# API Surface: OECS This document describes the public API surface of the OECS library. It serves as a contract for implementation and a reference for consumers. All types reside in the `OECS` namespace unless otherwise noted. --- ## Entity ```csharp namespace OECS; public readonly struct Entity : IEquatable { public static Entity Null { get; } // ID=0, Version=0 public uint Id { get; } // lower 24-bit identifier public uint Version { get; } // upper 8-bit generation public bool IsNull { get; } // true for Entity.Null public bool Equals(Entity other); public override bool Equals(object? obj); public override int GetHashCode(); public override string ToString(); // "Entity(42:v3)" public static bool operator ==(Entity left, Entity right); public static bool operator !=(Entity left, Entity right); } ``` --- ## World ```csharp namespace OECS; public class World : IDisposable { // --- Lifecycle --- public World(); // --- Entity Management --- public Entity CreateEntity(); public void DestroyEntity(Entity entity); public bool IsAlive(Entity entity); // --- Component Management --- public void AddComponent(Entity entity, T component) where T : struct; public void RemoveComponent(Entity entity) where T : struct; public ref T GetComponent(Entity entity) where T : struct; public T ReadComponent(Entity entity) where T : struct; public bool TryGetComponent(Entity entity, out T value) where T : struct; public bool HasComponent(Entity entity) where T : struct; // --- Singleton --- public void SetSingleton(T component) where T : struct; public ref T GetSingleton() where T : struct; public T ReadSingleton() where T : struct; public bool HasSingleton() where T : struct; public void RemoveSingleton() where T : struct; // --- Queries --- // See QueryExtensions for Select / FindEntity / FindEntities. // --- Commands --- public CommandQueue Commands { get; } public void ExecuteCommands(); // --- Reactivity --- public void MarkModified(Entity entity) where T : struct; public void PostChanges(); public Observable ObserveEntityChanges(); public Observable ObserveComponentChanges() where T : struct; public Observable ObserveQuery(Query query = default) where T1 : struct; public Observable ObserveQuery(Query query = default) where T1 : struct where T2 : struct; // --- Relationships --- public IReadOnlyCollection GetSources(Entity target) where T : struct, IRelationship; // --- Cleanup --- public void Dispose(); } ``` --- ## WorldQueryExtensions Extension methods on `World` providing `foreach`-compatible iteration and entity lookup. Select returns `ref struct` enumerators for zero-allocation iteration with `ref` access to components. ```csharp namespace OECS; public static class WorldQueryExtensions { // Select — returns a ref struct enumerator for foreach. public static Select1 Select( this World world, Query query = default) where T1 : struct; // Overloads for 2–6 component types: public static Select2 Select(...) where T1 : struct where T2 : struct; // ... up to Select6 // FindEntity — returns the first matching entity or Entity.Null. public static Entity FindEntity( this World world, Query query = default) where T1 : struct; public static Entity FindEntity(...) where T1 : struct where T2 : struct; public static Entity FindEntity(...) where T1 : struct where T2 : struct where T3 : struct; // FindEntities — returns all matching entities as List. public static List FindEntities(...) where T1 : struct; public static List FindEntities(...) where T1 : struct where T2 : struct; public static List FindEntities(...) where T1 : struct where T2 : struct where T3 : struct; } ``` Each ref struct (Select1 through Select6) exposes: - `Entity Entity` — the current entity handle. - `ref T1 Item1`, `ref T2 Item2`, ... — read-write references to components. - `bool MoveNext()` — advances and returns true while items remain. - `GetEnumerator()` — returns `this` for `foreach` compatibility. - `Dispose()` — ends the iteration scope (flushes deferred mutations). Usage: ```csharp // Simple scan: all entities with Position. foreach (var it in world.Select()) { it.Item1.X += 1; // ref mutates component in-place } // With Without filter: var query = new Query().Without(); foreach (var it in world.Select(query)) { // it.Entity, it.Item1 } // Find first entity: var hand = world.FindEntity(); // Multi-component: foreach (var it in world.Select()) { it.Item1.X += it.Item2.X * dt; } ``` --- ## Query Describes a query over the ECS world. The `With` types are encoded as generic parameters. Optional `Without` filters are added via the fluent API. ```csharp namespace OECS; public struct Query where T1 : struct { public Query Without() where W : struct; } // Overloads for 2–6 With types: public struct Query where T1 : struct where T2 : struct { ... } // ... up to Query ``` Usage: ```csharp // Two required types, one excluded: var query = new Query().Without(); foreach (var it in world.Select(query)) { ... } // Simple scan — no Without filter needed: foreach (var it in world.Select()) { ... } ``` --- ## ISystem A system is a unit of logic that runs during a tick. It receives the `World` and decides what to do — typically reading singletons, iterating queries, or enqueuing commands. ```csharp namespace OECS; public interface ISystem { void Run(World world); } ``` Systems do **not** declare a query on the interface. Instead, they either read singletons directly (`world.ReadSingleton()`) or use the `WorldQueryExtensions` (`Select`, `FindEntity`, `FindEntities`) with a `Query` they build inline. This keeps the interface minimal and gives systems full flexibility over what they inspect at runtime. --- ## ITickedSystem An optional extension for systems that need tick metadata (delta time or logical tick marker). ```csharp namespace OECS; public interface ITickedSystem : ISystem { void Run(World world, Tick tick); } ``` `SystemGroup` checks each system at runtime: if it implements `ITickedSystem`, the `Run(World, Tick)` overload is called; otherwise `Run(World)` is called. Both overloads must be implemented. --- ## Tick ```csharp namespace OECS; public readonly struct Tick { public TickType Type { get; } public float DeltaTime { get; } public static Tick Timed(float deltaTime); public static Tick Logical(); } public enum TickType { Timed, Logical } ``` --- ## SystemGroup ```csharp namespace OECS; public class SystemGroup { public SystemGroup(World world); public void Add(ISystem system); public void Remove(ISystem system); public void RunTimed(float deltaTime); public void RunLogical(); public int Count { get; } } ``` Systems execute in registration order. `SystemGroup` automatically drains commands and posts changes after each system and after the full tick. --- ## ICommand ```csharp namespace OECS; public interface ICommand { void Execute(World world); } ``` Implementations should be `[MessagePackObject]` structs so they can be serialized and replayed. --- ## CommandQueue ```csharp namespace OECS; public class CommandQueue { public void Enqueue(T command) where T : struct, ICommand; public void ExecuteAll(World world); public void Clear(); public void ClearErrors(); public int Count { get; } public IReadOnlyList Errors { get; } } ``` `Enqueue` uses a constrained generic to avoid boxing at the call site. Commands enqueued during `ExecuteAll` are processed in the same drain cycle. --- ## IRelationship ```csharp namespace OECS; public interface IRelationship { Entity Source { get; } Entity Target { get; } } ``` --- ## Relationship\ A convenience base struct for relationship components. The type parameters are phantom types that differentiate relationship kinds at the type level, enabling type-safe queries and reverse lookups. ```csharp namespace OECS; [MessagePackObject] public struct Relationship : IRelationship where TSelf : struct where TTarget : struct { [Key(0)] public Entity Source { get; set; } [Key(1)] public Entity Target { get; set; } } ``` --- ## EntityChange ```csharp namespace OECS; public readonly struct EntityChange : IEquatable { public Entity Entity { get; } public ChangeKind Kind { get; } public Type? ComponentType { get; } // null for entity-level changes } public enum ChangeKind { EntityAdded, EntityRemoved, ComponentAdded, ComponentRemoved, ComponentModified } ``` --- ## WorldSerializer Saves and loads a `World` to/from a MessagePack stream. Components are serialized by their runtime type using the source-generated `ComponentRegistry`. ```csharp namespace OECS; public static class WorldSerializer { public static void Save(World world, Stream stream); public static void Load(World world, Stream stream); } ``` --- ## WorldSnapshot / EntitySnapshot / ComponentEntry Serialization types used by `WorldSerializer`. These are public but intended primarily for serialization infrastructure. ```csharp namespace OECS; [MessagePackObject] public class WorldSnapshot { [Key(0)] public EntitySnapshot[] Entities { get; set; } } [MessagePackObject] public class EntitySnapshot { [Key(0)] public uint Id { get; set; } [Key(1)] public uint Version { get; set; } [Key(2)] public ComponentEntry[] Components { get; set; } [IgnoreMember] public Entity Entity { get; } } [MessagePackObject] public class ComponentEntry { [Key(0)] public string TypeName { get; set; } [Key(1)] public byte[] Data { get; set; } } ``` --- ## Usage Example Components and commands should be `public record struct` types with explicit fields/properties (not positional syntax). See the `writing-games` skill for the rationale. ```csharp using OECS; // Define components [MessagePackObject] public record struct Position { [Key(0)] public float X; [Key(1)] public float Y; } [MessagePackObject] public record struct Velocity { [Key(0)] public float X; [Key(1)] public float Y; } // Define a system public class MovementSystem : ITickedSystem { public void Run(World world) => Run(world, Tick.Logical()); public void Run(World world, Tick tick) { float dt = tick.DeltaTime; foreach (var it in world.Select()) { it.Item1.X += it.Item2.X * dt; it.Item1.Y += it.Item2.Y * dt; } } } // Wire it up var world = new World(); var group = new SystemGroup(world); group.Add(new MovementSystem()); // Create entities var player = world.CreateEntity(); world.AddComponent(player, new Position { X = 0, Y = 0 }); world.AddComponent(player, new Velocity { X = 1, Y = 0 }); // Observe changes via R3 world.ObserveComponentChanges() .Subscribe(change => Console.WriteLine($"{change.Entity} moved")); // Run a tick group.RunTimed(0.016f); // ~60 FPS ``` --- ## Internal Types (not part of public API) These types are implementation details and may change without notice: | Type | Purpose | |---|---| | `SparseSet` | Dense/sparse array pair for component storage. | | `ComponentStore` | Registry of `SparseSet` instances by type. | | `ChangeBuffer` | Accumulates `EntityChange` during system run, posts to R3 subjects. | | `ChangeSet` | Deduplicated change accumulator within a single batch. | | `RelationshipIndex` | Reverse lookup from target entity to source entities. | | `EntityAllocator` | Free-list + bump allocator for entity IDs. | | `WorldQueryExtensions` | Extension methods with ref struct iterators and entity lookup. | | `ComponentRegistry` | Source-generated registry of all component types for serialization. | | `ComponentDescriptor` | Source-generated per-type descriptor with serialize/deserialize callbacks. |