[outdated] Get data from a URL
 

Forgive me if there's already some way to do this, but I couldn't find anything.

I also considered that a workaround might be to use SavedVariables along with an external program for reading URLs/writing data to them, but it appears that the SavedVariables are only read when the add-on initially loads.

Anyway, it would be extremely useful for all kinds of reasons to be able to fetch data from a URL for an add-on to use. I totally get that there may be some good gameplay reasons not to allow this, but I think as far as raw security goes this is probably fairly safe (especially since add-ons are open source).

Your understanding is right.

When the game starts the addons are loaded and processed. Data they need from their saved variables files are loaded into memory. Changes you make to the saved variables file while in game will be overwritten when you log out as the file gets re-written with the appropriate data.

Even if you rig up the ability to import data for your addon ( like I have done ) the moment you do a reload or log out it will replace the file with the data in memory and reload it back into memory.

Now it doesn't stop you parsing the saved variables file with an external program but you would have to do it after you have logged all the way out of the game so that the correct saved variables file is processed.

Or you could make the SV file Read Only, then reload, then make the file writable again.

I doubt this works. As near as I can tell there is a delay between a reload of the UI and the values being written to disk. Wich would mean the game will still just continue to use the data already read into memory - it just will also make a disk copy "just in case" at earliers convienience (after all other read and write request have been solved).