# GeneralSettings

## Creating a builder

Settings introduced by BoostedYAML follow builder design pattern, e.g. you may build your own settings using:

```java
GeneralSettings.builder() /*configure*/ .build()
```

## Settings

### Key format

```java
Builder#setKeyFormat(@NotNull KeyFormat keyFormat)
```

Sets the key format to use; specifies how the loaded/supplied keys should be formatted.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Please read about** [**routing**](https://dejvokep.gitbook.io/boostedyaml/routing/routes)**, if you did not do so.**

Key format should be chosen based on which routing you'd like to use. You'll also find a bunch of useful notes and examples there.
{% endhint %}

* `KeyFormat.STRING` - allows only strings as keys.
  * All keys loaded are converted to strings via [`Object#toString()`](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/lang/Object.html#toString\(\)) (e.g. `5` -> `"5"`), except `null` keys, which are considered illegal and will throw an [NPE](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/lang/NullPointerException.html). Please note that such conversion is irrevocable upon saving.
  * **This key format ensures compatibility with Spigot/BungeeCord API.**
* `KeyFormat.OBJECT` - allows anything as the key per the YAML specification (that is, integers, strings, doubles...).
  * Preserves keys as they were loaded by SnakeYAML Engine (YAML processor), or supplied.

**Default:** `KeyFormat.STRING`

### Route separator

```java
Builder#setRouteSeparator(char separator)
```

Sets route separator used to separate individual keys inside a string route and vice-versa.

**Default:** `'.'` (compatible with Spigot/BungeeCord API)

### Serializer

```java
Builder#setSerializer(@NotNull YamlSerializer serializer)
```

Sets serializer used for custom object serialization/deserialization. You can read more about serializers here:

{% content-ref url="../serialization/implementation" %}
[implementation](https://dejvokep.gitbook.io/boostedyaml/serialization/implementation)
{% endcontent-ref %}

**Default:** [StandardSerializer](https://dejvokep.gitbook.io/boostedyaml/serialization/implementation#standardserializer) with `==` set as the serialized type key

{% hint style="info" %}
**Coming from Spigot API and using serialization system of those libraries?**

Make sure to implement the correct artifact and set`SpigotSerializer.getInstance()` for compatiblity. You can then continue registering your custom classes to [ConfigurationSerialization](https://hub.spigotmc.org/javadocs/spigot/org/bukkit/configuration/serialization/ConfigurationSerialization.html).
{% endhint %}

### Use defaults

```java
Builder#setUseDefaults(boolean useDefaults)
```

Sets if to enable use of the defaults by section methods (if any are present).

{% hint style="warning" %}
Not effective if there are no defaults associated with the document.
{% endhint %}

**If enabled,** bulk getter methods (which return a set/map of all keys, routes, values, blocks) will not only include content from the file, but also from the equivalent section in the defaults. Value getters with signature `getX(route)` will search the defaults as documented.

**If disabled,** none of the section methods will interact with the defaults. This is recommended if you would like to handle all value absences (present in the defaults, but not in the file) and invalid values  manually - e.g. notifying the user and then using the default value defined within `final` fields, or obtained via `Section#getDefaults()`.

### Default values

#### Runtime defaults

```java
Builder#setDefaultObject(@Nullable Object defaultObject)
Builder#setDefaultNumber(@NotNull Number defaultNumber)
Builder#setDefaultString(@Nullable String defaultString)
Builder#setDefaultChar(@Nullable Character defaultChar)
Builder#setDefaultBoolean(@Nullable Boolean defaultBoolean)
Builder#setDefaultList(@NotNull ListSupplier defaultList)
Builder#setDefaultSet(@NotNull SetSupplier defaultSet)
Builder#setDefaultMap(@NotNull MapSupplier defaultMap)
```

Defaults used by section methods which don't provide default parameter and have general syntax of `Section#getX(Route)`.

For exact specification regarding which method returns which of these defaults, please visit corresponding method docs.

**Default:** object: `null`, number: `0`, string: `null`, char: `' '`, boolean: `false`, list: supplier of [ArrayList](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/util/ArrayList.html), set: supplier of [LinkedHashSet](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/util/LinkedHashSet.html), map: supplier of [LinkedHashMap](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/util/LinkedHashMap.html).

{% hint style="success" %}
Defaults that are also present in Spigot/BungeeCord API are the same by default.
{% endhint %}

#### Load defaults

```java
Builder#setDefaultList(@NotNull ListSupplier defaultList)
Builder#setDefaultSet(@NotNull SetSupplier defaultSet)
Builder#setDefaultMap(@NotNull MapSupplier defaultMap)
```

Defaults used **also** during document loading.

For example, if there is a list in the document (unless it has a [YAML tag](https://yaml.org/spec/1.2.2/#1021-tags) explicitly specified which determines the exact type), it's contents are loaded into a list supplied by the default list supplier.

**Default:** list: supplier of [ArrayList](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/util/ArrayList.html), set: supplier of [LinkedHashSet](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/util/LinkedHashSet.html), map: supplier of [LinkedHashMap](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/util/LinkedHashMap.html).


---

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