actionscript 3 - Storing parameter templates to create new entities from? -

my entity system game uses templates lay out how entities created. like:

entitytemplatemanager.register("zombie",     new physicscomponent(10), // speed     new spritecomponent("zombie"), // graphic     new healthcomponent(100) // health ); 

i part of system because makes sure don't miss parameters or screw type.

then can create new entity this:

entity : entity = entitytemplatemanager.create("zombie");

pretty straight forward.

what now, create entity, have entitytemplatemanager create 1 entity use default, call clone() on entity , goes through , clone()s of components , returns result.

actual code:

public function clone() : entity {     var components : vector.<component> = new vector.<component>();      var length : int = _components.length;      (var : int = 0; < length; ++i)         components.push(_components[i].clone()); // copy local components new entity      return new entity(_name, _type, components); } 

the problem is, every time create (design) new component, have write (design) clone() method inside of , keep track of parameters called on constructor create brand new, default stated component.

so end junk this:

public class componentx {     protected var _defaultname : string;     protected var _defaultstartinganimation : string;     protected var _defaultbroadcastanimationended : boolean;     protected var _defaultoffsetx : number;     protected var _defaultoffsety : number;      // other stuff hidden      public function componentx(name : string, startinganimation : string, broadcastanimationended : boolean = false, offsetx : number = 0, offsety : number = 0) : void     {         super();          _defaultname = name;         _defaultstartinganimation = startinganimation;         _defaultbroadcastanimationended = broadcastanimationended;         _defaultoffsetx = offsetx;         _defaultoffsety = offsety;     }      public function clone() : component     {         return new componentx(_defaultname, _defaultstartinganimation, _defaultbroadcastanimationended, _defaultoffsetx, _defaultoffsety);     }      // other methods } 

i don't -- it's wasteful , error prone.

how best store parameters of entitytemplatemanager.register() function (including components' constructors parameters) , use new storage create entities instead?

i've tried generic clone() methods bytearray or describetype(), don't work protected / private variables.

ideas?

few months ago wrote own entity-component manager too. i've done (in case):

entitytemplatemanager.register("zombie", [     {type: physicscomponent, attr: {speed: 10}},     {type: spritecomponent, attr: {graphic: "zombie"}},     {type: healthcomponent, attr: {health: 100}} ]); 

registering new template works below:

private static var definitions:dictionary = new dictionary();  public static function register(templatename:string, componentdefinitions:array):void {     definitions[templatename] = componentdefinitions; } 

the create function retrieves specified component template , create components this:

var components:vector.<component> = new vector.<component>();  // create components each (var definition:object in componentdefinitions) {     var componentclass:class = definition.type;     var component:component = new componentclass();      // set default parameters     (var prop:string in definition.attr) {         component[prop] = definition.attr[prop];     }      components.push(component); }  // create entity , attach freshly created components. // ...