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rojo/docs/reference/sync-details.md
Lucien Greathouse 91caa67e04 Release 0.5.0 stable (#234)
* This should be everything?

* Add contributing guide
2019-08-27 14:14:48 -07:00

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This page aims to describe how Rojo turns files on the filesystem into Roblox objects.
[TOC]
## Overview
| File Name | Instance Type |
| -------------- | ------------------------- |
| any directory | `Folder` |
| `*.server.lua` | `Script` |
| `*.client.lua` | `LocalScript` |
| `*.lua` | `ModuleScript` |
| `*.csv` | `LocalizationTable` |
| `*.txt` | `StringValue` |
| `*.model.json` | Any |
| `*.rbxm` | Any |
| `*.rbxmx` | Any |
| `*.meta.json` | Modifies another instance |
## Limitations
Not all property types can be synced by Rojo in real-time due to limitations of the Roblox Studio plugin API. In these cases, you can usually generate a place file and open it when you start working on a project.
Some common cases you might hit are:
* Binary data (Terrain, CSG, CollectionService tags)
* `MeshPart.MeshId`
* `HttpService.HttpEnabled`
For a list of all property types that Rojo can reason about, both when live-syncing and when building place files, look at [rbx-dom's type coverage chart](https://github.com/rojo-rbx/rbx-dom#property-type-coverage).
This limitation may be solved by [issue #205](https://github.com/rojo-rbx/rojo/issues/205) in the future.
## Folders
Any directory on the filesystem will turn into a `Folder` instance unless it contains an 'init' script, described below.
## Scripts
The default script type in Rojo projects is `ModuleScript`, since most scripts in well-structued Roblox projects will be modules.
If a directory contains a file named `init.server.lua`, `init.client.lua`, or `init.lua`, that folder will be transformed into a `*Script` instance with the contents of the 'init' file. This can be used to create scripts inside of scripts.
For example, these files:
![Tree of files on disk](../images/sync-example-files.svg)
{: align="center" }
Will turn into these instances in Roblox:
![Tree of instances in Roblox](../images/sync-example-instances.svg)
{: align="center" }
## Localization Tables
Any CSV files are transformed into `LocalizationTable` instances. Rojo expects these files to follow the same format that Roblox does when importing and exporting localization information.
## Plain Text Files
Plain text files (`.txt`) files are transformed into `StringValue` instances. This is useful for bringing in text data that can be read by scripts at runtime.
## JSON Models
Files ending in `.model.json` can be used to describe simple models. They're designed to be hand-written and are useful for instances like `RemoteEvent`.
A JSON model describing a folder containing a `Part` and a `RemoteEvent` could be described as:
```json
{
"Name": "My Cool Model",
"ClassName": "Folder",
"Children": [
{
"Name": "RootPart",
"ClassName": "Part",
"Properties": {
"Size": {
"Type": "Vector3",
"Value": [4, 4, 4]
}
}
},
{
"Name": "SendMoney",
"ClassName": "RemoteEvent"
}
]
}
```
It would turn into instances in this shape:
![Tree of instances in Roblox](../images/sync-example-json-model.svg)
{: align="center" }
!!! warning
Starting in Rojo 0.5.0 (stable), the `Name` field is no longer required. The name of the top-level instance in a JSON model is now based on its file name, and the `Name` field is now ignored.
Rojo will emit a warning if the `Name` field is specified and does not match the file's name.
## Binary and XML Models
Rojo supports both binary (`.rbxm`) and XML (`.rbxmx`) models generated by Roblox Studio or another tool.
Support for the `rbxmx` is very good, while support for `rbxm` is still very early, buggy, and lacking features.
For a rundown of supported types, check out [rbx-dom's type coverage chart](https://github.com/rojo-rbx/rbx-dom#property-type-coverage).
## Meta Files
New in Rojo 0.5.0-alpha.12 are meta files, named `.meta.json`.
Meta files allow attaching extra Rojo data to models defined in other formats, like Roblox's `rbxm` and `rbxmx` model formats, or even Lua scripts.
This can be used to set Rojo-specific settings like `ignoreUnknownInstances`, or can be used to set properties like `Disabled` on a script.
Meta files can contain:
* `className`: Changes the `className` of a containing `Folder` into something else.
* Usable only in `init.meta.json` files
* `properties`: A map of properties to set on the instance, just like projects
* Usable on anything except `.rbxmx`, `.rbxm`, and `.model.json` files, which already have properties
* `ignoreUnknownInstances`: Works just like `$ignoreUnknownInstances` in project files
### Meta Files to set Rojo metadata
Sometimes it's useful to apply properties like `ignoreUnknownInstances` on instances that are defined on the filesystem instead of within the project itself.
### Meta Files for Disabled Scripts
Meta files can be used to set properties on `Script` instances, like `Disabled`.
If your project had `foo.server.lua` and you wanted to make sure it would be disabled, you could create a `foo.meta.json` next to it with:
```json
{
"properties": {
"Disabled": true
}
}
```
### Meta Files for Tools
If you wanted to represent a tool containing a script and a model for its handle, create a directory with an `init.meta.json` file in it:
```json
{
"className": "Tool",
"properties": {
"Grip": [
0, 0, 0,
1, 0, 0,
0, 1, 0,
0, 0, 1,
]
}
}
```
Instead of a `Folder` instance, you'll end up with a `Tool` instance with the `Grip` property set!