Data Reference Finder

The Data Reference Finder is a tool within the GameCodersToolkit Visual Studio extension. It allows you to locate references to code-defined data identifiers stored in your data files (XML format). By configuring the tool, you can extract and analyze data entries for better context-aware reference searching.

Note: Only XML format data is supported for parsing.

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Features

Data Reference Finding

This is the core feature of the Data Reference Finder. You can search for references to data entries from your code.

1. Basic Text Search: Perform a basic text-based search in your data files.
2. Context-Aware Search: By setting up parsing descriptions, you unlock advanced search capabilities, giving you precise, context-rich results.

See Data Reference Finder - Configuration to learn how to configure this feature.

Examples

Given this line of code which represents a guid identifier.
static const char* THIS_IS_AN_EVENT_GUID = "fa3d58ef-6547-47ee-a021-1258fe9c07e4"

Placing your caret anywhere on this line you can execute the command in Visual Studio DataReferenceFinder.FindReferencesInDatabase.
This will list your results in the Data Reference Results window.

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Data Reference Results Window

This window displays the results of your reference search operations. You can use the filter bar to narrow down your results.

• Filtering: Type into the search field to filter by strings.
• Operations: You can view past search operations and their results for easier management.

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Data Explorer

You can view all parsed Data Entries in the Data Explorer window. Based on your configuration, you can filter the view by Data Types. You can also use the search field to filter by specific text.

• Reference Search: Search for references of one Data Entry in other entries in your parsed data.

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Data Editor Connection

You can set up a WebSocket connection with your Data Editor, which allows you to directly open the found data in your editor.

Important: You must implement the WebSocket connection support on the Data Editor side to make use of this feature.

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Code Lens

The extension adds Code Lens display for GUID-based data identifiers. When a GUID is found in your code, the Code Lens will automatically show how many references exist to this GUID in your parsed data.

• Reference View: Clicking on the Code Lens entry will show you the details from where this is referenced