understand what the problem is that you're having then. What do you mean by "the new stuff was appended" (this sounds like exactly what it's supposed to be doing, which is why I'm confused)?

To check, as well, when you say it's not working do you mean that the error log is giving you errors, or do you mean that it's not working in game? As I wrote above, a lot of the errors are to be expected (the error log doesn't like it when you leave columns empty in new entries, even when you don't need anything in those columns. Everything will still work though). So if you've not done so it might be worth testing in game to check if it's working.

(I only had time for a quick test where I added in one of the new techs as a free research project at the beginning of the game. But I got the xenopedia entry and correct text from that fine, which means all of strings, researches and xenopedia should be working. The only question, then, is the mission researches file.)

In any case, if you could post the error log you're getting in full that might be helpful. If you're getting different results to me obviously my own log isn't going to be any use.

(Also, if there is an issue with using notepad++ and you need the mod to be rebuilt using Excel, I'm happy to convert it for you.)

[Max_Caine]

In the first instance after installing the mod using the launcher (may as do it the way llunak would like it done), testing Lore+ shows that it (the mod) does not work. After the game is wholly escaped and started again, it starts to work. In other words, I experience exactly the same behaviour as previously demonstrated happens. I was incorrect about the modinfo log - it shows the same behaviour in both cases. Namely:

Tue Aug 05 03:01:52 2014: Xenonauts, version .Tue Aug 05 03:01:52 2014: Pixel Shader Version: ffff0300Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.ScoutingMission which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.ResearchMission which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.TerrorMission which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.GroundAttackMission which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.BombingRunMission which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.InterceptionMission which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.BaseBuildMission which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.BaseAttackMission which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.ReaperClass which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.WraithClass which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.HarridanClass which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.SebillianClass1 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.SebillianClass2 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.SebillianClass3 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.CaesanClass1 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.CaesanClass2 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.CaesanClass3 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.CaesanClass4 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.AndronClass1 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.AndronClass2 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Number of columns does not match.Tue Aug 05 03:01:56 2014: MOD ERROR: Merging Excel XML for mods/Lore+CEEnhanced/ from mod xenopedia.xml failed.Tue Aug 05 03:02:00 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Tue Aug 05 03:02:00 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Tue Aug 05 03:02:00 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Tue Aug 05 03:02:00 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Tue Aug 05 03:02:00 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Tue Aug 05 03:02:00 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Tue Aug 05 03:02:00 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Tue Aug 05 03:02:00 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Tue Aug 05 03:02:00 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Tue Aug 05 03:02:00 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label '0'Tue Aug 05 03:02:11 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label ''Tue Aug 05 03:02:37 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label 'REsearchView.PerMonth'Tue Aug 05 03:02:54 2014:  ##### : Missing string for label 'REsearchView.PerMonth'Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.ScoutingMission which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.ResearchMission which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.TerrorMission which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.GroundAttackMission which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.BombingRunMission which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.InterceptionMission which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.BaseBuildMission which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.BaseAttackMission which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.ReaperClass which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.WraithClass which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.HarridanClass which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.SebillianClass1 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.SebillianClass2 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.SebillianClass3 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.CaesanClass1 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.CaesanClass2 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.CaesanClass3 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.CaesanClass4 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.AndronClass1 which has empty column(s).Tue Aug 05 03:11:49 2014: MOD ERROR: Adding new item Researches.AndronClass2 which has empty column(s).

I can't test this further - I have to go to work, but this is the behaviour I experienced.

[kabill]

If the whole thing outright doesn't work, and then does without you changing anything, I can only assume that's a bug with the mod loader rather than anything to do with how the mod has been constructed.

That said, I note that there's a reported error with the number of columns in researches.xml which I don't remember seeing. Try this file as a replacement? [ATTACH]5174[/ATTACH] Perhaps that will make a difference.

In terms of the duplicate research file loading, I don't think that's a problem. Certainly, I've seen this in other mods I've made and it's not been problematic. I think this might be that the game merges the researches file both when you load up Xenonauts, but also when you start/load a game too.

researches.zip

researches.zip

[kabill]

Just had a chance to try out the mod fully and I can't find anything wrong. No unexpected error messages in the log, and the new xenopedia entries trigger correctly including the mission entries.

The only odd thing that happened was that I got *both* the Scouting and Research mission entries after completing a ground mission. That might be because you don't actually need to do the ground mission (I had shot down two UFOs), or perhaps if a UFO is shot down over water then it counts automatically or something? I don't know. But in any case, the mod itself seems to be working fine.

The only difference I can think of is that you've used the mod installer whereas I installed these files manually (and edited them afterwards). So perhaps its due to the mod installer (seems unlikely, but it's all I can think of). Unless you accidentally installed the wrong version to test maybe? Another possibility is how you've installed XCE: my copy is installed with all the XCE files in a separate mod folder but if you've used the overwrite method instead maybe that could create a difference. I'm grasping at straws, but something might help.

[Max_Caine]

Okay, I did some testing yesterday and it's deffo some kind of odd interaction with mission_researches. If I remove misson_researches then it works correctly. If I keep it in, then I encounter the problem I had earlier on. I'll leave the experimental mod up if Solver wants a look at it, but I'm going to go ahead and upload a CE-compliant, as opposed to a CE-Enhanced version, while keeping the CE-Enhanced version around for the future.

[llunak]

- The error about adding new entries with empty columns is bogus. The idea was that it should warn about mistakenly adding items there were supposed to update something, but since it's actually valid to add new entries with empty columns, it triggers here. I've already removed that for 0.27.

- 0.26 has a bug that it doesn't correctly detect new mods installed using the launcher, it's necessary to restart before the mod is detected.

- It's in my todo for 0.27 to do something about the MODMERGE="replace" for the whole group because MODMERGEATTRIBUTE doesn't work with this kind of XML which has the identifier of the XML element as a sub-element rather than attribute.

If there's still some other problem, can you give me a testcase and steps to reproduce?