modify and seperate class_name into two functionalties

[Shadowblitz16]

Describe the project you are working on

Space ship game

Describe the problem or limitation you are having in your project

• I want to use class_name to register a whole scene as createable
• I need a way to name derived node's without them being in the node creation dialog.

Describe the feature / enhancement and how it helps to overcome the problem or limitation

• rename class_name to class and allow a optional : at the end
• add scene keyword to register a whole scene
• allow optional exporting of classes, and scenes

Describe how your proposal will work, with code, pseudo-code, mock-ups, and/or diagrams

# for just the node, with this script.. extend Node, name it MyCustomClass and export it to node creation dialog as MyCustomClass
export class MyCustomNode extends Node

# for this node and all its children, with this script.. extend Node, name it MyCustomClass and export it to node creation dialog as MyCustomClass
export scene MyCustomClass extends Node

• export would export it to the resource or node creation dialog depending on whether its a resource or node
• class treats it as a new class
• scene treats it as a new composite node

If this enhancement will not be used often, can it be worked around with a few lines of script?

• The scene keyword would be used to register a whole scene as a type.

  • It basically would be a way to link the scene and scripts together in a type,
  • It would still have to be attached to a scene and saved before it's registered

• The class keyword would reduce the amount of keywords in GDScript

• The optional export keyword would be used either at the end of a class, scene, property or field

  • It reduces needs for checks in GDScript parser
  • It allows separation of named scenes / classes and the exporting them to the creation dialogs

Is there a reason why this should be core and not an add-on in the asset library?

• It helps with static typing a bit and improves code.
• Its currently not possible to separate class name's from whether they show up in the creation dialogs.
• Its currently not possible to register a whole scene as a type without creating and setting up the children node's through script.

[Shadowblitz16]

Note I am sure how it would translate to 4.0 please let me know what you think.

[zinnschlag]

# for this node and all its children, with this script.. extend Node, name it MyCustomClass and export it to node creation dialog as MyCustomClass
export scene MyCustomClass extends Node

I assume you mean to name a Scene as MyCustomClass. How is that supposed to work? How is Godot to know which scene is meant?

[Shadowblitz16]

@zinnschlag It would be registered when you add the script to the node.

I would guess it would be added on some sort of script added signal and removed on some sort of script removed signal.
When the scene is freed from memory it would unregister the script

This means you would have to not only attach the script but also have to save the scene or keep it open in the editor.

[zinnschlag]

But a script can be attached to nodes in more than one scene. If you have a script S that is attached to both the root nodes of scene A and scene B, which scene is it then?

[YuriSizov]

@zinnschlag To save you the trouble, it's the same basic idea they've been asking for across several other proposals, like #2612. The aim is to somehow make scenes into types instead of scripts. Which would imply exclusive, one-to-one binding.

[Shadowblitz16]

@zinnschlag Yes it would take the node the script was attached and basically package it as a type with all its node's and script's attached to those node's.

I'm not saying it would be a actual new type but the idea is depending on the keywords you use you can register it as a global name and you can export it to the creation dialogs.

[Shadowblitz16]

@pycbouh part of this issue covers this #1047
Also the other part of what I am suggesting isn't necessarily making scenes into types, It more of just a way to package scenes under a name in the node creation dialog.

[Shadowblitz16]

The scene keyword would probably be better as a annotation in 4.0 like willnationsdev's I just don't like the idea of having to hard code a file path that might change.

[dalexeev]

• scene treats it as a new composite node

The same script can be attached to multiple scenes, so Godot cannot guess which scene is needed. You need to explicitly specify the path to the scene in the script, we already discussed this in #1935.

[Shadowblitz16]

Closing in favor of #1047
As much as I dislike the fact that scenes can't by dynamically linked to the script (for now) I agree with @dalexeev 's statement