File read/write capabilities In ArmA?

[scribe308 0]

Hi all,

Do any of you know if ArmA will have support for file manipulation? I'm talking about the ability to read from data files or to create a new file and write to it using scripting.

Something like F-Watch? This would be **highly** useful

to many folks....

Scribe308

[Metal Heart 0]

First thought after reading post:

Think of what a hacker could do with such scripting commands in mp games if ArmA is anything like OFP security wise. At the very least write junk data in the directory until the partition is full or quite possibly even corrupt the whole disk or some specific files trough some bugs.

But I guess you meant only single player.

[VISTREL 0]

Only if it's done for server side I can see good use to it. Like dumping statistic logs (how many kills, deaths, time spent playing). That would rock.

[scribe308 0]

Vistrel,

You said it well. That's exactly why I'd like to have it. To track kills, or any other variable you'd like for any purpose. Hacking potential aside, I'm hoping for this type of capability.

[vektorboson 8]

Hi all,

   Do any of you know if ArmA will have support for file manipulation?  I'm talking about the ability to read from data files or to create a new file and write to it using scripting.

  Something like F-Watch?  This would be **highly** useful

to many folks....

Scribe308

Well in OFP there is already the loadfile-command, which reads a file and puts it into a string.

Basically you can even abuse SQS-files to store data that is relevant for your mission.

The only thing that is missing, is the file-write support, which is indeed only available through fwatch for OFP. AFAIK in VBS, there already exists such a function.

I asked Rastavovich at the Mapfact Workshop specifically for this functionality, but he could neither deny nor confirm such a function exists in ArmA.

Anyway, we need some means to let ArmA communicate with external applications; at least for me, this functionality is essential.

[Dohtar 0]

They should use XML support for reading and writing data. It is widely used, well known standard, all modern programming languages already have classes to handle it with ease, and if you limit file manipulation to XML files only its a good solution security wise. Server side only of course, server admins can choose what scripts/missions they will host, while clients just download it and don't think about it too much.

XML files can be than easily served by a web server, than used on clan/server web sites.

Would be nice to have integrated XML output (server info, number of players, mission), and script function to generate mission specific xml (for instance in CTI you could generate a list of towns with side that controls it - you could use that XML to make a live battlefield map on your website).

With XML, RSS output would be possible aswell, meaning live news from clan battles and other funky shit like that - possibilities are endless really

[malick 0]

What would be very nice, is the ability to export data to a file, like you said. Like a mission, if you like, which would allow for all actions to be written: groups positions, kills statistics, hit stats, different actions and events.

Maybe VBS1 already has a similar tool with the After Action Report, if anyone knows ? That would be a very useful thing for ArmA, well, at least a funny one

Malick

[Commando84 0]

yeah could be fun to read how many head shots, knee caps or back shots you did or other did to you or to a.i's?

could be fun in ghost recon sometimes to know how many shots you fired and how bad your accuracy could be