@c -*-texinfo-*-
@node Property Classes, Addons, Tutorials, Using CEL
@section Property Classes
@cindex property class

Here in this chapter the various property classes are documented.

@subheading Using a Property Class in General

Here are a few generic guidelines on using property classes. Before you can
use any property class you must first ensure that the property class factory
for that property class is loaded and registered with the physical layer.
To do that you need the @dfn{Factory ID} for the property class which is
documented in every property class documentation. Then you add the following
line to the initialization of your application (example for @samp{pcmesh}
property class):

@example
if (!pl->LoadPropertyClassFactory ("cel.pcfactory.mesh"))
  return false;
@end example

To use the @sc{api} from that property class you must load the header
(also given with every property class documentation). There are two ways
to create a property class for an entity. The first way creates them together
with the entity itself:

@example
csRef<iCelEntity> entity = pl->CreateEntity (entname, behaviourlayer,
	behavename,
	"pcmesh",
	@dots{} (other property classes)
	CEL_PROPCLASS_END);
@end example

The second way creates a property class on an entity that is already created:

@example
iCelPropertyClass* pc = pl->CreatePropertyClass (entity, "pcmesh");
@end example

To request a property class from an entity you can use:

@example
csRef<iPcMesh> pcmesh = CEL_QUERY_PROPCLASS_ENT (entity, iPcMesh);
@end example

@subheading Tagged Property Classes

Normally an entity only has one instance of a given property class
type (i.e. only one @samp{pcmesh} maximum). Sometimes it is useful to be
able to add multiple property class instances of the same type. To distinguish
between the different instances you can use @dfn{tags}. Here is how you can
create a tagged property class for an entity:

@example
iCelPropertyClass* pc = pl->CreateTaggedPropertyClass (entity, "pcmesh",
	"main_mesh");
@end example

And to fetch a tagged property class you can use:

@example
csRef<iPcMesh> pcmesh = CEL_QUERY_PROPCLASS_TAG_ENT (entity, iPcMesh,
	"main_mesh");
@end example

Note that there is the concept of a default property class for a given
type. Usually the default property class is the one that has no tag (tag
equal to 0). So when you call @code{CEL_QUERY_PROPCLASS_ENT} it will first
try to look for the property class with tag equal to 0. If all property
classes have a tag then it will return a random one.

@menu
* PropClass Quest Manager:: Quest Manager
* PropClass Mesh:: Mesh
* PropClass LinMove:: Linear Movement
* PropClass Timer:: Timer
* PropClass ZoneMgr:: Zone Manager
* PropClass Hover:: Hover
@end menu

@importss{usingcel,propclasses,questmgr.txi}
@importss{usingcel,propclasses,mesh.txi}
@importss{usingcel,propclasses,linmove.txi}
@importss{usingcel,propclasses,timer.txi}
@importss{usingcel,propclasses,zonemgr.txi}
@importss{usingcel,propclasses,hover.txi}