There are a few places in the Lua script API where a variable could be some type of "object" or something that is not an "object" but is still useful - one example is the return value from oswpt:get(). With this function, scripts will be able to tell what the variable is without risking an exception.
This refactors the object_h struct to store objects as indexes rather than pointers. This is a prerequisite for making the collection of objects dynamic in the future. See also #6100.
Follow-up to #5800 and #5829.
To enforce type safety for arrival and departure locations, this converts them to enum classes. Various casts are added when appropriate to convert between the indexed and enum values.
Turn `Parse_names` into a vector and add SCP_string overloads of ship registry functions. Refactor calling code to use registry as appropriate. Remove an unused overload of `mission_parse_get_parse_object`.
1) Upgrade the pilot file code to correctly save flags whether entries are added *or* removed
2) Make the tech-db/tech-db-multi ship flag handling consistent
3) Add scripting support for intel entries
4) Add scripting support for adding and removing entries from the tech room
5) Minor cleanup
This maintains the type information which can be used for enforce
const-correctness and also for implementing more advanced ways of
handling the type information.
Goober5000