SECS

A sequential Entity-Component-System implementation in C++. Intended to be used with raylib, but can be easily used without. Though, not very usable in its current state regardless of your choice of libraries.

See the usage example for a quick-start.

NOTE: The docs below may get outdated really quickly since this is a rapidly evolving project.

The Basics

This library was heavily inspired by the Bevy game engine. Therefore, it shares a lot of important concepts:

• Systems are plain functions, optionally taking a bunch of special parameters. Currently implemented are Query and Commands (with their own, non-Bevy APIs).
• Entities are storage cells for components. C++ smart pointers are used to handle reference-counting, but they could be wrapped in an easier-to-use custom type later.
• Since there are no derive-macros in C++, you have to extend the Component struct in order to create component types.

As a final note, there is no way to avoid severely blanketed compiler diagnostics if you do something wrong. That's what template magic does to a person.

API

For each new SECS project:

• Include the SECS.hpp header wherever required.
• Define your game states like const State Menu, Play, etc.
• Populate the list of systems with SECS::add. It returns a system builder finalized upon destruction; there is no need to call .build() or such.
• Call SECS::tick(...) every in-game tick. In the example above, you can pass it either Menu or Play.

Tips and tricks

• As the name suggests, this is a sequential ECS implementation. As such, any systems you define are checked and evaluated in the order they are added. Make sure to put rendering systems below (after) state-mutating systems, "startup" systems above "update" ones, etc.
• Most of the implemented commands have a shortcut method inside Commands. E.g., instead of cmd.push(new Spawn(new Gamer)), write cmd.spawn(new Gamer).
• Since there is no multithreading involved, static variables and globals are OK to use.