path: root/doc/classes/Object.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<class name="Object" category="Core" version="3.1">
	<brief_description>
		Base class for all non built-in types.
	</brief_description>
	<description>
		Base class for all non built-in types. Everything which is not a built-in type starts the inheritance chain from this class.
		Objects can be constructed from scripting languages, using `Object.new()` in GDScript, `new Object` in C#, or the "Construct Object" node in VisualScript.
		Objects do not manage memory, if inheriting from one the object will most likely have to be deleted manually (call the [method free] function from the script or delete from C++).
		Some derivatives add memory management, such as [Reference] (which keeps a reference count and deletes itself automatically when no longer referenced) and [Node], which deletes the children tree when deleted.
		Objects export properties, which are mainly useful for storage and editing, but not really so much in programming. Properties are exported in [method _get_property_list] and handled in [method _get] and [method _set]. However, scripting languages and C++ have simpler means to export them.
		Objects also receive notifications ([method _notification]). Notifications are a simple way to notify the object about simple events, so they can all be handled together.
	</description>
	<tutorials>
	</tutorials>
	<demos>
	</demos>
	<methods>
		<method name="_get" qualifiers="virtual">
			<return type="Variant">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="property" type="String">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Returns the given property. Returns [code]null[/code] if the [code]property[/code] does not exist.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="_get_property_list" qualifiers="virtual">
			<return type="Array">
			</return>
			<description>
				Returns the object's property list as an [Array] of dictionaries. Dictionaries must contain: name:String, type:int (see TYPE_* enum in [@GlobalScope]) and optionally: hint:int (see PROPERTY_HINT_* in [@GlobalScope]), hint_string:String, usage:int (see PROPERTY_USAGE_* in [@GlobalScope]).
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="_init" qualifiers="virtual">
			<return type="void">
			</return>
			<description>
				The virtual method called upon initialization.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="_notification" qualifiers="virtual">
			<return type="void">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="what" type="int">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Notify the object internally using an ID.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="_set" qualifiers="virtual">
			<return type="bool">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="property" type="String">
			</argument>
			<argument index="1" name="value" type="Variant">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Sets a property. Returns [code]true[/code] if the [code]property[/code] exists.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="add_user_signal">
			<return type="void">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="signal" type="String">
			</argument>
			<argument index="1" name="arguments" type="Array" default="[  ]">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Adds a user-defined [code]signal[/code]. Arguments are optional, but can be added as an [Array] of dictionaries, each containing "name" and "type" (from [@GlobalScope] TYPE_*).
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="call" qualifiers="vararg">
			<return type="Variant">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="method" type="String">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Calls the [code]method[/code] on the object and returns a result. Pass parameters as a comma separated list.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="call_deferred" qualifiers="vararg">
			<return type="Variant">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="method" type="String">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Calls the [code]method[/code] on the object during idle time and returns a result. Pass parameters as a comma separated list.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="callv">
			<return type="Variant">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="method" type="String">
			</argument>
			<argument index="1" name="arg_array" type="Array">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Calls the [code]method[/code] on the object and returns a result. Pass parameters as an [Array].
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="can_translate_messages" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="bool">
			</return>
			<description>
				Returns [code]true[/code] if the object can translate strings.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="connect">
			<return type="int" enum="Error">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="signal" type="String">
			</argument>
			<argument index="1" name="target" type="Object">
			</argument>
			<argument index="2" name="method" type="String">
			</argument>
			<argument index="3" name="binds" type="Array" default="[  ]">
			</argument>
			<argument index="4" name="flags" type="int" default="0">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Connects a [code]signal[/code] to a [code]method[/code] on a [code]target[/code] object. Pass optional [code]binds[/code] to the call. Use [code]flags[/code] to set deferred or one shot connections. See [code]CONNECT_*[/code] constants. A [code]signal[/code] can only be connected once to a [code]method[/code]. It will throw an error if already connected. To avoid this, first use [method is_connected] to check for existing connections.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="disconnect">
			<return type="void">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="signal" type="String">
			</argument>
			<argument index="1" name="target" type="Object">
			</argument>
			<argument index="2" name="method" type="String">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Disconnects a [code]signal[/code] from a [code]method[/code] on the given [code]target[/code].
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="emit_signal" qualifiers="vararg">
			<return type="Variant">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="signal" type="String">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Emits the given [code]signal[/code].
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="free">
			<return type="void">
			</return>
			<description>
				Deletes the object from memory.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="get" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="Variant">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="property" type="String">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Returns a [Variant] for a [code]property[/code].
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="get_class" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="String">
			</return>
			<description>
				Returns the object's class as a [String].
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="get_incoming_connections" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="Array">
			</return>
			<description>
				Returns an [Array] of dictionaries with information about signals that are connected to the object.
				Inside each [Dictionary] there are 3 fields:
				- "source" is a reference to signal emitter.
				- "signal_name" is name of connected signal.
				- "method_name" is a name of method to which signal is connected.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="get_indexed" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="Variant">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="property" type="NodePath">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Get indexed object property by String.
				Property indices get accessed with colon separation, for example: [code]position:x[/code]
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="get_instance_id" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="int">
			</return>
			<description>
				Returns the object's unique instance ID.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="get_meta" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="Variant">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="name" type="String">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Returns the object's metadata for the given [code]name[/code].
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="get_meta_list" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="PoolStringArray">
			</return>
			<description>
				Returns the object's metadata as a [PoolStringArray].
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="get_method_list" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="Array">
			</return>
			<description>
				Returns the object's methods and their signatures as an [Array].
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="get_property_list" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="Array">
			</return>
			<description>
				Returns the list of properties as an [Array] of dictionaries. Dictionaries contain: name:String, type:int (see TYPE_* enum in [@GlobalScope]) and optionally: hint:int (see PROPERTY_HINT_* in [@GlobalScope]), hint_string:String, usage:int (see PROPERTY_USAGE_* in [@GlobalScope]).
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="get_script" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="Reference">
			</return>
			<description>
				Returns the object's [Script] or [code]null[/code] if one doesn't exist.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="get_signal_connection_list" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="Array">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="signal" type="String">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Returns an [Array] of connections for the given [code]signal[/code].
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="get_signal_list" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="Array">
			</return>
			<description>
				Returns the list of signals as an [Array] of dictionaries.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="has_meta" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="bool">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="name" type="String">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Returns [code]true[/code] if a metadata is found with the given [code]name[/code].
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="has_method" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="bool">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="method" type="String">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Returns [code]true[/code] if the object contains the given [code]method[/code].
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="has_user_signal" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="bool">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="signal" type="String">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Returns [code]true[/code] if the given user-defined [code]signal[/code] exists.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="is_blocking_signals" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="bool">
			</return>
			<description>
				Returns [code]true[/code] if signal emission blocking is enabled.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="is_class" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="bool">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="type" type="String">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Returns [code]true[/code] if the object inherits from the given [code]type[/code].
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="is_connected" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="bool">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="signal" type="String">
			</argument>
			<argument index="1" name="target" type="Object">
			</argument>
			<argument index="2" name="method" type="String">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Returns [code]true[/code] if a connection exists for a given [code]signal[/code], [code]target[/code], and [code]method[/code].
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="is_queued_for_deletion" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="bool">
			</return>
			<description>
				Returns [code]true[/code] if the [code]queue_free[/code] method was called for the object.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="notification">
			<return type="void">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="what" type="int">
			</argument>
			<argument index="1" name="reversed" type="bool" default="false">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Notify the object of something.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="property_list_changed_notify">
			<return type="void">
			</return>
			<description>
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="set">
			<return type="void">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="property" type="String">
			</argument>
			<argument index="1" name="value" type="Variant">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Set property into the object.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="set_block_signals">
			<return type="void">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="enable" type="bool">
			</argument>
			<description>
				If set to true, signal emission is blocked.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="set_deferred">
			<return type="void">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="property" type="String">
			</argument>
			<argument index="1" name="value" type="Variant">
			</argument>
			<description>
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="set_indexed">
			<return type="void">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="property" type="NodePath">
			</argument>
			<argument index="1" name="value" type="Variant">
			</argument>
			<description>
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="set_message_translation">
			<return type="void">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="enable" type="bool">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Define whether the object can translate strings (with calls to [method tr]). Default is true.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="set_meta">
			<return type="void">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="name" type="String">
			</argument>
			<argument index="1" name="value" type="Variant">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Set a metadata into the object. Metadata is serialized. Metadata can be [i]anything[/i].
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="set_script">
			<return type="void">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="script" type="Reference">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Set a script into the object, scripts extend the object functionality.
			</description>
		</method>
		<method name="tr" qualifiers="const">
			<return type="String">
			</return>
			<argument index="0" name="message" type="String">
			</argument>
			<description>
				Translate a message. Only works if message translation is enabled (which it is by default). See [method set_message_translation].
			</description>
		</method>
	</methods>
	<signals>
		<signal name="script_changed">
			<description>
				Emitted whenever the script of the Object is changed.
			</description>
		</signal>
	</signals>
	<constants>
		<constant name="NOTIFICATION_POSTINITIALIZE" value="0">
			Called right when the object is initialized. Not available in script.
		</constant>
		<constant name="NOTIFICATION_PREDELETE" value="1">
			Called before the object is about to be deleted.
		</constant>
		<constant name="CONNECT_DEFERRED" value="1" enum="ConnectFlags">
			Connect a signal in deferred mode. This way, signal emissions are stored in a queue, then set on idle time.
		</constant>
		<constant name="CONNECT_PERSIST" value="2" enum="ConnectFlags">
			Persisting connections are saved when the object is serialized to file.
		</constant>
		<constant name="CONNECT_ONESHOT" value="4" enum="ConnectFlags">
			One shot connections disconnect themselves after emission.
		</constant>
		<constant name="CONNECT_REFERENCE_COUNTED" value="8" enum="ConnectFlags">
		</constant>
	</constants>
</class>