Editable Entities

<cat>Dev.Game</cat>
Making an entity editable is a lot easier than you would think. To edit an entity in realtime in sandbox mode (or your own gamemode if you have it enabled), you simply hold C (context menu) and right click on the entity. A submenu appears, and choosing properties will show a window like the one below.

<image src="entity_editor_example.jpg" alt="center"/>

# Mark it as editable

The first thing to do is to mark it as editable.


```
ENT.Editable = true
```


Simple enough?

# Data Tables

The rest of the magic happens in <page text="ENT:SetupDataTables">ENTITY:SetupDataTables</page> - where you're hopefully already defining your network variables for you entity. It probably looks something like this right now.


```
function ENT:SetupDataTables()

	self:NetworkVar( "Float",	0, "FogStart" )
	self:NetworkVar( "Float",	1, "FogEnd" )
	self:NetworkVar( "Float",	2, "Density" )
	self:NetworkVar( "Vector",	0, "FogColor" )

end
```


So all you need to do is add options to the end of each of these.


```
function ENT:SetupDataTables()

	self:NetworkVar( "Float",	0, "FogStart",	{ KeyName = "fogstart",	Edit = { type = "Float",		order = 1, min = 0, max = 1000000 } } )
	self:NetworkVar( "Float",	1, "FogEnd",	{ KeyName = "fogend",	Edit = { type = "Float",		order = 2, min = 0, max = 1000000 } } )
	self:NetworkVar( "Float",	2, "Density",	{ KeyName = "density",	Edit = { type = "Float",		order = 3, min = 0, max = 1 } } )
	self:NetworkVar( "Vector",	0, "FogColor",	{ KeyName = "fogcolor",	Edit = { type = "VectorColor",	order = 4 } } )

end
```


This might seem a bit complicated, but it's simple really.

We have a table with:

## KeyName

This defines the key-value name of this variable. This is the standard way in Source to handle networked entity variables, and is required for editing to work. As a bonus, it will also allow map-makers to create maps containing your entity and set these variables directly from Hammer I/O.

##  Edit 

This is a subtable describing how to edit this variable. The actual contents of this table differs with each type of variable, and are described below.

# Types

These variables are shared between all "edit types":

* `title` - a string - the title to show to the left of the control. If unset it will default to the control name. This must be unique to each item.
* `order` - a number - will display the lowest orders first.
* `category` - a string - controls are grouped by category (defaults to `General`)
* `readonly` - a boolean initializing the contents as read only value, which can be copied, but not modified.

## Generic

A simple text box.

* `waitforenter` - boolean, whether the value should be updated in real-time as the user types, or only when they press enter. (default: `false`)

## Boolean

This type is a simple checkbox. There's no other settings in here apart from the shared values.

## Float

This provides the client with a number slider.

* `min` - The minimum value (defaults to `0`)
* `max` - The maximum value (defaults to `1`)

## Int

Identical to **Float** but only lets you choose integers.

## VectorColor

This provides the client with a color selector - which is represented by a Vector. Each color component's range is between 0-1.

## Combo

This is a ComboBox.

* `text` - the default selection. (default: `Select...`)
* `values` - a key/value table of available options in the ComboBox. Keys are the identifier string, values are the associated actual values. Required.

# Hooks

## CanEditVariable

<page text="CanEditVariable">GM:CanEditVariable</page> is called serverside before a variable has been edited. Here you can add checks for its validity and stop the edit if needed.

## VariableEdited

<page text="VariableEdited">GM:VariableEdited</page> is called serverside after a variable of an Entity has been edited.

# Advanced

The property editors are modular, and are defined in `lua/vgui/` - each starting with `prop_*`.

Creating your own should be quite simple by looking at these files.

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