; Orx settings template / UTF-8 unicode support



; Sections are defined using [ ]

; Example:

; [My section]



; Everything after a ';' is considered as comment



; Key/value pairs are written like this:

; MyKey = MyValue

; Warning! If you want to add comments, use the ';' separator

; Example:

; MyKey = MyValue; Everything I wrote now is part of comments and not of the value



; If you want to use a ';' in a non-numerical value, use a block assignation delimited with '"'

; Example:

; MyKey = "MyValuePart1 ; MyValuePart2"

; Blocks are also useful for assigning multi-line values

; Example:

; MyKey = "This value

; spans

; on multiple lines"



; If you double the first '"', the value won't be considered as a block but as a regular one. It'll still contain a '"' at the start of the string value;

;Example:

; MyKey = ""MyQuotedValue"

; The string <"MyQuotedValue">, including the quotes, will be stored as a value



; All sections can inherit from any other one using the inheritance marker '@'

; Example:

; [Template]

; MyKey1 = MyValue1;

; MyKey2 = MyValue2;

; [Object@Template] <= This section will contains all values defined in the section 'Template';



; A parent can be removed when overriding a section and using no name after '@'.

; The implicit default parent section can be forcely ignored using the specific '@@' syntax

; Example:

; [Object] <= This section doesn't use any explicit parent but will use the implicit default parent if defined (see SettingsTemplate.ini, section [Config])

; [Object@Template] <= This section now uses 'Template' as an explicit parent section;

; [Object@] <= This section now has removed any explicit parent but is still using the implicit default parent if defined (see SettingsTemplate.ini, section [Config]))

; [Object@@] <= This section now has removed any parent and will not use the implicit default parent section either



; All values can be locally inherited from another section using the inheritance marker '@', with the optional use of '.' if we want to specify another key

; Example:

; [Template]

; MyKey = MyValue;

; MyOtherKey = MyOtherValue;

; [Object]

; MyKey = @Template; <= The value for 'MyKey' will be inherited from the one in the section 'Template', with the same key. This inheritance can be chained;

; MyLastKey = @Template.MyKey; <= The value for 'MyLastKey' will be inherited from the section 'Template' using the key 'MyKey'. This inheritance can also be chained;

; NB: MyOtherKey isn't inherited in this case.



; All values can implicitely refer to their own section using the inheritance marker '@' by itself. Its value will be dynamic and carry and inheritance to always result the name of the child section;

; Example:

; [Template]

; MyKey = @; <= The value for 'MyKey' will be 'Template', the name of this section

; MyOtherKey = @; <= Same here, the value for 'MyOtherKey' will also be the name of this section: 'Template'

; [Object@Template]

; MyNewKey = @; <= The value for 'MyNewKey' will be 'Object'

; MyKey = @Template; <= The value for 'MyKey' will be inherited from the section 'Template' using the same key and its value will be 'Object', ie. this section, not the parent one, 'Template'

; NB: MyOtherKey will use the section inheritance and its value will be 'Object', ie. this section, not the parent one, 'Template'



; If you want to load another file, you need to write this on an empty line:

; @path/to/MyOtherFile@

; Loading will happen instantly in the parsing, which can override previously defined values

; Also, values defined in the "included" file can be overridden afterward

; Lastly, after loading an "included" file, parsing will continue in the same section as before

; Example:

; [MySection]

; Key1 = Var1;

; @IncludeFile@

; Key2 = Var2; <= this will be added to the 'MySection' section



; FLOAT values are expressed with a '.' as decimal separator.

; INT values can be expressed using different prefixes (not case sensitive):

; - decimal without any prefix: 16

; - hexadecimal with prefix '0x': 0x10

; - octal with prefix '0': 020

; - binary with prefix '0b': 0b10000

; VECTOR values are expressed this way:

; MyVector = (1.0, 2.0, 3.0); NB: { } can be used in place of ( ). Components can be (x, y, z) most of the time, or (r, g, b)/(h, s, l)/(h, s, v) for color



; Wherever numerical values are used (Ints, Floats and Vectors), a random generated value can be obtained using the separator ~.

; Example:

; Value1 = 0.5 ~ 1.0;

; Value2 = (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) ~ (1.0, 1.0, 1.0);



; You can also specify lists of values using the separator #.

; The default behavior will be to select randomly a value from a list *EXCEPT* if a list item index is provided in the code.

; For all properties defined in this template, values will be taken randomly if a list is provided for any field that doesn't explicitely accept one.

; Lists can contain random values.

; Example:

; Key1 = Var1 # Var2 # RandVar3 ~ RandVar4 # Var5;

; Lists can span multiple lines when using # at the end of the line (line ending comments are allowed).

; If you want to define an empty element at the end of a list, use ##

; Example:

; Key2 = Var1 # Var2 #

;        Var3 #; This list still continues on next line and this comment is valid.

;        Var4  ; This list is now complete and contains 4 elements.

; Key3 = Var1 # Var2 ##; This list will not span on the next line but will contain a 3rd (and last) empty element.





[ObjectTemplate]

Graphic = GraphicTemplate;

AnimationSet = AnimationSetTemplate;

AnimationFrequency = [Float];

Body = BodyTemplate;

Clock = ClockTemplate; NB: If no clock is specified the main clock (core) will be used for update calculations;

LifeTime = [Float]; NB: If not defined or negative, infinite life is granted;

Color = [Vector]; NB: Values are RGB from 0 to 255;

RGB = [Vector]; NB: Values are RGB from 0.0 to 1.0; Will be used only if Color isn't defined;

HSL = [Vector]; NB: Values are HSL from 0.0 to 1.0; Will be used only if Color and RGB aren't defined;

HSV = [Vector]; NB: Values are HSV from 0.0 to 1.0; Will be used only if Color, RGB and HSL aren't defined;

Alpha = [Float];

AutoScroll = x|y|both;

Flip = x|y|both; NB: Flipping only affects the visual. Properties like physics body won't be affected;

DepthScale = true|false;

Position = [Vector]; NB: If objects has a valid parent and use its space, this value will be considered in parent's space, ie. [0-1] defines parent size on each axis;

Speed = [Vector];

UseRelativeSpeed = true|false; NB: If true, speed will be applied relatively to current object rotation & scale;

Rotation = [Float]; NB: Angle in degrees around z axis;

AngularVelocity = [Float]; NB: Velocity in degrees/second around z axis;

Scale = [Vector]|[Float]; NB: z is ignored for 2D objects. If it has a valid parent and use its space, this value will be considered in parent's space, ie. [0-1] defines parent size on each axis;

Smoothing = true|false; NB: no value will defaults to the global display settings;

BlendMode = alpha|multiply|add|none; NB: Default value is alpha;

Repeat = [Vector]; NB: z is ignored and other values must be strictly positive. This will be ignored for text objects;

FXList = FXTemplate1 # FXTemplate2 # ...; NB: FX will be played immediately. Up to 4 FXs can be defined;

FXDelayList = [Float] # [Float] # ...; NB: Delays (in seconds, defaulting to 0) that will be applied to corresponding FXs from the FXList;

SoundList = SoundTemplate1 # SoundTemplate2 # ...; NB: FX will be played immediately. Up to 4 sounds can be defined;

ShaderList = ShaderTemplate1 # ShaderTemplate2 # ...; NB: Shader will be activated immediately. Up to 4 shaders can be defined;

TrackList = TimeLineTrackTemplate1 # TimeLineTrackTemplate2 # ...; NB: Timeline tracks will be played immediately. Up to 16 timeline tracks can be defined;

Spawner = SpawnerTemplate;

ChildList = ObjectTemplate1 # ObjectTemplate2 # ...; NB: Children will get deleted automatically when the current object will be deleted;

ChildJointList = JointTemplate1 # JointTemplate2 # ...; NB: Indices match those of the ChildList;

ParentCamera = CameraTemplate; NB: This will set the object as a child of the specified camera. Ex: Allows easy creation of UI objects;

UseParentSpace = true|false|both|position|scale|none; NB: If set to true/both and has a valid parent, its position and scale will be considered in parent's space, ie. [0-1] defines parent size on each axis. It can be applied individually to only position or scale. Defaults to true/both;



[GraphicTemplate]

Texture = path/to/ImageFile.ext; NB: If provided, text data will be ignored. If the value is 'pixel', a 1x1 white bitmap with full opacity will be used.

TextureOrigin = [Vector]; NB: Top left corner, z is ignored. This will be ignored for text data;

TextureSize = [Vector]; NB: Texture size, z is ignored. This will be ignored for text data;

Text = TextTemplate; NB: Will be ignored if a valid texture is provided;

Pivot = center(+truncate|round)|left|right|top|bottom|[Vector]; NB: Truncate and round will adjust pivot values if they are not integers; z is ignored for 2D graphics;

Repeat = [Vector]; NB: z is ignored and other values must be strictly positive. This will be ignored for text data;

Flip = x|y|both;

Color = [Vector]; NB: Values are RGB from 0 to 255;

RGB = [Vector]; NB: Values are RGB from 0.0 to 1.0; Will be used only if Color isn't defined;

HSL = [Vector]; NB: Values are HSL from 0.0 to 1.0; Will be used only if Color and RGB aren't defined;

HSV = [Vector]; NB: Values are HSV from 0.0 to 1.0; Will be used only if Color, RGB and HSL aren't defined;

Alpha = [Float];

BlendMode = alpha|multiply|add|none; NB: Default value is none;

Smoothing = true|false; NB: no value will defaults to the object settings. This will be ignored for text data;



[TextTemplate]

String = "string to display"; NB: If this string begins with the character '$', it will be used as a locale key instead of as a plain text. It will then be automatically updated upon a new language selection;

Font = FontTemplate; NB: If none is provided, orx's default font will be used; If it begins with the character '$', it will be used as a locale key instead of as a plain section name. It will then be automatically updated upon a new language selection;



[FontTemplate]

Texture = path/to/ImageFile.ext;

TextureCorner = [Vector]; NB: Top left corner, z is ignored; Defaults to (0, 0, 0);

TextureSize = [Vector]; NB: Texture size for the character definition area, z is ignored; Defaults to texture's width & height;

CharacterList = "ordered list of character"; NB: All characters with a glyph in the texture file have to be specified in order of appearance; Supports ANSI or UTF-8 strings (*NOT* ISO-Latin-1!)

CharacterSize = [Vector]; NB: If defined, CharacterHeight & CharacterWidthList will be ignored. z value is ignored;

CharacterHeight = [Float]; NB: This is only used for non-monospaced fonts, ie. when CharacterSize isn't defined;

CharacterWidthList = [Float] # [Float] # ...; NB: This is only used for non-monospaced fonts, ie. when CharacterSize isn't defined. There should be exactly one value per character defined in CharacterList;

CharacterSpacing = [Vector]; NB: Empty space between characters, z is ignored. Defaults to (0, 0, 0);



[BodyTemplate]

Inertia = [Float];

Mass = [Float];

LinearDamping = [Float];

AngularDamping = [Float];

FixedRotation = true|false;

HighSpeed = true|false;

Dynamic = true|false;

CustomGravity = [Vector]; NB: If none is provided, world's gravity will be applied to the body;

AllowSleep = true|false; NB: Defaults to true;

AllowGroundSliding = true|false;

AllowMoving = true|false; NB: This is only used by static bodies. If set to true, the static body can be moved via its speed/angular velocity accessors. Defaults to true;

PartList = BodyPartTemplate1 # BodyPartTemplate2 # ...;



[BodyPartSphereTemplate]

Type = sphere;

Center = [Vector]|full;

Radius = [Float]|full;

Friction = [Float];

Restitution = [Float];

Density = [Float];

SelfFlags = flags;

CheckMask = flags;

Solid = true|false;



[BodyPartBoxTemplate]

Type = box;

TopLeft = [Vector]|full;

BottomRight = [Vector]|full;

Friction = [Float];

Restitution = [Float];

Density = [Float];

SelfFlags = flags;

CheckMask = flags;

Solid = true|false;



[BodyPartMeshTemplate]

Type = mesh;

VertexList = [Vector] # [Vector] # ...; NB: There is a maximum of 8 vertices and they *HAVE* to be entered clockwise;

Friction = [Float];

Restitution = [Float];

Density = [Float];

SelfFlags = flags;

CheckMask = flags;

Solid = true|false;



[RevoluteJoint]

Type = revolute;

ParentAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local parent's space;

ChildAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local child's space;

Collide = true|false; NB: Allows collision between joint's parent and child bodies. Defaults to false;

Rotation = [Float]; NB: Default rotation between parent and child bodies, in degrees. If none is provided, the current rotation difference between both bodies will be used;

MinRotation = [Float]; NB: Only used if MaxRotation is also defined;

MaxRotation = [Float]; NB: Only used if MinRotation is also defined;

MotorSpeed = [Float]; NB: Only used if MaxMotorTorque is also defined. In degrees / seconds;

MaxMotorTorque = [Float]; NB: Only used if MotorSpeed is also defined;



[PrismaticJoint]

Type = prismatic;

ParentAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local parent's space;

ChildAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local child's space;

Collide = true|false; NB: Allows collision between joint's parent and child bodies. Defaults to false;

Rotation = [Float]; NB: Default rotation between parent and child bodies, in degrees. If none is provided, the current rotation difference between both bodies will be used;

TranslationAxis = [Vector]; NB: Should be normalized;

MinTranslation = [Float]; NB: In meters; Only used if MaxTranslation is also defined;

MaxTranslation = [Float]; NB: In meters; Only used if MinTranslation is also defined;

MotorSpeed = [Float]; NB: Only used if MaxMotorForce is also defined. In meters / seconds;

MaxMotorForce = [Float]; NB: Only used if MotorSpeed is also defined;



[SpringJoint]

Type = spring;

ParentAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local parent's space;

ChildAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local child's space;

Collide = true|false; NB: Allows collision between joint's parent and child bodies. Defaults to false;

Length = [Float]; NB: In meters. If not defined, the current distance between parent and child bodies will be used;

Frequency = [Float]; NB: In hertz;

Damping = [Float]; NB: 0 for no damping, 1 for max damping;



[RopeJoint]

Type = rope;

ParentAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local parent's space;

ChildAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local child's space;

Collide = true|false; NB: Allows collision between joint's parent and child bodies. Defaults to false;

Length = [Float]; NB: In meters. If not defined, the current distance between parent and child bodies will be used;



[PulleyJoint]

Type = pulley;

ParentAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local parent's space;

ChildAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local child's space;

Collide = true|false; NB: Allows collision between joint's parent and child bodies. Defaults to false;

ParentGroundAnchor = [Vector];

ChildGroundAnchor = [Vector];

ParentLength = [Float]; NB: In meters. If not defined, the current distance between parent and its ground anchor will be used;

MaxParentLength = [Float]; NB: In meters. If not defined ParentLength + LengthRatio * ChildLength will be used;

ChildLength = [Float]; NB: In meters. If not defined, the current distance between child and its ground anchor will be used;

MaxChildLength = [Float]; NB: In meters. If not defined ParentLength + LengthRatio * ChildLength will be used;

LengthRatio = [Float];



[SuspensionJoint]

Type = suspension;

ParentAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local parent's space;

ChildAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local child's space;

Collide = true|false; NB: Allows collision between joint's parent and child bodies. Defaults to false;

TranslationAxis = [Vector]; NB: Should be normalized;

MinTranslation = [Float]; NB: In meters; Only used if MaxTranslation is also defined;

MaxTranslation = [Float]; NB: In meters; Only used if MinTranslation is also defined;

MotorSpeed = [Float]; NB: Only used if MaxMotorForce is also defined. In meters / seconds;

MaxMotorForce = [Float]; NB: Only used if MotorSpeed is also defined;



[WeldJoint]

Type = weld;

ParentAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local parent's space;

ChildAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local child's space;

Collide = true|false; NB: Allows collision between joint's parent and child bodies. Defaults to false;

Rotation = [Float]; NB: Default rotation between parent and child bodies, in degrees. If none is provided, the current rotation difference between both bodies will be used;



[FrictionJoint]

Type = friction;

ParentAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local parent's space;

ChildAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local child's space;

Collide = true|false; NB: Allows collision between joint's parent and child bodies. Defaults to false;

MaxForce = [Float];

MaxTorque = [Float];



[GearJoint]

Type = gear;

ParentAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local parent's space;

ChildAnchor = [Vector]; NB: In local child's space;

Collide = true|false; NB: Allows collision between joint's parent and child bodies. Defaults to false;

ParentJoint = [String]; NB: Should be a revolute or prismatic joint already existing on the parent.

ChildJoint = [String]; NB: Should be a revolute or prismatic joint already existing on the child.

JointRatio = [Float];



[AnimationSetTemplate]

Frequency = [Float];

AnimationList = AnimationTemplate1 # AnimationTemplate2 # ...; NB: There can be up to 256 animations in one set;

LinkList = LinkTemplate1 # LinkTemplate2 # ...; Example: LinkList = Jump2Land # Land2Idle;



[LinkTemplate]

Source = SourceAnimationTemplate;

Destination = DestinationAnimationTemplate;

Property = immediate|cleartarget;

Priority = [Int]; NB: Value should be [0-15]. 0 being the lowest, 8 the default and 15 the highest; Example: LinkPriority1 = 10;



[AnimationTemplate]

DefaultKeyDuration = [Float];

KeyData[Int] = GraphicTemplate; Example: KeyData1 = GraphicTemplate1;

KeyDuration[Int] = [Float]; Example: KeyDuration1 = 0.1f;

KeyEventName[Int] = [String]; NB: If defined a custom event will be sent when this key is played;

KeyEventValue[Int] = [Float]; NB: This value is optional, its default value is 0.0;



[ViewportTemplate]

Texture = path/to/TextureFile.ext; NB: No texture will default to the screen one

RelativePosition = left|right|top|bottom; Example: RelativePosition = top left;

Position = [Vector]; NB: Position is in pixels and will be ignored if RelativePosition is specified

RelativeSize = [Vector]; Example: RelativeSize = (1.0, 1.0, 0.0);

Size = [Vector]; NB: Size is in pixels and will be ignored if RelativeSize is specified

BackgroundColor = [Vector]; NB: If not set, the viewport won't erase any part of other viewports previously rendered this frame if there are overlaps;

Camera = CameraTemplate;

ShaderList = ShaderTemplate1 # ShaderTemplate2 # ...; NB: Shader will be activated immediately. Up to 4 shaders can be defined;



[CameraTemplate]

Zoom = [Float];

Position = [Vector];

Rotation = [Float];

FrustumNear = [Float];

FrustumFar = [Float];

FrustumWidth = [Float];

FrustumHeight = [Float];

ParentCamera = CameraTemplate; NB: This will set this camera as a child of the specified camera;



[ClockTemplate]

Frequency = [Float]; NB: If not defined, 0.0 will be used meaning the clock will run as fast as possible;

ModifierType = multiply|fixed|capped; NB: If none if given, no modifier will be used. If capped is specified, the modifier value will be used as a minimum frequency;

ModifierValue = [Float];



[SoundTemplate]

Sound = path/to/SoundFile.ext; NB: If defined, Music will be ignored. Use it for short sound effects;

Music = path/to/MusicFile.ext|empty; NB: If Sound is not defined, it'll be used to load a buffered stream of sound in memory. If empty is used, an empty stream will be generated;

Loop = true|false;

Pitch = [Float]; NB: The default pitch is 1.0, which correspond to the sound recording frequency;

Volume = [Float]; NB: Volume is in [0.0-1.0]. Defaults to 1.0;

Attenuation = [Float]; NB: Attenuation factor defaults to 1.0;

RefDistance = [Float]; NB: Distance within which the sound's maximum volume will be perceived. Defaults to 1.0;

KeepInCache = true|false; NB: If true, the sound data (ie. the sample itself) will always stay in cache. This value is ignored for a music. Defaults to false;



[FXTemplate]

SlotList = FXSlotTemplate1 # FXSlotTemplate2 # ...; NB: There is a maximum of 8 slots;

Loop = true|false;

KeepInCache = true|false; NB: If true, the FX will always stay in cache, even if no FX of this type is currently in use. Can save time but costs memory. Defaults to false;



[FXSlotTemplate]

Type = alpha|color|rgb|hsl|hsv|scale|rotation|position|speed|volume|pitch;

StartTime = [Float]; NB: Start time in seconds;

EndTime = [Float]; NB: End time in seconds;

Period = [Float]; NB: Cycle period is in seconds. 0.0 means the whole length will be used as a period;

Phase = [Float]; NB: Cycle phase is [0.0-1.0];

Amplification = [Float]; NB: Curve amplification coef over time. < 1.0 => attenuation, = 1.0 => constant, > 1.0 => amplification. Defaults to 1.0;

Accelereation = [Float]; NB: Curve acceleration over time. < 1.0 => deceleration, = 1.0 => constant, > 1.0 => acceleration. Defaults to 1.0;

Curve = linear|triangle|square|sine|smooth|smoother;

Pow = [Float]; NB: 1.0 is the default value and will result in a regular curve;

Absolute = true|false; NB: The curve coefficient will be used as an absolute value. Defaults to false (=relative);

UseRotation = true|false; NB: Only used for position & speed FX type, ignored otherwise. FX uses object's rotation to compute positions;

UseScale = true|false; NB: Only used for position & speed FX type, ignored otherwise. FX uses object's scale to compute positions;

StartValue = [Float]|[Vector]; NB: Vectors are only used for anisotropic scale, position, speed and color;

EndValue = [Float]|[Vector]; NB: Vectors are only used for anisotropic scale, position, speed and color;



[SpawnerTemplate]

Object = ObjectTemplate;

TotalObject = [Int]; NB: 0 or no value means unlimited total objects;

ActiveObject = [Int]; NB: 0 or no value means unlimited active objects;

Position = [Vector];

Rotation = [Float]; NB: Angle in degrees around z axis;

Scale = [Vector]|[Float]; NB: z is ignored for 2D objects;

AutoReset = true|false; NB: If true, spawner will auto reset when emptied;

UseAlpha = true|false; NB: Will only work if the spawner is linked to a parent object, from which it'll take the alpha;

UseColor = true|false; NB: Will only work if the spawner is linked to a parent object, from which it'll take the color;

UseRotation = true|false; NB: If true, spawner's rotation will be transmitted to the object. Defaults to true;

UseScale = true|false; NB: If true, spawner's scale will be transmitted to the object. Defaults to true;

WaveSize = Int; NB: Number of object to spawn in every wave. 0 or no value means no automated wave spawning;

WaveDelay = Float; NB: Ellapsed time between two spawned waves, in seconds. 0 means all the objects spawned at once;

ObjectSpeed = [Vector]; NB: If specified, this speed will be applied to spawned object;

UseRelativeSpeed = true|false; NB: If true, speed will be applied relatively to current spawner rotation & scale. Defaults to false;

UseSelfAsParent = true|false; NB: If set to true, the created object's parent will be the spawner. Defaults to false;

CleanOnDelete = true|false; NB: If set to true, all the live spawned objects will be deleted when the spawner gets deleted. Defaults to false;



[ShaderTemplate]

Code = "Your shader code block"

ParamList = ParamFloat # ParamTexture # ParamVector # ...; NB: Define all the parameters your shader code needs. Defined params then must have a default value to guess their type. If none is provided, type defaults to texture and will use shader's owner texture as value;

ParamFloat = [Float]|time; NB: If a list is explicitely defined here, orx will create an array of floats of the same size as shader parameter; Use 'time' to get the 'active time' of the owner (works with objects only).

ParamVector = [Vector]; NB: If a list is explicitely defined here, orx will create an array of vectors of the same size as shader parameter;

ParamTexture = path/to/texture|screen; NB: If an invalid path is given, or nothing is specified, the owner's texture will be used by default. Use 'screen' to get the screen's content. If a list is explicitely defined here, orx will create an array of textures of the same size as shader parameter;

UseCustomParam = true|false; NB: When set to true, an event will be sent to override params values at runtime. Defaults to true, ie. override at runtime;

KeepInCache = true|false; NB: If true, the shader will always stay in cache, even if no shader of this type is currently in use. Can save time but costs memory. Defaults to false;



[TimeLineTrackTemplate]

[Float] = "Your timeline event text here" | "Your command"; NB: Float is a time in second (>= 0) after which this timeline event is going to be triggered; If the event is a valid command it'll get executed by the command module;

Loop = true|false;

KeepInCache = true|false; NB: If true, the timeline track will always stay in cache, even if no track of this type is currently in use. Can save time but costs memory. Defaults to false;