A fork of bevy to implement some features for forestia
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Joona Aalto 38c3423693
Event Split: Event, EntityEvent, and BufferedEvent (#19647)
# Objective

Closes #19564.

The current `Event` trait looks like this:

```rust
pub trait Event: Send + Sync + 'static {
    type Traversal: Traversal<Self>;
    const AUTO_PROPAGATE: bool = false;
    
    fn register_component_id(world: &mut World) -> ComponentId { ... }
    fn component_id(world: &World) -> Option<ComponentId> { ... }
}
```

The `Event` trait is used by both buffered events
(`EventReader`/`EventWriter`) and observer events. If they are observer
events, they can optionally be targeted at specific `Entity`s or
`ComponentId`s, and can even be propagated to other entities.

However, there has long been a desire to split the trait semantically
for a variety of reasons, see #14843, #14272, and #16031 for discussion.
Some reasons include:

- It's very uncommon to use a single event type as both a buffered event
and targeted observer event. They are used differently and tend to have
distinct semantics.
- A common footgun is using buffered events with observers or event
readers with observer events, as there is no type-level error that
prevents this kind of misuse.
- #19440 made `Trigger::target` return an `Option<Entity>`. This
*seriously* hurts ergonomics for the general case of entity observers,
as you need to `.unwrap()` each time. If we could statically determine
whether the event is expected to have an entity target, this would be
unnecessary.

There's really two main ways that we can categorize events: push vs.
pull (i.e. "observer event" vs. "buffered event") and global vs.
targeted:

|              | Push            | Pull                        |
| ------------ | --------------- | --------------------------- |
| **Global**   | Global observer | `EventReader`/`EventWriter` |
| **Targeted** | Entity observer | -                           |

There are many ways to approach this, each with their tradeoffs.
Ultimately, we kind of want to split events both ways:

- A type-level distinction between observer events and buffered events,
to prevent people from using the wrong kind of event in APIs
- A statically designated entity target for observer events to avoid
accidentally using untargeted events for targeted APIs

This PR achieves these goals by splitting event traits into `Event`,
`EntityEvent`, and `BufferedEvent`, with `Event` being the shared trait
implemented by all events.

## `Event`, `EntityEvent`, and `BufferedEvent`

`Event` is now a very simple trait shared by all events.

```rust
pub trait Event: Send + Sync + 'static {
    // Required for observer APIs
    fn register_component_id(world: &mut World) -> ComponentId { ... }
    fn component_id(world: &World) -> Option<ComponentId> { ... }
}
```

You can call `trigger` for *any* event, and use a global observer for
listening to the event.

```rust
#[derive(Event)]
struct Speak {
    message: String,
}

// ...

app.add_observer(|trigger: On<Speak>| {
    println!("{}", trigger.message);
});

// ...

commands.trigger(Speak {
    message: "Y'all like these reworked events?".to_string(),
});
```

To allow an event to be targeted at entities and even propagated
further, you can additionally implement the `EntityEvent` trait:

```rust
pub trait EntityEvent: Event {
    type Traversal: Traversal<Self>;
    const AUTO_PROPAGATE: bool = false;
}
```

This lets you call `trigger_targets`, and to use targeted observer APIs
like `EntityCommands::observe`:

```rust
#[derive(Event, EntityEvent)]
#[entity_event(traversal = &'static ChildOf, auto_propagate)]
struct Damage {
    amount: f32,
}

// ...

let enemy = commands.spawn((Enemy, Health(100.0))).id();

// Spawn some armor as a child of the enemy entity.
// When the armor takes damage, it will bubble the event up to the enemy.
let armor_piece = commands
    .spawn((ArmorPiece, Health(25.0), ChildOf(enemy)))
    .observe(|trigger: On<Damage>, mut query: Query<&mut Health>| {
        // Note: `On::target` only exists because this is an `EntityEvent`.
        let mut health = query.get(trigger.target()).unwrap();
        health.0 -= trigger.amount();
    });

commands.trigger_targets(Damage { amount: 10.0 }, armor_piece);
```

> [!NOTE]
> You *can* still also trigger an `EntityEvent` without targets using
`trigger`. We probably *could* make this an either-or thing, but I'm not
sure that's actually desirable.

To allow an event to be used with the buffered API, you can implement
`BufferedEvent`:

```rust
pub trait BufferedEvent: Event {}
```

The event can then be used with `EventReader`/`EventWriter`:

```rust
#[derive(Event, BufferedEvent)]
struct Message(String);

fn write_hello(mut writer: EventWriter<Message>) {
    writer.write(Message("I hope these examples are alright".to_string()));
}

fn read_messages(mut reader: EventReader<Message>) {
    // Process all buffered events of type `Message`.
    for Message(message) in reader.read() {
        println!("{message}");
    }
}
```

In summary:

- Need a basic event you can trigger and observe? Derive `Event`!
- Need the event to be targeted at an entity? Derive `EntityEvent`!
- Need the event to be buffered and support the
`EventReader`/`EventWriter` API? Derive `BufferedEvent`!

## Alternatives

I'll now cover some of the alternative approaches I have considered and
briefly explored. I made this section collapsible since it ended up
being quite long :P

<details>

<summary>Expand this to see alternatives</summary>

### 1. Unified `Event` Trait

One option is not to have *three* separate traits (`Event`,
`EntityEvent`, `BufferedEvent`), and to instead just use associated
constants on `Event` to determine whether an event supports targeting
and buffering or not:

```rust
pub trait Event: Send + Sync + 'static {
    type Traversal: Traversal<Self>;
    const AUTO_PROPAGATE: bool = false;
    const TARGETED: bool = false;
    const BUFFERED: bool = false;
    
    fn register_component_id(world: &mut World) -> ComponentId { ... }
    fn component_id(world: &World) -> Option<ComponentId> { ... }
}
```

Methods can then use bounds like `where E: Event<TARGETED = true>` or
`where E: Event<BUFFERED = true>` to limit APIs to specific kinds of
events.

This would keep everything under one `Event` trait, but I don't think
it's necessarily a good idea. It makes APIs harder to read, and docs
can't easily refer to specific types of events. You can also create
weird invariants: what if you specify `TARGETED = false`, but have
`Traversal` and/or `AUTO_PROPAGATE` enabled?

### 2. `Event` and `Trigger`

Another option is to only split the traits between buffered events and
observer events, since that is the main thing people have been asking
for, and they have the largest API difference.

If we did this, I think we would need to make the terms *clearly*
separate. We can't really use `Event` and `BufferedEvent` as the names,
since it would be strange that `BufferedEvent` doesn't implement
`Event`. Something like `ObserverEvent` and `BufferedEvent` could work,
but it'd be more verbose.

For this approach, I would instead keep `Event` for the current
`EventReader`/`EventWriter` API, and call the observer event a
`Trigger`, since the "trigger" terminology is already used in the
observer context within Bevy (both as a noun and a verb). This is also
what a long [bikeshed on
Discord](https://discord.com/channels/691052431525675048/749335865876021248/1298057661878898791)
seemed to land on at the end of last year.

```rust
// For `EventReader`/`EventWriter`
pub trait Event: Send + Sync + 'static {}

// For observers
pub trait Trigger: Send + Sync + 'static {
    type Traversal: Traversal<Self>;
    const AUTO_PROPAGATE: bool = false;
    const TARGETED: bool = false;
    
    fn register_component_id(world: &mut World) -> ComponentId { ... }
    fn component_id(world: &World) -> Option<ComponentId> { ... }
}
```

The problem is that "event" is just a really good term for something
that "happens". Observers are rapidly becoming the more prominent API,
so it'd be weird to give them the `Trigger` name and leave the good
`Event` name for the less common API.

So, even though a split like this seems neat on the surface, I think it
ultimately wouldn't really work. We want to keep the `Event` name for
observer events, and there is no good alternative for the buffered
variant. (`Message` was suggested, but saying stuff like "sends a
collision message" is weird.)

### 3. `GlobalEvent` + `TargetedEvent`

What if instead of focusing on the buffered vs. observed split, we
*only* make a distinction between global and targeted events?

```rust
// A shared event trait to allow global observers to work
pub trait Event: Send + Sync + 'static {
    fn register_component_id(world: &mut World) -> ComponentId { ... }
    fn component_id(world: &World) -> Option<ComponentId> { ... }
}

// For buffered events and non-targeted observer events
pub trait GlobalEvent: Event {}

// For targeted observer events
pub trait TargetedEvent: Event {
    type Traversal: Traversal<Self>;
    const AUTO_PROPAGATE: bool = false;
}
```

This is actually the first approach I implemented, and it has the neat
characteristic that you can only use non-targeted APIs like `trigger`
with a `GlobalEvent` and targeted APIs like `trigger_targets` with a
`TargetedEvent`. You have full control over whether the entity should or
should not have a target, as they are fully distinct at the type-level.

However, there's a few problems:

- There is no type-level indication of whether a `GlobalEvent` supports
buffered events or just non-targeted observer events
- An `Event` on its own does literally nothing, it's just a shared trait
required to make global observers accept both non-targeted and targeted
events
- If an event is both a `GlobalEvent` and `TargetedEvent`, global
observers again have ambiguity on whether an event has a target or not,
undermining some of the benefits
- The names are not ideal

### 4. `Event` and `EntityEvent`

We can fix some of the problems of Alternative 3 by accepting that
targeted events can also be used in non-targeted contexts, and simply
having the `Event` and `EntityEvent` traits:

```rust
// For buffered events and non-targeted observer events
pub trait Event: Send + Sync + 'static {
    fn register_component_id(world: &mut World) -> ComponentId { ... }
    fn component_id(world: &World) -> Option<ComponentId> { ... }
}

// For targeted observer events
pub trait EntityEvent: Event {
    type Traversal: Traversal<Self>;
    const AUTO_PROPAGATE: bool = false;
}
```

This is essentially identical to this PR, just without a dedicated
`BufferedEvent`. The remaining major "problem" is that there is still
zero type-level indication of whether an `Event` event *actually*
supports the buffered API. This leads us to the solution proposed in
this PR, using `Event`, `EntityEvent`, and `BufferedEvent`.

</details>

## Conclusion

The `Event` + `EntityEvent` + `BufferedEvent` split proposed in this PR
aims to solve all the common problems with Bevy's current event model
while keeping the "weirdness" factor minimal. It splits in terms of both
the push vs. pull *and* global vs. targeted aspects, while maintaining a
shared concept for an "event".

### Why I Like This

- The term "event" remains as a single concept for all the different
kinds of events in Bevy.
- Despite all event types being "events", they use fundamentally
different APIs. Instead of assuming that you can use an event type with
any pattern (when only one is typically supported), you explicitly opt
in to each one with dedicated traits.
- Using separate traits for each type of event helps with documentation
and clearer function signatures.
- I can safely make assumptions on expected usage.
- If I see that an event is an `EntityEvent`, I can assume that I can
use `observe` on it and get targeted events.
- If I see that an event is a `BufferedEvent`, I can assume that I can
use `EventReader` to read events.
- If I see both `EntityEvent` and `BufferedEvent`, I can assume that
both APIs are supported.

In summary: This allows for a unified concept for events, while limiting
the different ways to use them with opt-in traits. No more guess-work
involved when using APIs.

### Problems?

- Because `BufferedEvent` implements `Event` (for more consistent
semantics etc.), you can still use all buffered events for non-targeted
observers. I think this is fine/good. The important part is that if you
see that an event implements `BufferedEvent`, you know that the
`EventReader`/`EventWriter` API should be supported. Whether it *also*
supports other APIs is secondary.
- I currently only support `trigger_targets` for an `EntityEvent`.
However, you can technically target components too, without targeting
any entities. I consider that such a niche and advanced use case that
it's not a huge problem to only support it for `EntityEvent`s, but we
could also split `trigger_targets` into `trigger_entities` and
`trigger_components` if we wanted to (or implement components as
entities :P).
- You can still trigger an `EntityEvent` *without* targets. I consider
this correct, since `Event` implements the non-targeted behavior, and
it'd be weird if implementing another trait *removed* behavior. However,
it does mean that global observers for entity events can technically
return `Entity::PLACEHOLDER` again (since I got rid of the
`Option<Entity>` added in #19440 for ergonomics). I think that's enough
of an edge case that it's not a huge problem, but it is worth keeping in
mind.
- ~~Deriving both `EntityEvent` and `BufferedEvent` for the same type
currently duplicates the `Event` implementation, so you instead need to
manually implement one of them.~~ Changed to always requiring `Event` to
be derived.

## Related Work

There are plans to implement multi-event support for observers,
especially for UI contexts. [Cart's
example](https://github.com/bevyengine/bevy/issues/14649#issuecomment-2960402508)
API looked like this:

```rust
// Truncated for brevity
trigger: Trigger<(
    OnAdd<Pressed>,
    OnRemove<Pressed>,
    OnAdd<InteractionDisabled>,
    OnRemove<InteractionDisabled>,
    OnInsert<Hovered>,
)>,
```

I believe this shouldn't be in conflict with this PR. If anything, this
PR might *help* achieve the multi-event pattern for entity observers
with fewer footguns: by statically enforcing that all of these events
are `EntityEvent`s in the context of `EntityCommands::observe`, we can
avoid misuse or weird cases where *some* events inside the trigger are
targeted while others are not.
2025-06-15 16:46:34 +00:00
.cargo Fix typos in config_fast_builds.toml (#16025) 2024-10-20 16:50:40 +00:00
.github don't deny warnings on wasm-atomics CI job (#19604) 2025-06-12 23:29:50 +00:00
assets Initial raytraced lighting progress (bevy_solari) (#19058) 2025-06-12 21:26:10 +00:00
benches Event Split: Event, EntityEvent, and BufferedEvent (#19647) 2025-06-15 16:46:34 +00:00
crates Event Split: Event, EntityEvent, and BufferedEvent (#19647) 2025-06-15 16:46:34 +00:00
docs Initial raytraced lighting progress (bevy_solari) (#19058) 2025-06-12 21:26:10 +00:00
docs-rs Relationship(…Target) html trait tag (#18140) 2025-03-04 08:05:16 +00:00
docs-template bevyengine.org -> bevy.org (#19503) 2025-06-05 23:09:28 +00:00
errors bevyengine.org -> bevy.org (#19503) 2025-06-05 23:09:28 +00:00
examples Event Split: Event, EntityEvent, and BufferedEvent (#19647) 2025-06-15 16:46:34 +00:00
release-content Event Split: Event, EntityEvent, and BufferedEvent (#19647) 2025-06-15 16:46:34 +00:00
src bevyengine.org -> bevy.org (#19503) 2025-06-05 23:09:28 +00:00
tests Event Split: Event, EntityEvent, and BufferedEvent (#19647) 2025-06-15 16:46:34 +00:00
tests-integration/simple-ecs-test Internalize BevyManifest logic. Switch to RwLock (#18263) 2025-03-12 00:46:01 +00:00
tools Bump ron version to 0.10. (#19631) 2025-06-13 19:54:31 +00:00
.gitattributes Enforce linux-style line endings for .rs and .toml (#3197) 2021-11-26 21:05:35 +00:00
.gitignore Harden proc macro path resolution and add integration tests. (#17330) 2025-02-09 19:45:45 +00:00
Cargo.toml Bump ron version to 0.10. (#19631) 2025-06-13 19:54:31 +00:00
clippy.toml Fix warnings and errors reported on Rust beta (#19294) 2025-05-19 23:56:48 +00:00
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md Update CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md 2020-08-19 20:25:58 +01:00
CONTRIBUTING.md bevyengine.org -> bevy.org (#19503) 2025-06-05 23:09:28 +00:00
CREDITS.md Fix typos CREDITS.md (#17899) 2025-02-17 09:30:04 +00:00
deny.toml Ignore RUSTSEC-2023-0089 until postcard is updated (#19038) 2025-05-05 05:50:03 +00:00
LICENSE-APACHE Let the project page support GitHub's new ability to display open source licenses (#4966) 2022-06-08 17:55:57 +00:00
LICENSE-MIT Let the project page support GitHub's new ability to display open source licenses (#4966) 2022-06-08 17:55:57 +00:00
README.md bevyengine.org -> bevy.org (#19503) 2025-06-05 23:09:28 +00:00
rustfmt.toml Upgrade to Rust Edition 2024 (#17967) 2025-02-24 03:54:47 +00:00
typos.toml Bump typos to 1.29.7 (#17902) 2025-02-17 20:41:25 +00:00

Bevy

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What is Bevy?

Bevy is a refreshingly simple data-driven game engine built in Rust. It is free and open-source forever!

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}

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