Modding:Modder Guide/APIs/Config

Creating SMAPI mods

---

• Get started
• Game fundamentals
• Test & troubleshoot
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• API reference

  Basic SMAPI APIs:

  • Mod structure
  • Manifest
  • Events
  • Configuration
  • Load & edit content
  • Data
  • Input
  • Logging
  • Reflection
  • Multiplayer
  • Translation
  • Update checks
  • Utilities

  Advanced SMAPI APIs:

  • Content packs
  • Mod console commands
  • Mod integrations
  • Harmony patching

• Specific guides

← Modding:Index

You can let users configure your mod through a standard config.json file. SMAPI will automatically create the file and take care of reading, normalising, and updating it.

Config model

Creating a config model

The config model is a C# class you create, with properties representing the settings you want to store. It can contain almost anything from a few boolean fields to a complex object graph (though you should try to keep things simple for players). Here's a simple config model:

public sealed class ModConfig
{
   public bool ExampleBoolean { get; set; }
   public int ExampleNumber { get; set; }
}

That model would be saved to config.json with this content:

{
   "ExampleBoolean": false,
   "ExampleNumber": 0
}

These properties must be public.

Default values

You can set default values in your data model:

public sealed class ModConfig
{
   public bool ExampleBoolean { get; set; } = true;
   public int ExampleNumber { get; set; } = 5;
}

...or set defaults with a constructor:

public sealed class ModConfig
{
   public bool ExampleBoolean { get; set; }
   public int ExampleNumber { get; set; }

   public ModConfig()
   {
      this.ExampleBoolean = true;
      this.ExampleNumber = 5;
   }
}

Using the config file

To read the config.json (SMAPI will create it automatically):

1. Create your config model.
2. Access the config values in your ModEntry class:

   /// <summary>The main entry point for the mod.</summary>
   internal sealed class ModEntry : Mod
   {
       /*********
       ** Properties
       *********/
       /// <summary>The mod configuration from the player.</summary>
       private ModConfig Config;
   
   
       /*********
       ** Public methods
       *********/
       /// <summary>The mod entry point, called after the mod is first loaded.</summary>
       /// <param name="helper">Provides simplified APIs for writing mods.</param>
       public override void Entry(IModHelper helper)
       {
           this.Config = this.Helper.ReadConfig<ModConfig>();
           bool exampleBool = this.Config.ExampleBoolean;
       }
   }
   

That's it! When the player launches the game, SMAPI will create the config.json file automatically if it doesn't exist yet, using the default config options you provided in your model. If you need to save some changes, you can use this.Helper.WriteConfig(this.Config).

Note that ReadConfig will raise an exception if the user does not provide a valid JSON.

Keybind settings

Main article: Modding:Modder Guide/APIs/Input

You can use SMAPI's KeybindList in your model to let users configure keybinds. This automatically supports multi-key or alternative bindings (e.g., to support split-screen mode):

class ModConfig
{
   public KeybindList ToggleKey { get; set; } = KeybindList.Parse("LeftShift + F2, LeftTrigger");
}

The value is automatically written/parsed in the config.json file as a string:

{
   "ToggleKey": "LeftShift + F2, LeftTrigger"
}