ecc_dat - new datformat RFC

[ecc]

Hi,

i write a tool called emuControlCenter (ecc) at this time. It is useable and can scan your disks and parse informations from your rom-files. As an addition, it show you the screenshots of your roms in a listview and in a infoscreen. I will add some screenshots within the next days.

U will find it at http://www.camya.com/

For ecc, i will add a new format for dat-transfer. I call this format ecc_dat.

Here you can see a first RFC-Release of the DAT-Fomat:

Code: Select all

# ecc dat-file for mediadetection
# version 0.0.1
# date 2006/05/11

[ECC_DAT_INFO]
name			= Gameboy Advanced
ecc_ident		= ECC_DAT_GBA
release_version	= 0.0.1
release_date	= 2006/05/11
release_state	= alpha
comment			= Visit camya for the newest dat-file
author			= ecc
website			= http://www.camya.de/
email			= e@mail.de

[MEDIA]

# demodata
# name;extension;crc32;running;buggy;county;languages;multiplayer;trainer;introhack;hardware;usermod;free;doublettes
# varchar;varchar;crc32;int;bool;int[|n];int[|n];int;bool;bool;int[|n];bool;bool;crc32[|n]
#
# demodata description
# name;			varchar		real title of the media
# extension;	varchar		extension e.g. gba of the media
# crc32;		crc32		media crc32 checksum
# running;		bool		0=running | 1=not running
# buggy;		bool		0=ok | 1=has bugs
# county;		int[|]		Pipe-Seperated Coutries (Source [MEDIA_COUNTRY])
# languages;	int[|]		Pipe-Seperated supported languages of the media (Source [MEDIA_LANGUAGES])
# multiplayer;		int		0=no | 1=yes, but no info | 2-n count of players
# trainer;		bool		0=no trainer | 1-n=includes a trainer
# introhack;	bool		0=no intro | 1=intro hack added to the media
# hardware;		int[|]		Pipe-Seperated Special hardware used in this media (Source [MEDIA_HARDWARE])
# usermod;		bool		0=no | 1=yes User-Modification e.g. user-translations
# free;			bool		0=no freeware | 1=freeware eg publicdomain (PD)
# category		int			type of game  (Source [MEDIA_CATEGORY])
# doublettes	crc32[|]	Pipe-Seperated crc32-checksums of equal games

Super Mario Advance 2 - Super Mario World;gba;5206880A;1;0;1;2;0;0;0;0;0;0;1;3D2B51F0
Super Mario Advance 2 - Super Mario World;gba;3D2B51F0;1;0;3;2;0;0;0;0;0;0;1;5206880A
Golden Sun;gba;1053DCE4;1;0;3;1;0;0;0;0;0;3;E1FB68E8
Golden Sun;gba;E1FB68E8;1;0;1;2;0;0;0;0;0;3;1053DCE4
Golden Sun 2 - Die Vergessene Epoche;gba;D981D889;1;0;3;1;0;0;0;0;0;0;5;671EE52A|1717CDED
Golden Sun 2;gba;671EE52A;1;0;1;2;0;0;0;0;0;0;5;D981D889|1717CDED
Golden Sun 2;gba;1717CDED;1;0;2;4;0;0;1;0;0;0;5;D981D889|671EE52A

The date behind the values in the dat-files are stored in a ini file in the emuControlCenter and maybe look like that.

# general data

Code: Select all

[MEDIA_COUNTRY]
0	= No country version
1	= USA
2	= Japan
3	= Europa

[MEDIA_LANGUAGES]
0	= Keine Sprache
1	= Deutsch
2	= Englisch
4	= Japanisch
5	= Schwedisch
6	= Dänisch
7	= Französisch
8	= Spanisch
9	= Koreanisch
10	= Chinesisch
11	= Italienisch

[MEDIA_CATEGORY]
0	= keine Kategorie zugewiesen
1	= Jump and Run
2	= Action adventure
3	= Sport

# special data e.g. for gameboy advanced in a special ini

Code: Select all

[MEDIA_HARDWARE]
0	= keine spezielle Hardware
1	= Solarsensor
2	= Tilt-Sensor

Any comments to this format?

[RomCenter]

The romcenter 3 datafile format will be xml (mostly like mame xml list). So, I can only advice you to go with xml instead of 'old' dat format.

[ecc]

I will take a look at this format. Thank you for this info.

btw.: I´ve created a emuControlCenter - microsite http://www.camya.com/ecc/

Regards,
Andreas

[Wanderer]

The romcenter 3 datafile format will be xml (mostly like mame xml list). So, I can only advice you to go with xml instead of 'old' dat format.

Hmm, interesting. Will the INI remain for storing parameters or it will be changed to XML too?

[RomCenter]

It should stay as ini for now, but as a xml config file is already used, I will maybe move all settings in xml later.

But no registry

[Wanderer]

It should stay as ini for now, but as a xml config file is already used, I will maybe move all settings in xml later.

Ok. At that point, if i have the time i could extend my REG -> INI tool to an INI -> XML conversion tool.

But no registry

I agree. At the end, INIs are better for utilities such as RC. XMLs seem to be even better though!

[ecc]

@Wanderer and RomCenter

I today again see an visitor in my logs comming from this thread written Mon May 15, 2006 11:05 am Long time ago. If you want, you can remove this tread. Looks like an big crossite promotion. But at this time i wrote ecc, it was only a prototye Sometimes i think, XML-Style format is mutch better. But i also think, xml files are very big and have an to big overhead. The CM Format is mutch smaller, but is not really good parsable, i think. I´ve implemente rom auditing for MAME and the arcade platforms, and parsing was hard work for me. Do you know, where the format of the CM-Dat file arrays are from? Is this an known format parsable in some languages like C ?

In RC 3, there will be an complete own xml-based datfile format, or also the old RC and CM datfiles?

Regards,
Andreas

[RomCenter]

Rc3 supports old formats thrught Logiqx datutil tool. All formats are converted to mame xml format.

Also, a new xml format is created for romcenter and clrmame (see here for more details). It is the mame xml extended with rc and clrmame tags.

Afaik, clrmame format is proprietary. You won't find any tool to parse it. Maybe ask Roman...

[ecc]

Also, a new xml format is created for romcenter and clrmame (see here for more details). It is the mame xml extended with rc and clrmame tags.

I´ve never seen this xml format On the page http://forum.logiqx.com/viewtopic.php?t=363 there is only a snipplet. Can you give me an full export containing also <games> of your new xml style for one platform? Is this the direct xml output from mame?

[RomCenter]

Here is new format dtd. It's not a direct mame xml, it is enclosed in 'datafiles' tags.