Fetching properties using strings?

Plugins Plugin Development
1

It’s possible to fetch Blocktypes, Blockstates, Traits, using strings serialized from configs, but is it possible to fetch Properties or block data manipulators?

I’m currently trying to write a BlockType/BlockState filter, and being able to read in rules from a config file.

2

You could parse the Strings or use Java reflection.

3

For Properties, afaik it is not possible, so you’d have to serialize them manually or open an issue for SpongeAPI to have Properties implement DataSerializable.
For Data Manipulators, create a DataView of them by calling .toContainer() and pass that to the ConfigurateTranslator, which can translate between DataViews and ConfigurationNodes.

Serialization Example:

public void writeToConfig(HealthData data, ConfigurationNode target) {
    DataView container = data.toContainer();
    ConfigurateTranslator.instance().translateContainerToData(target, container);
}

Deserialization Example:

public Optional<HealthData> readFromConfig(ConfigurationNode config) {
    DataView container = ConfigurateTranslator.instance().translateFrom(config);
    DataManipulatorBuilder<HealthData,ImmutableHealthData> builder = game.getRegistry()
            .getManipulatorRegistry().getBuilder(HealthData.class).get();
    return builder.build(container);
}

Caveat: Above code compiles, yet remains untested