Add array-like category type

[Micovec]

I'd love to be able to define multiple instances of a category inside an array.

Currently there's special category that can be defined multiple times to hold config data. Such as:

special {
    key = a
    value = 1
    ...
}

special {
    key = b
    value = 2
    ...
}

However, a special category is required to have a primary key which is then used to retrieve it's config values.

If I wanted to define an unlimited number of categories of the same type I'd then have to use an incremental primary key which I would need to keep track of. Especially it would be even more difficult when I would remove several definitions. A gap in primary key sequence would occur and then I'd have to look for the highest ones and lower them in order to keep them unique and continuous.

So I propose a new syntax for defining multiple instance of the same category without a primary key (similar to json):

array-like-category [
    {
        value = 1
        ...
    },
    {
        value = 2
        ...
    }
]

I tihnk that the comma separating categories isn't necessary.

[vaxerski]

Fair idea, someone also proposed that to me privately before, so I guess it's not such a terrible idea. The question is how would we address them in the API? We still need some ID for them. Maybe just something like

size_t getArrayLikeSpecialCount(const char* name);

and then

std::any getArraySpecialConfigValue(const char* cat, const char* value, size_t idx);

?

edit: fwiw, this syntax would support key-based categories too, no reason to disallow keys from being there.

[Micovec]

That seems reasonable.

Can't be easily iteratable in for loop as it is with iterators but I don't think that's an issue. Plus, an additional API can be added. Something like:

std::vector<std::any> getArrayLikeSpecial(const char* name);

[vaxerski]

we cannot share stl types across lib and app, so that would be a bit painful to query for all strings.

[Micovec]

Ah, didn't know that. Still, your suggestion is good. I can't think of any other way that will be better.