HookObjectChange for registering callbacks on object properties

[lukas-runge]

Hello everyone,

does anyone know if there is a way for registering callbacks on objects like e.g. groups to parse them when any of their parameters (e.g. name) change? I saw that the function HookObjectChange is used in a similar context for example to fetch WindowSettings on UI compontents like in window_agenda.lua:

window_agenda.lua

local pluginName    = select(1,...);
local componentName = select(2,...); 
local signalTable   = select(3,...); 
local my_handle     = select(4,...);

---------------------------------------------
signalTable.OnLoad = function(window,status,creator)
	window:WaitInit();

	-- SETTINGS:
	local windowAgendaSettings = window.WindowSettings;
	window.TitleBar.Buttons.Edit.target = windowAgendaSettings;
	window.TitleBar.Buttons.ViewMode.target = windowAgendaSettings;
	window.Content.Grid.Toolbar:SetChildren("Target",windowAgendaSettings);

	HookObjectChange(signalTable.OnSettingsChanged,		-- 1. function to call
					 windowAgendaSettings,				-- 2. object to hook
					 my_handle:Parent(),				-- 3. plugin object ( internally needed )
					 window);							-- 4. user callback parameter 	
	signalTable.OnSettingsChanged(windowAgendaSettings, "", window);

	local dbObjectGrid = window.Content.Grid.Sheet.Content;
	dbObjectGrid.ExternalSettings = windowAgendaSettings;
end

---------------------------------------------
signalTable.OnSettingsChanged = function(settings, signal, window)
	local settings = window.WindowSettings;
	local contents = window.Content.Grid:Children();

	local sheetViewModeActive = false;
	-- set content visibility
	window.TitleBar.Buttons.Navigation.visible = false; -- only visible if month or week
	for i=1,#contents do
		if contents[i]:GetClass() == "UILayoutGrid" then
			if (contents[i].name == settings.ViewMode) then
				contents[i]:Changed(); -- recalculate planned entries
				contents[i].visible = true;
				if settings.ViewMode == "Sheet" then
					sheetViewModeActive = true;
				end
			else
				contents[i].visible = false;
			end
		end
	end

	-- set titlebar visibility
	window.TitleBar.Buttons.Navigation.visible = not sheetViewModeActive;
	window.TitleBar.Buttons.Sheet.visible = sheetViewModeActive;

	-- set toolbar visibility
	window.Content.Grid.ToolBar.visible = settings.edit and window.TitleBar.Buttons.Edit.visible;

	-- update title with current date:
	if settings.ViewMode == "Sheet" then
		window.TitleBar.TitleButton.Text = "Agenda";
	else
		window.TitleBar.TitleButton.Text = 'Agenda ('..settings.VisibleDate..')';
	end
end

I havent yet managed to get this working with external objects tho as I don't know what their handle is. I hope that this function (HookObjectChange) could finally allow for plugins that extend MA3s inbuild functionality automatically without needing to be called upon action or running in a while loop with coroutine.yield(). This would be seriously so dope!

Hope someone has an idea on how this could potentially work.
Kind regards
@lukas-runge