Difference between addChild and addComponent

[paulocoutinhox]

Hi,

What is the difference between addChild and addComponent in practice?

ADD CHILD:

void Node::addChild(Node* child, int localZOrder, int tag)
{
    AXASSERT(child != nullptr, "Argument must be non-nil");
    AXASSERT(child->_parent == nullptr, "child already added. It can't be added again");

    addChildHelper(child, localZOrder, tag, "", true);
}

void Node::addChild(Node* child, int localZOrder, std::string_view name)
{
    AXASSERT(child != nullptr, "Argument must be non-nil");
    AXASSERT(child->_parent == nullptr, "child already added. It can't be added again");

    addChildHelper(child, localZOrder, INVALID_TAG, name, false);
}

void Node::addChildHelper(Node* child, int localZOrder, int tag, std::string_view name, bool setTag)
{
    auto assertNotSelfChild([this, child]() -> bool {
        for (Node* parent(getParent()); parent != nullptr; parent = parent->getParent())
            if (parent == child)
                return false;

        return true;
    });
    (void)assertNotSelfChild;

    AXASSERT(assertNotSelfChild(), "A node cannot be the child of his own children");

    if (_children.empty())
    {
        this->childrenAlloc();
    }

    this->insertChild(child, localZOrder);

    child->setParent(this);

    if (_childFollowCameraMask)
    {
        child->setCameraMask(this->getCameraMask());
        child->applyMaskOnEnter(true);
    }

    if (setTag)
    {
        child->setTag(tag);
        child->updateParentChildrenIndexer(child->getName());
    }
    else
    {
        child->setName(name);
        child->updateParentChildrenIndexer(child->getTag());
    }

    child->updateOrderOfArrival();

    if (_running)
    {
        child->onEnter();
        // prevent onEnterTransitionDidFinish to be called twice when a node is added in onEnter
        if (_isTransitionFinished)
        {
            child->onEnterTransitionDidFinish();
        }
    }

    if (_cascadeColorEnabled)
    {
        updateCascadeColor();
    }

    if (_cascadeOpacityEnabled)
    {
        updateCascadeOpacity();
    }
}

ADD COMPONENT:

bool Node::addComponent(Component* component)
{
    // lazy alloc
    if (!_componentContainer)
        _componentContainer = new ComponentContainer(this);

    // should enable schedule update, then all components can receive this call back
    scheduleUpdate();

    const auto added = _componentContainer->add(component);
    if (added && _running)
        component->onEnter();

    return added;
}

Thanks.

[rh101]

A component is not a node, so is not part of the scene tree.

You can use custom components to add functionality to nodes.