Google Sheets Setup

Learn how to structure your Google Sheets for C4G configuration generation.

Overview

C4G reads data from Google Sheets and generates:

• C# DTO classes (Data Transfer Objects)
• JSON configuration files

Each sheet in your spreadsheet becomes a separate config class.

Creating Your First Config Sheet

Step 1: Create a Google Spreadsheet

1. Go to Google Sheets

2. Click "+ Blank" to create a new spreadsheet

3. Name your spreadsheet:

   • Example: GameConfigs
   • Example: ProductionConfigs

4. Copy the spreadsheet ID from the URL:

   https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/SPREADSHEET_ID_HERE/edit

   The ID is the long string between /d/ and /edit

Step 2: Structure Your Sheet

C4G expects a specific sheet structure:

Required Format

FieldName	FieldType	Values1	Values2	Values3
id	int	1	2	3
name	string	Sword	Shield	Potion
price	float	100.5	200.0	50.75
damage	int	25	0	0

Column Structure:

• Column A (FieldName): Names of your data fields
• Column B (FieldType): C# type for each field
• Columns C onwards: Data values (each column is one item/row of data)

Step 3: Supported Data Types

C4G supports the following types out of the box:

Primitive Types

Type	Example Values	Description
int	1, 42, -5	Integer numbers
float	1.5, 3.14, -2.7	Floating-point numbers
double	1.5, 3.14159265	Double-precision numbers
bool	true, false	Boolean values
string	Hello, Item Name	Text strings

Lists

To create a list field, append [] to the type:

FieldName	FieldType	Values1	Values2
tags	string[]	fire,sword	defense,metal
stats	int[]	10,20,30	5,15,25

Lists use comma-separated values.

Enums

First, define your enum in C#:

public enum ItemRarity
{
    Common,
    Rare,
    Epic,
    Legendary
}

Then use it in your sheet:

FieldName	FieldType	Values1	Values2
rarity	ItemRarity	Common	Epic

Important: Register custom enums in C4G Settings (covered in Editor Workflow).

Example: Complete Item Config

Google Sheet Structure

Sheet Name: Items

FieldName	FieldType	Values1	Values2	Values3
id	int	1	2	3
name	string	Iron Sword	Oak Shield	Health Potion
description	string	A sturdy blade	Wooden defense	Restores HP
price	float	150.0	100.0	25.5
damage	int	25	0	0
defense	int	0	15	0
isConsumable	bool	false	false	true
tags	string[]	weapon,melee	armor,shield	consumable,heal

Generated C# Class

C4G will generate:

[System.Serializable]
public class Items
{
    public int id;
    public string name;
    public string description;
    public float price;
    public int damage;
    public int defense;
    public bool isConsumable;
    public string[] tags;
}

Generated JSON

{
  "items": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "Iron Sword",
      "description": "A sturdy blade",
      "price": 150.0,
      "damage": 25,
      "defense": 0,
      "isConsumable": false,
      "tags": ["weapon", "melee"]
    },
    {
      "id": 2,
      "name": "Oak Shield",
      "description": "Wooden defense",
      "price": 100.0,
      "damage": 0,
      "defense": 15,
      "isConsumable": false,
      "tags": ["armor", "shield"]
    }
  ]
}

Multiple Sheets in One Spreadsheet

You can create multiple config types in one spreadsheet:

Sheet: Items

FieldName	FieldType	...
id	int	...
name	string	...

Sheet: Enemies

FieldName	FieldType	...
id	int	...
name	string	...
health	int	...

C4G will generate:

• Items.cs and Items JSON
• Enemies.cs and Enemies JSON
• RootConfig.cs (contains both configs)

Best Practices

Naming Conventions

✅ DO:

• Use PascalCase for sheet names: Items, EnemyStats
• Use camelCase for field names: id, itemName, maxHealth
• Use descriptive names: attackDamage not dmg

❌ DON'T:

• Avoid spaces in sheet names: Enemy Stats → EnemyStats
• Avoid special characters: item-name → itemName
• Avoid reserved C# keywords: class, int, string as field names

Data Organization

✅ DO:

• Keep related data in one sheet
• Use consistent column ordering
• Add a unique id field to each config
• Group similar items together

❌ DON'T:

• Mix unrelated data types in one sheet
• Leave empty rows between data
• Use merged cells
• Add comments or notes in data cells

Performance Tips

• Limit columns: Google Sheets API is fastest with < 100 columns per sheet
• Cache generated files: Commit generated JSON to version control for runtime use
• Separate sheets: Use multiple sheets for different config types
• Avoid complex formulas: C4G reads raw values, not formula results

Sheet Permissions

For Personal Projects

1. Keep the sheet private (not shared)
2. Access via your personal Google account OAuth

For Team Projects

1. Share the spreadsheet with team members:

   • Click "Share" in Google Sheets
   • Add team members with "Editor" access

2. Each team member needs their own OAuth credentials

3. Consider using Google Workspace for better team management

Common Sheet Structures

RPG Items

FieldName	FieldType	Description
id	int	Unique identifier
name	string	Display name
description	string	Tooltip text
iconId	string	Icon sprite reference
rarity	ItemRarity	Enum: Common, Rare, etc.
stackSize	int	Max stack in inventory
sellPrice	int	Vendor sell value

Character Stats

FieldName	FieldType	Description
characterId	int	Unique ID
displayName	string	Character name
baseHealth	int	Starting HP
baseAttack	int	Starting attack power
baseDefense	int	Starting defense
movementSpeed	float	Movement units per second
specialAbilities	string[]	List of ability IDs

Level Design

FieldName	FieldType	Description
levelId	int	Unique identifier
sceneName	string	Unity scene to load
displayName	string	Level name in UI
difficulty	int	1-10 difficulty rating
requiredLevel	int	Player level requirement
enemySpawns	string[]	Enemy IDs to spawn
rewardCoins	int	Completion reward

Troubleshooting

"Sheet not found" error

Cause: Sheet name doesn't match what's configured in C4G

Solution:

• Check exact sheet name (case-sensitive)
• Remove any spaces or special characters
• Verify sheet exists in the spreadsheet

"Invalid spreadsheet ID"

Cause: Wrong ID copied from URL

Solution:

• Copy the ID between /d/ and /edit in the URL
• Ensure no extra spaces or characters
• Test by opening the URL in a browser

"Type not supported"

Cause: Using a type C4G doesn't recognize

Solution:

• Check the list of supported types above
• Register custom enums in C4G Settings
• Create a custom type parser (advanced)

"Data not parsing correctly"

Cause: Data format doesn't match expected type

Solution:

• Verify data format (e.g., true/false for bool, not yes/no)
• Check for extra spaces in cells
• Ensure lists use comma separators with no spaces

Empty or null values

Cause: Missing data in sheet

Solution:

• C4G treats empty cells as default values:
  • int: 0
  • float/double: 0.0
  • bool: false
  • string: empty string ""
  • Lists: empty array []

Next Steps

• Editor Workflow - Generate configs in Unity
• API Reference - Learn about C4G's API
• Custom Type Parsers - Extend C4G with custom types