Identity and input copying

Craftly distinguishes a binding (a Variable/field) from the object or collection it references. This matters whenever two inputs reach the same mutable data.

Reference: the default

Reference shares the object/List/Dictionary. If a and b reference the same list, appending through b changes what a sees. Reassigning b to a new list does not reassign a.

Primitive Number, String, Boolean, and Color values copy their value. Entity Targets retain UUID identity and are never cloned by input copying.

Shallow Copy

Creates a new outer object or collection while retaining nested object references. If a copied List contains a mutable PlayerStats object, changing the outer List does not change the original List, but mutating that shared PlayerStats still affects both views.

Deep Copy

Creates a separate reachable object graph. Aliases and cycles inside the copied graph are preserved: two copied fields that originally pointed to the same object still point to the same copied object. Dictionary identity keys participate in the copy.

Copies preserve unassigned fields and Final field assignment state. They do not call constructors. Copying large graphs consumes heap and execution budgets; it is not an unlimited duplication operation.

Set the mode

Shift-right-click a configured object, List, or Dictionary input to cycle Reference → Shallow Copy → Deep Copy. The choice belongs to that argument/assignment slot. Variable items do not carry a passing toggle. Replacing the input preserves the slot’s choice; ordinary right-click clears the input.

Comparison example

Action	Reference	Shallow Copy	Deep Copy
Mutate outer List	Shared	Separate	Separate
Mutate nested custom object	Shared	Shared	Separate
Rebind destination Variable	Separate binding	Separate binding	Separate binding
Clone a Target entity	Never	Never	Never

Custom objects compare by identity, not by matching field contents. Save graphs preserve their resulting identity relationships across restart.