Feature Improvement: Control faction list for each year via JSON (implementation details included)

[korgano]

Like the title says.

I have implemented this in a private fork of ISM and tested it out, and it works fine.

Alterations for Converter.cs:

public int Year { get; set; }
        public List<string> GetAllFactions()
        {
        // Validate that the year is within an acceptable range
        if (Year < 0)
        {
            throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("Year must be non-negative.");
        }

        // Define the path to the JSON file
        string filePath = "factions-by-year.json";

        // Validate that the file exists
        if (!File.Exists(filePath))
        {
            throw new FileNotFoundException($"The file '{filePath}' does not exist.");
        }

        // Load the JSON data from the file
        var jsonData = File.ReadAllText(filePath);

        // Parse the JSON into a dictionary
        var factionsByYear = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Dictionary<int, List<string>>>(jsonData);

        // Validate that the JSON was successfully parsed
        if (factionsByYear == null)
        {
            throw new InvalidOperationException("Failed to parse factions data from JSON.");
        }

        // Attempt to get the factions for the specified year
        if (factionsByYear.TryGetValue(Year, out var factions))
        {
            return factions;
        }
        else
        {
            throw new KeyNotFoundException($"No factions found for the year {Year}.");
        }
        }

The format for the factions-by-year.json:

{
  "0": [
    "Steiner","Marik","Kurita","Davion","Liao","AuriganRestoration","ComStar","MagistracyOfCanopus","TaurianConcordat","Outworld","Niops","Oberon","Lothian","Circinus","Illyrian","Rasalhague","Ives","Axumite","Castile","Chainelane","ClanFreeGuilds","ClanBloodSpirit","ClanBurrock","ClanCloudCobra","ClanCoyote","ClanDiamondShark","ClanFireMandrill","ClanGhostBear","ClanGoliathScorpion","ClanHellsHorses","ClanIceHellion","ClanJadeFalcon","ClanNovaCat","ClansGeneric","ClanSmokeJaguar","ClanSnowRaven","ClanStarAdder","ClanSteelViper","ClanWolf","Delphi","Elysia","Hanse","JarnFolk","Tortuga","Valkyrate","NoFaction","Locals", "AuriganDirectorate","AuriganPirates","WordOfBlake","LocalMalcontents"
  ],
  "1": [
    "Steiner","Marik","Kurita","Davion","Liao","AuriganRestoration","ComStar","MagistracyOfCanopus","TaurianConcordat","Outworld","Niops","Oberon","Lothian","Circinus","Illyrian","Rasalhague","Ives","Axumite","Castile","Chainelane","ClanFreeGuilds","ClanBloodSpirit","ClanBurrock","ClanCloudCobra","ClanCoyote","ClanDiamondShark","ClanFireMandrill","ClanGhostBear","ClanGoliathScorpion","ClanHellsHorses","ClanIceHellion","ClanJadeFalcon","ClanNovaCat","ClansGeneric","ClanSmokeJaguar","ClanSnowRaven","ClanStarAdder","ClanSteelViper","ClanWolf","Delphi","Elysia","Hanse","JarnFolk","Tortuga","Valkyrate","NoFaction","Locals", "AuriganDirectorate", "AuriganPirates","WordOfBlake","LocalMalcontents"
  ],
  "2": [
    "Steiner","Marik","Kurita","Davion","Liao","AuriganRestoration","ComStar","MagistracyOfCanopus","TaurianConcordat","Outworld","Niops","Oberon","Lothian","Circinus", "Illyrian","Rasalhague","Ives","Axumite","Castile","Chainelane","ClanFreeGuilds","ClanBloodSpirit","ClanBurrock","ClanCloudCobra","ClanCoyote","ClanDiamondShark","ClanFireMandrill","ClanGhostBear","ClanGoliathScorpion","ClanHellsHorses","ClanIceHellion","ClanJadeFalcon","ClanNovaCat","ClansGeneric","ClanSmokeJaguar","ClanSnowRaven","ClanStarAdder","ClanSteelViper","ClanWolf","Delphi","Elysia","Hanse","JarnFolk","Tortuga","Valkyrate","NoFaction","Locals","AuriganDirectorate", "AuriganPirates","WordOfBlake","LocalMalcontents","Rim"
  ]
}

This allows the faction list to be updated without having to completely recompile the DocToSystem executable.