IFileDataEntry

Description

Marks a resource entry whose stored value is plain data that round-trips through JSON, so a file-backed table provider can export it to a data file and rebuild it at runtime without shipping the authored table asset.

An entry that implements this interface serializes losslessly through JsonUtility: it holds no Object references, and whatever it points at is reachable in a player on its own, such as a Resources path or an Addressables address supplied by a package. A file-backed provider writes these entries into its data files; a table whose entries do not all satisfy this contract keeps its asset in the build so the remaining references survive. Per-entry IResourceEntry.Metadata does not round-trip through file data. ResourceAssetEntry implements this because it stores a Resources path, while AssetEntry does not, because it holds a direct object reference.

Additional resources: IResourceEntry, ResourceAssetEntry, AssetEntry

<para>Check whether an entry can be exported to a localization data file.</para>

using Unity.Localization;
using UnityEngine;

namespace Unity.Localization.Samples
{
    public class IFileDataEntryOverviewExample
    {
        public void Run()
        {
            IResourceEntry resourceEntry = new ResourceAssetEntry(1) { Default = "Icons/Flag" };
            IResourceEntry directEntry = new AssetEntry(2);

            Debug.Log(resourceEntry is IFileDataEntry);  // True: stores a Resources path
            Debug.Log(directEntry is IFileDataEntry);     // False: holds a direct object reference
        }
    }
}