SYNOPSIS

int save_object( string name [, int format])
string save_object( [int format])

DESCRIPTION

Encode the saveable variables of the current object into a string.

In the first form, the string is written to the file name. A suffix ”.c” will be stripped from the name, the suffix ”.o” may be added by the master object during the check in valid_read(M). Result is 0 if the save file could be created, and non-zero on a non-fatal error (file could not be written, or current object is destructed).

In the second form the string is returned directly. If the object is destructed, the result is 0.

In both forms, the optional format argument determines the format of the savefile to be written:

-1: use the driver’s native format (default).
0: original format, used by Amylaar LPMud and LDMud <= 3.2.8. 1: LDMud >= 3.2.9: non-lambda closures, symbols, quoted arrays can be saved. 2: LDMUd >= 3.5.0: floats are stored in a different way, which is more compact and can store the new floats losslessly.

It is recommended to use version 2 or higher.

A variable is considered ‘saveable’ if it is not declared as ‘nosave’ or ‘static’.

Only lfuns bound to the current object can be saved.

HISTORY

  • changed (3.2.8) –
    • now returns a success value.
    • supports direct encoding into a string.
  • changed (3.2.9) – added restoring of non-lambda closures, symbols, and quoted arrays, using a new savefile format version 1.
  • changed (3.2.10) – added the format argument.
  • changed (3.5.0) – added the possibility to restore version 2 with its higher float precision.