Struggling on what to find as the "Perfect Index"

[Violet_sheer (TheOtherSider)]

I’m trying to make a data saving system that will save which tools players have equipped and which attributes each tool has(only attributes im saving are upgrades.)

local DataStoreService = game:GetService("DataStoreService")
local Players = game:GetService("Players")
local CollectionService = game:GetService("CollectionService")
local ReplicatedStorage = game:GetService("ReplicatedStorage")
local Data = DataStoreService:GetDataStore("monke_d")

local Remotes = ReplicatedStorage.Remotes
local Functions = ReplicatedStorage.Functions
local Items = ReplicatedStorage.Items
local Tools = Items.Tools

local sessionData = {}

local DataStore = {}

function DataStore:Start(player)
	sessionData[player] = {}
	sessionData[player]["Tools"] = {}
end

local function GetParent(tool)
	if tool.Parent:IsA("Model") and Players:GetPlayerFromCharacter(tool.Parent) then
		return Players:GetPlayerFromCharacter(tool.Parent)
	elseif tool.Parent.Parent:IsA("Player") then
		return tool.Parent.Parent
	end
end


local function Upgrades(tool)
	return function(attributeName)
		if attributeName ~= "CurrentUpgrade" then return end
		local att = tool:GetAttribute(attributeName)
		local player = GetParent(tool)
		sessionData[player]["Tools"][1] = {att,tool.Name}
	end
end

function DataStore:CS()
	for i,tool in CollectionService:GetTagged("Tool") do
		tool.AttributeChanged:Connect(Upgrades(tool))
	end
	CollectionService:GetInstanceAddedSignal("Tool"):Connect(function(tool)
		tool.AttributeChanged:Connect(Upgrades(tool))
	end)
end

function DataStore:Init() -- All our tools should save and we should save our upgrade number in sessionData and in attributes
	Players.PlayerAdded:Connect(function(player)
		self:Start(player)
		local key = tostring(player.UserId)
		
		local folder = Instance.new("Folder")
		folder.Name = "leaderstats"
		
		local money = Instance.new("IntValue")
		money.Name = "Money"
		
		local bananas = Instance.new("IntValue")
		bananas.Name = "Bananas"
		
		local fish = Instance.new("IntValue")
		fish.Name = "Fish"
		
		CollectionService:AddTag(fish,"Currency")
		CollectionService:AddTag(bananas,"Currency")
		
		local successFish,resultFish = pcall(function()
			return Data:GetAsync("fish"..key)
		end)
		if successFish and resultFish then
			fish.Value = resultFish
		end
		local successBananas,resultBananas = pcall(function()
			return Data:GetAsync("bananas"..key)
		end)
		if successBananas and resultBananas then
			bananas.Value = resultBananas
		end
		local successMoney,resultMoney = pcall(function()
			return Data:GetAsync("money"..key)
		end)
		if successMoney and resultMoney then
			money.Value = resultMoney
		end
		local successTools,resultTools = pcall(function()
			return Data:GetAsync("tools"..key)
		end)
		if successTools and resultTools then
			print(resultTools)
			for i,v in pairs(resultTools) do print(i,v) end
			for i,v in resultTools do
				sessionData[player]["Tools"][i] = v
			end
			for i,v in pairs(resultTools) do
				local tool = Tools:FindFirstChild(sessionData[player]["Tools"][i][2]):Clone()
				tool:SetAttribute("CurrentUpgrade",sessionData[player]["Tools"][i][1])
				tool.Parent = player.Backpack
			end
		end
		player.CharacterRemoving:Connect(function(character)
			if character.Humanoid.Health <= 0 then return end
			local function FindTools()
				for i,v in player.Backpack:GetChildren() do
					sessionData[player]["Tools"][i] = {v:GetAttribute("CurrentUpgrade"),v.Name}
				end
				local tool = character:FindFirstChildOfClass("Tool")
				if tool then
					sessionData[player]["Tools"][1] = {tool:GetAttribute("CurrentUpgrade"),tool.Name}
				end
				table.sort(sessionData[player]["Tools"],function(a,b) return a < b end)
			end
			FindTools()
			
			local successTools,resultTools = pcall(function()
				return Data:SetAsync("tools"..key,sessionData[player]["Tools"])
			end)
		end)
		bananas.Parent = player
		fish.Parent = player
		money.Parent = folder
		folder.Parent = player
	end)
	Players.PlayerRemoving:Connect(function(player)
		local key = tostring(player.UserId)
		local successMoney,resultMoney = pcall(function()
			return Data:SetAsync("money"..key,player.leaderstats.Money.Value)
		end)
		local successBananas,resultBananas = pcall(function()
			return Data:SetAsync("bananas"..key,player.Bananas.Value)
		end)
		local successFish,resultFish = pcall(function()
			return Data:SetAsync("fish"..key,player.Fish.Value)
		end)
	end)
	self:CS()
end

return DataStore

In a character removing event below I am trying to set the tools in the sessionData table and I’m attempting to sort them.

When I print through the table of tools when I am setting them(SetAsync), it shows all the tools. For example if I have 4 hammers, It will show 4 hammers in the table. The problem is though, when I am getting them(GetAsync), it only shows 1 of that tool(shows if sessionData[player][“Tools”] index is the actual tool when sending to SetAsync).

I know that this is happening because the index for sessionData[player][“Tools”] was a tool(in the script now it is an index. The problem is though when I am setting or changing an upgrade a player has made, I need access to the table index which I can’t use with a number and if I use a tool, only 1 of that tool will show because the instance has been turned into a string in which each tool has the same index.

Update: I’m planning on using serial numbers, I’ll bump this post again if my idea succeeds.

[Kipukii (Kipuki)]

I would personally have one key handle all inventory data (and maybe other general data) and it can have a table of each item in the form of another table that contains full data like item-type and upgrade level. I tend to use ModuleScripts to handle importing and exporting of data as it is more streamlined. I know I did not say a lot but I hope this helps.

[Violet_sheer (TheOtherSider)]

I’m thinking of creating serial numbers as indices and adding them onto tools as attributes when they are cloned in the game.

Highly unlikely, but any ideas on how I would counter an issue where an index in sessionData[player][“Tools”] is the same(Runs on server but basically every serial number is local to every player). I am using tool:SetAttribute(“SerialNumber”,math.random(0,1e7)) to create my serial-specific number.

[Violet_sheer (TheOtherSider)]

So I just use math.random(0,1e7) and it worked but I’ll make another post on the slight inconvenience that 2 serial numbers for a player’s tools are the same.