Lost is a library for easy making Construct 3 addons that was created by lostinmind.

Key features:

• Examples
• Quickstart
• Specifying plugin properties
• Creating category
• Building addon
• Testing addon

🚀 Quickstart

Install global lost-c3-cli by using npm i lost-c3-cli -g

Create a bare-bones Lost Addon for plugin by using lost-c3 init --plugin

npm i lost-c3-cli -g
lost-c3 init --plugin # For plugin 
npm run build

📝 Documentation

After using lost-c3 init --plugin we get default file structure for creating addon.

🧱 Addon file structure

├── build/                      # Final build folder (creates automatically after build)
│   ├── addon/   
│   ├── lost/   
├── node_modules/               # 'node_modules' folder
├── src/                        # Main addon folder
│   ├── addon/                  # Construct 3 Typescript based addon folder
│       ├── categories/         # Addon categories folder
│       ├── files/              # Addon other files folder
│       ├── libs/               # Addon libraries folder (only .js libraries, use .d.ts
│       ├── ts-defs/
│       └── Instance.ts         # Main addon Instance class.
│   ├── icon.svg                # Addon icon file (only image/svg format!)
│   ├── lost.config.ts          # Lost addon config file
│   └── plugin.properties.ts    # Plugin properties file
├── .babelrc.json               # 'Babel' config file
├── package.json                # 'package.json' file
├── tsconfig.json               # 'tsconfig.json' file

⚙️ Config setup

Let's setup lost.config.ts file at first.

import { Lost } from "lost-c3-lib";

const Config: Lost.Config = {
    /**
     * Common options
     */
    MinConstructVersion: "",
    IsSingleGlobal: true,
    IsDeprecated: false,
    CanBeBundled: true,
    ObjectName: "MyLostAddon",

    /**
     * Info
     */
    AddonId: "addon_id",
    Type: "plugin",
    AddonCategory: "general",
    AddonName: "My First Lost Addon",
    AddonDescription: "My first lost addon is awesome!",
    Version: "1.0.0.0",
    Author: "Lost",
    WebsiteURL: "https://addon.com",
    DocsURL: "https://docs.addon.com",
    Icon: {
        FileName: 'icon.svg',
        Type: 'image/svg+xml'
    },

    /**
     * Files
     */
    Scripts: [
        {FileName: 'library.js', Type: 'external-dom-script', ScriptType: 'module'},
        {FileName: 'library.js', Type: 'external-runtime-script'}
    ],
    RemoteScripts: [
        "https://script/library.js"
    ],
    Files: [
        {FileName: '', Type: 'external-css'},
        {FileName: '', Type: 'copy-to-output'}
    ]
}

export { Config };

Check more info about using scripts OR libraries in your addon: Using custom libraries/scripts/files

📚 Using custom libraries/scripts/files

It's available to use custom scripts or libraries in your addon.

• Add any library file (library.js) into src/addon/libs/ folder.

• Add any file (data.txt) into src/addon/files folder.

[!IMPORTANT] You should update lost.config.ts Scripts OR Files property and add any script/file you have uploaded.

Example of adding custom script

import { Lost } from "lost-c3-lib";

const Config: Lost.Config = {

    /**
     * Here we added some objects 
     */
    Scripts: [
        {FileName: 'library.js', Type: 'external-dom-script', ScriptType: 'module'},
    ],

    MinConstructVersion: "",
    IsSingleGlobal: true,
    IsDeprecated: false,
    CanBeBundled: true,
    ObjectName: "MyLostAddon",
    AddonId: "addon_id",
    Type: "plugin",
    AddonCategory: "general",
    AddonName: "My First Lost Addon",
    AddonDescription: "My first lost addon is awesome!",
    Version: "1.0.0.0",
    Author: "Lost",
    WebsiteURL: "https://addon.com",
    DocsURL: "https://docs.addon.com",
    Icon: {
        FileName: 'icon.svg',
        Type: 'image/svg+xml'
    }
}

export { Config };

In that case we added new object in Scripts property. That object has some own properties:

- FileName: string // Use only path to lib without ./lib/. Example: "lib.js"
- Type: "external-runtime-script" | "external-dom-script"

[!NOTE] Useful information for choosing Type property value: https://www.construct.net/en/make-games/manuals/addon-sdk/reference/specifying-dependencies#internalH1Link0

[!TIP] It's recommended to use .d.ts files to easy code writing. You can also move them into src/libs/ folder.

[!WARNING] If you passed adding script into lost.config.ts file. Addon won't be loaded successfully!

[!WARNING] Use only .js libraries with .d.ts declaration files only.

⚙️ Specifying plugin properties

Use plugin.properties.ts file to specify any plugin properties for your addon.

Example

import { CheckProperty, ColorProperty, ComboProperty, FloatProperty, FontProperty, GroupProperty, IntegerProperty, LongTextProperty, ObjectProperty, PercentProperty, TextProperty } from "lost-lib";

const PluginProperties: Lost.PluginProperty[] = [
    new IntegerProperty({
        Id: "int",
        Name: "Integer Property",
        Description: "Description...",
        InitialValue: 0,
    }),
    new FloatProperty({
        Id: "float",
        Name: "Float Property",
        InitialValue: 0,
    }),
    new PercentProperty({
        Id: "percent",
        Name: "Percent Property",
        InitialValue: 1,
    }),
    new TextProperty({
        Id: "text",
        Name: "Text Property",
        InitialValue: "",
    }),
    new LongTextProperty({
        Id: "long_text",
        Name: "Long Text Property",
        InitialValue: "",
    }),
    new CheckProperty({
        Id: "check",
        Name: "Check Property",
        InitialValue: false,
    }),
    new FontProperty({
        Id: "font",
        Name: "Font Property",
        InitialValue: "Arial",
    }),
    new ComboProperty({
        Id: "combo",
        Name: "Combo Property",
        InitialValue: "item_one",
        Items: [
            {Id: "item_one", Name: "Item 1"},
            {Id: "item_two", Name: "Item 2"}
        ]
    }),
    new ColorProperty({
        Id: "color",
        Name: "Color Property",
        InitialValue: [1, 0, 0]
    }),
    new ObjectProperty({
        Id: "object",
        Name: "Object Property"
    }),
    new GroupProperty({
        Id: "group",
        Name: "Group Property",
    }),
]

export { PluginProperties };

📁 Creating category

To create category you should create new CategoryName.ts file in src/addon/categories folder. Then you can use code snippet !CC to create default Category structure or copy-paste below script.

import { Lost, Action, Condition, Expression } from "lost-c3-lib"; 
import type { Instance } from "@Instance";

class MyCategory extends Lost.Category {
    
    /**
     * @super(categoryId: string, categoryName: string)
     */
    constructor() { super('main', 'My Category') };

}

const Category = new MyCategory();
export { Category };

[!CAUTION] DO NOT CHANGE Category VARIABLE NAME!'

⚡️ Create action

To create actions for your addon you should use @Action decorator of function in your category class.

Example

import { Lost, Action, StringParam } from "lost-c3-lib"; 
import type { Instance } from "@Instance";

class MyCategory extends Lost.Category {
    
    constructor() { super('myCategoryId', 'My Category') };

    @Action({
        /**
         * A string specifying a unique ID
         */
        Id: 'myAction',
        /**
         * The name that appears in the action picker dialog
         */
        Name: 'Do something', 
        /**
         * The text that appears in the event sheet. 
         * You can use simple BBCode tags like [b] and [i], and use {0}, {1} etc. as parameter placeholders. 
         * (There must be one parameter placeholder per parameter.) 
         */
        DisplayText: 'Do something',
        /**
         * @optional A description of the action or condition, which appears as a tip at the top of the condition/action picker dialog.
         */
        Description: 'Awesome action...',
        /**
         * @optional Set to true to mark the action as asynchronous. 
         * Make the action method an async function, and the system Wait for previous actions to complete action will be able to wait for the action as well.
         */
        IsAsync: false,
        /**
         * @optional Set to true to deprecate
         */
        Deprecated: false,
        /**
         * Use Params property if you need to assign action parameters
         */
        Params: [
            new StringParam({
                /**
                * A string specifying a unique ID
                */
                Id: 'message',
                /**
                 * The name of the parameter
                 */
                Name: 'Message',
                /**
                 * @optional The parameter description
                 */
                Description: 'Enter your message...',
                /**
                 * A string which is used as the initial expression
                 */
                InitialValue: '"Some message"'
            })
        ]
    })
    myAction(message: string) {
        console.log('Log message', message);
    }

}

const Category = new MyCategory();
export { Category };

[!WARNING] It's important to use {0}, {1} as parameter placeholders inside DisplayText property if you have any parameters inside your function (excluding this parameter as Instance Type)

❓ Create condition

To create conditions for your addon you should use @Condition decorator of function in your category class.

Example

import { Lost, Condition, ComboParam } from "lost-c3-lib"; 
import type { Instance } from "@Instance";

class MyCategory extends Lost.Category {
    
    constructor() { super('myCategoryId', 'My Category') };

    @Condition({
        Id: 'myCondition',
        Name: 'On event',
        DisplayText: 'On event [i]{0}[/i]',
        /**
         * Set to true to highlight the ACE in the condition/action/expression picker dialogs.
         */
        Highlight: true,
        /**
         * Specifies a trigger condition. 
         * This appears with an arrow in the event sheet. 
         * Instead of being evaluated every tick, triggers only run when they are explicity triggered by a runtime call.
         */
        IsTrigger: true,
        IsCompatibleWithTriggers: false,
        IsFakeTrigger: false,
        IsInvertible: false,
        IsLooping: false,
        IsStatic: false,
        Params: [
            new ComboParam({
                Id: 'event',
                Name: 'Event',
                Items: [
                    {Id: 'open', Name: 'Open'},
                    {Id: 'close', Name: 'Close'}
                ],
                /**
                 * Use any item id to use as iniial value
                 * If passed, library will automatically set initial value to the first item
                 */
                InitialValue: 'open'
            })
        ]
    })
    onEvent(eventIndex: number) {
        /**
         * When it's a ComboParam, in function you get item index
         */
        switch(eventIndex) {
            case 0:
                // 'open' event
                break;
            case 1:
                // 'close' event
                break;
        }
    }

}

const Category = new MyCategory();
export { Category };

[!WARNING] It's important to use {0}, {1} as parameter placeholders inside DisplayText property if you have any parameters inside your function (excluding this parameter as Instance Type)

🧮 Create expression

To create expressions for your addon you should use @Expression decorator of function in your category class.

Example

import { Lost, Expression, StringParam } from "lost-c3-lib"; 
import type { Instance } from "@Instance";

class MyCategory extends Lost.Category {
    
    constructor() { super('myCategoryId', 'My Category') };

    @Expression({
        Id: 'getValue',
        /**
         * Name will not be used, but required
         */
        Name: 'GetValue',
        DisplayText: 'GetValue',
        ReturnType: 'string',
        /**
         * If true, Construct 3 will allow the user to enter any number of parameters beyond those defined. 
         * In other words the parameters (if any) listed in "params" are required, but this flag enables adding further "any" type parameters beyond the end.
         */
        IsVariadicParameters: false
    })
    getValue() {
        return 'somevalue';
    }

}

const Category = new MyCategory();
export { Category };

[!TIP] It's recommended to name DisplayText property without spaces Because if you name DisplayText with spaces it will not correctly display expression after user close expressions window.

[!CAUTION] Lost library isn't checking parameters that you use in Expressions at that moment. But you must use only StringParam() OR NumberParam() OR AnyParam()

💢 Deprecating Actions, Conditions, Expressions

[!CAUTION] Do not delete any actions, conditions, expressions from your category file. Because it can break projects that are using your addon inside.

Read more info: https://www.construct.net/en/make-games/manuals/addon-sdk/guide/defining-aces#internalH1Link0

How to mark any Action, Condition OR Expression as deprecated? Each Action, Condition OR Expression has Deprecated property in decorator, so you can set it to true to deprecate.

Deprecated: boolean;

🌳 Using Instance

Also you have an ability to use Instance class to implement your custom logic to addon. Main instance class is available at path src/addon/Instance.ts.

[!NOTE] Example of using instance inside function

Instance.ts

import { Config } from "@Config";

const C3 = globalThis.C3;

class LostInstance extends globalThis.ISDKInstanceBase {
  myVar: string = 'someValue';
  readonly PluginConditions = C3.Plugins[Config.AddonId].Cnds;
  constructor() {
  	super();

  	const properties = this._getInitProperties();
  	if (properties) {

  	}

  }
  
  _release() {
  	super._release();
  }
  
};

C3.Plugins[Config.AddonId].Instance = LostInstance;
export type { LostInstance as Instance };

Category.ts

import { Lost, Action } from "lost-c3-lib"; 
import type { Instance } from "@Instance";

class MyCategory extends Lost.Category {
   
   constructor() { super('myCategoryId', 'My Category') };

   @Action({
       Id: 'getValue',
       Name: 'GetValue',
       DisplayText: 'GetValue',
   })
   getValue(this: Instance) {
       console.log(this.myVar);
   }

}

const Category = new MyCategory();
export { Category };

Building addon

To build addon into addon.c3addon file you should use npm run build

.c3addon file will be available in your main folder when you are developing your addon.

Testing addons in developer mode

To run test server you should use npm run server OR npm run dev

• npm run server comman will run server once
• npm run dev will detect all addon changes and reload addon with recompiling

[!IMPORTANT] Read more info about developer mode in Construct 3:

https://www.construct.net/en/make-games/manuals/addon-sdk/guide/using-developer-mode

[!TIP] If you want to open Construct 3 page after server run you should use npm run server --open

🪪 License

MIT