Dongle/Database API

Dongle provides a very powerful database system that easily enables the use of multiple and custom profiles. Each dongle object can have multiple databases associated with it, specified by a global variable name. Databases are registered with the core dongle object, which returns a database object.

This API was introduced with Dongle-1.0

DongleObject:InitializeDB(name[, defaults, defaultProfile])
Initializes a database object and returns it. This function can be called anytime AFTER :Initialize. If you call this function prior to that point, it will succeed but your results will be unpredictable, since the saved variables are not loaded until :Initialize.

Dongle Database Object
Each call to InitializeDB returns a new Dongle Database Object. These functions are all injected into the table, which can be used to store data in the various profiles. The profiles made available to each database object are:


 * db.profile - Most data storage should happen here. The user is able to change their profile, so any "portable" data should wind up here.
 * db.char - A character specific section ("CharName - RealmName")
 * db.realm - A realm specific section ("RealmName").
 * db.class - A class specific section ("LocalisedClassName").
 * db.faction - A faction specific section ("Horde").
 * db.factionrealm - A faction/realm specific section ("Horde - RealmName")
 * db.global - A global profile, available to all users

Only the profile section is changeable by the user and most data should be stored there. If you have a specific reason for the other sections, they have been provided. Any empty sections are removed when logging off, to prevent unnecessary data storage.

Dongle Default Table
The defaults table has a specific format, which needs to match the sections in the actual database. The following is the general format which should be used:

local defaults = { profile = { fruits = { apple = true }  },   char = {}, realm = {}, class = {}, faction = {}, factionrealm = {}, global = {}, }

You don't need to supply each and every section, only the ones you wish to establish defaults for. There is no harm is having sections missing, or having blank sections as above.

DongleDBObject:RegisterDefaults(defaults)
Registers a set of defaults with the database. This can be done after the database has been initialized. It will add the defaults given to the current defaults table (if it exists).

Arguments

 * defaults (table) - A Dongle Default Table.

Behavior
Will add the defaults specified to the current database defaults table

DongleDBObject:SetProfile(name)
Changes the db object's active profile, creating it if it doesn't already exist

Arguments

 * name (string) - The name of the new profile

Fires Message

 * DONGLE_PROFILE_CREATED
 * DONGLE_PROFILE_CHANGED

DongleDBObject:GetProfiles([tbl])
Returns a table containing a list of profiles currently available to the user.

Arguments
tbl (table) - A table to use instead of creating a new table.

Returns
tbl (table) - A list of the current profiles available, indexed by consecutive integers starting at 1. This table may contain other elements if it was specified as an argument to the function.

DongleDBObject:GetCurrentProfile
Returns the current profile key being used.

Returns
profileKey (string) - Current profile key thats being used for the database configuration

DongleDBObject:DeleteProfile(name)
Deletes the non-active profile specified. Does not allow the user to delete the current profile.

Arguments
name (string) - The name of the profile to delete

Fires Message

 * DONGLE_PROFILE_DELETED

DongleDBObject:CopyProfile(name)
Copies the given profile into your current profile. Does not allow the user to have the same source and destination profiles. Cannot copy from a profile that doesn't exist.

Arguments
name (string) - The name of the profile to copy from

Fires Message

 * DONGLE_PROFILE_COPIED

DongleDBObject:ResetProfile
Resets the current profile by replacing it with an empty profile, and copying the defaults into the profile.

Fires Message

 * DONGLE_PROFILE_RESET

DongleDBObject:ResetDB([defaultProfile])
Completely clears the current database and reinitializes it using the defaults already registered. Optionally will set the profile to defaultProfile instead of the system default ("CharName of RealmName").

Arguments

 * defaultProfile (string) - The default profile to use if the user hasn't selected one.

Fires Message

 * DONGLE_DATABASE_RESET
 * DONGLE_PROFILE_CREATED
 * DONGLE_PROFILE_CHANGED