Saving data and timing

Saving between launches

Storage keeps text values by key, per plugin, across launches of the game. Numbers are saved as text and parsed back:

double seconds = 0;
int restarts = 0;

void Main()
{
    seconds = parseFloat(Storage::Get("seconds", "0"));
    restarts = int(parseInt(Storage::Get("restarts", "0")));
}

void Save()
{
    Storage::Set("seconds", formatFloat(seconds, "", 0, 3));
    Storage::Set("restarts", "" + restarts);
}

Each changed value is written to disk as soon as you set it, so don't call Storage::Set every frame for a value that changes every frame. Remember that something changed, and save every few seconds:

const double SAVE_EVERY = 5.0;
double lastSave = 0;
bool dirty = false;

void Update(float dt)
{
    if (Race::IsActive())
    {
        seconds += dt;
        dirty = true;
    }
    if (dirty && Host::Time() - lastSave > SAVE_EVERY)
    {
        Save();
        lastSave = Host::Time();
        dirty = false;
    }
}

Your plugin only ever sees its own values. They're kept in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Ballest\Saved\PluginManager\storage\<plugin id>.txt, and survive removing and reinstalling the plugin. Keys starting with setting. hold your settings, and window. keys hold where the player dragged your windows, so use other names for your own values.

Timing

Update(float dt) gets the length of the last frame, which is what you add up to count time. It's the right tool for "how long has the player been racing":

if (Race::IsActive())
    racing += dt;

Host::Time() is a clock in seconds since the game started. It keeps running through loading screens and menus. Use it for "has it been five seconds since...":

if (Host::Time() - shownAt > 3.0)
    toast.visible = false;

A frame after a long load can have a very large dt. If a hitch shouldn't count, clamp it:

double step = dt > 1.0 ? 1.0 : dt;