getChildComponents returns all descendents

[David Healey]

.getChildComponents doesn't just return direct children (as the API doc suggests) it returns every descendent down the chain. I can see this being very useful, but I only want the direct children.

For now I'm looping through the list it returns and manually checking the parent component but I think this should be fixed. Probably behind a preprocessor for those who have been using it.

[ustk]

@David-Healey or perhaps adding an optional parameter bool recursive?

[Christoph Hart]

Changing the function signature is a breaking change too, but I think a preprocessor is weird for that, just add another function. The hard thing is to come with a non-weird name for it, my best attempt is getDirectChildComponents()

[ustk]

@Christoph-Hart so why not with a bool recursive if you make a new one? so it can do both until we can safely retire the old one in a few years...

[dannytaurus]

@Christoph-Hart @ustk How about two new functions:

getDirectChildComponents()
getRecursiveChildComponents()

and a nice loud deprecated console message on the existing getChildComponents() function?

Seems better to eventually end up with non-confusing function names rather than carry the confusing one on forever?

[dannytaurus]

Or why not just change the function signature for getChildComponents() as a breaking change?

It would fail to compile, so it would be a nice loud error with a very easy fix for each dev currently using it.

[David Healey]

Or just make the function do what the documentation says it should do :p Also a breaking change but probably one that won't affect many people.

Then add a new function to get all descendents.

[dannytaurus]

@David-Healey If you're making a breaking change, why not roll the optional boolean in there too?

Same effect as without it (breaks compiling) plus a minimal doc change for a nice tidy, truthful function.

[dannytaurus]

@David-Healey Where are you using getChildComponents()? On a Script object (ScriptButton, etc)?

Because ContainerChild already has getAllComponents() here but nothing else has it.

[David Healey]

@dannytaurus In the script I'm currently working on I'm using it with a panel.

[dannytaurus]

@David-Healey