Translating DAT files into XML?

[ninja2bceen]

Out of curiosity, what still needs to be done? Can dragon simplify it? Should I update the Janis with the new link? Does it make a difference update to the new one. What's dog up to ?

[Dogway]

The last link is only for me (and those into "the project") not for the end user. It's because of this, so it can make my life easier for editing. You don't have to worry, I guess.

[ninja2bceen]

Thanks, seems like u are going to try and manually fix the info that that dat is incorrectly displaying? Will u post ur efforts once completed? Good luck!

[Dogway]

I'm doing several things at once, first I'm adapting the .inis to my romsets. This is personal, I don't share many of the decisions made for HyperSpin (no Japanese games for example).

Also my naming scheme is no-intro while I don't know what they use here, for example I have to change from this:

Mr. Nutz (USA)

to this:

Mr. Nutz (USA) (En,Fr)

Then I will add the fixes commented above. It's up to you, I have no problems sharing.

[ninja2bceen]

I'm not sure what they use but maybe u just an alternate rom name so it has both? Sure, I'd live to have a copy once u master it, thanks

[Dogway]

@ninja2bceen: I think the only you would find valuable from my sets are NES and Arcade xml, the rest suffers from a lot of editing to work for other users.

@dragon57: I spotted one error, on Sonic CD you have the mess name "animals" which is from another game, I wonder how such a random name ended there but just in case it tells you something.

[dragon57]

Dogway, thanks for finding that error. That was a failure of the automatic fuzzy match, then I missed it when I proofread the list. I have fixed the ini and updated the archive.

Edit: url deleted, see below for new link.

[Dogway]

I found many missing names for Sega Genesis, I won't pick you up again for single games but this one is missing many, I just noticed because I'm currently working on my edits, Genesis is the last one:

Arcade Classics (USA, Europe)
California Games (USA, Europe)
DEcapAttack (USA, Europe)
Gaiares (Japan, USA)
Ghouls'n Ghosts (USA, Europe) (Rev A)
Greendog - The Beached Surfer Dude! (USA, Europe)
Haunting Starring Polterguy (USA, Europe)
Kid Chameleon (USA, Europe)
Lost World, The - Jurassic Park (USA, Europe)
Mutant League Hockey (USA, Europe)
Paperboy 2 (USA, Europe)
Phantasy Star IV (USA)
...

Never mind, I found them missing in the history.dat too. I think the database is very empty currently, at least for console games. Arcade seems to be rather populated.

[dragon57]

Yeah, I found a number missing from history.dat, across quite a few ini files, a surprising number actually.

[Dogway]

Anyway I recall reading from bleasby (looked for it but didn't find) that "Game Info" takes precedence over history.dat, at least that is what it looks from loading mortal kombat 3 (snes), it won't create a history label.

edit: ok, the post is here, but he doesn't say anything about it. He also states that there is work needed for the Game Info. I like the current fuzzy match because I don't have to convert names to PAL, but adding correct names on top of fuzzy match would be to ice on the cake.

edit2: I found another bug. Games that have Alternate names won't show the History in HyperPause, so what I said above is not true, Game Info and history.dat can work together (just tested with mk3).

[bleasby]

GameInfo and history data are used for different things.

All the info on the top right HyperPause screen, comes from the game info files. If the game is not found there, it uses your frontend database file info (the info on your xml database files).

History dat support was added much after. HyperPause reads the history.dat file and create the History menu with all its info on HyperPause. The history dat info is only used for that and on the rom mapping launch menu (the next version of it), that presents the history dat info on the left side of the screen if HL finds the corresponding game info.

As both sources (game info and history.dat) have very valuable information, but some times repeated, we should ideally aim to have the gameInfo files aggregating all info from both sources.

The game correspondence between the history dat files and the hyperspin naming convention goes exactly in this line, because makes very easy to automatically retrieve the history dat info for any game and could also be used to fill any missing games on the gameInfo files with a very simply script.

The ideal game info files would need to have the info for all games following the hyperspin name convention (or at least the HyperSpin pure game name: for example for the game "Super Metroid (USA)", it would be enough to have the ini section named "Super Metroid" whithout the extra info in parenthesis). That way we would need just a single "minted" game info file for having at hand any game information.

[Dogway]

@bleasby, the explanation is fine for newcomers, but you just ignored the fact that it is bugged as I stated above.

Also the "minted" version is based on the NTSC game names. "Yoshi's Universal Gravitation" won't be recognized because in USA is called "Yoshi Topsy-Turvy".

[bleasby]

I did not ignored anything.

I just explained clearly the information that you were guessing on your post about the non existent relation between the game info and the hisrtory.dat.

Also, in my WIP version of HyperPause there is no such bug. So if you have it on your setup, just wait until we are able to release the next HyperPause version.

And just to add, the minted version MUST be based on some naming convention. Just as all the artwork, themes, wheels, and everything else on HyperSpin.

It is impossible to support any user specific namings or choice of roms, but if you use specififc names on your setup, you would just need to adapt the mapping ini files to your specific case, as you already know by now.

[Dogway]

It's impossible to have a grounded discussion if you are using tools that will be released next year.

As I said, games with several Alternate entries aren't shown on HyperPause, if you are not going to fix it just tell me soon so I have a look ASAP.

"Yoshi's Universal Gravitation" is not a fanciful name I came up, is the no-intro PAL rom name (sans region nad languages).

[bleasby]

It's impossible to have a grounded discussion if you are using tools that will be released next year.

As I said, games with several Alternate entries aren't shown on HyperPause, if you are not going to fix it just tell me soon so I have a look ASAP.

If you are faster than me doing all the code changes required to support the new hyperlaunch features, be my guest to start your own hyperlaunch branch. The full code is on GIT and you can do whatever you want with it.

When you have everything working just release to everybody take advantage of it, and the other users will always be able to choose between the DogWay branch or the official hyperlaunch brach.

"Yoshi's Universal Gravitation" is not a fanciful name I came up, is the no-intro PAL rom name (sans region nad languages).

A I said before, HyperSpin wheels, themes, emumovies videos,... all use the USA names as the main game name convention. If any user wants to use another naming convention, they could simply rename their roms, or renaming all their media assets. The same things happens with the databases and gameInfo entries. Nothing new here.

[Dogway]

If you are faster than me doing all the code changes required to support the new hyperlaunch features, be my guest to start your own hyperlaunch branch. The full code is on GIT and you can do whatever you want with it.

When you have everything working just release to everybody take advantage of it, and the other users will always be able to choose between the DogWay branch or the official hyperlaunch brach.

bleasby, why are you being a dick? I'm not into the project, I do things for myself.

If you are not willing to help and stuck to say "wait for next release" then don't even answer, you don't want to be bothered, and I either want to. Move on.

[bleasby]

Here we go again.

I am not being a dick. I answered that the problem that you mentioned will be fixed. I don't know how could I help more than that.

If it is too much for you to wait for the "next release" to have this fixed, the only other alternative that I could imagine is to you do it yourself.

You said many times that you edit by yourself the code to your needs, so I only thought about mentioning branching hyperlaunch as one alternative way to you to deal with the apparent eternal wait for the next release.

There is much more changes on the next hyperlaunch than fixing pontual bugs. These are not things that can be done from one day to another and there is no way to release just a patch to give you any bug fix because many things are changing a lot in the code level. So I have to say if you want any fix from me you have to wait for the next release. Nothing more that I can do about that.

I don't know which kind of help you would expect from me besides my willing to fix the problems that you mention on the next release.

You mentioned my name on your post, and because of that I tried to give as much info as possible on the subjects that you mentioned.

I am in a really good mood today and I really tried to not be offensive, if you read like that, I am really sorry about that.

I hope sometime you could do the same and apology for many of the missplaced and offensive words that you post. Does not really matter to me, but I don't understand your problem with me and why you keep calling me by names when there is no reason for that.

[Dogway]

Start my "own DogWay branch"? Isn't that much of a cynical statement? I don't have the knowledge for that and you know since I ask so many things (depicts I'm humble enough, repeat enough, to admit my ignorance on many things), besides I never said I was willing to start an open project.

I know the "next release" will end with world hunger but I don't tend to wait for things with no ETA, so yes, if you are aware of the bug and tell me it was addressed I'm fine, if you you happen to say "all is fine on my side" then I will keep asking for help or at least some feedback. I have a workaround and is remove all the *_1 suffix, But as I said, this is not future proof.

So far I'm going to test with the GIT build (I thought I had last version) and check what changes are done there.

It would be better if you stopped that double-side condescending speech, we would save a bunch of nonsense post exchanges (and time).

[ninja2bceen]

It's comical to read all this. Lets all get along guys. Bleasby! U r working on an updated hyperpause? Awesome! I know u all don't like to give etas, roughly speaking what time frame r u projecting? Maybe something like spring 2015 or some jazz? I'm not sure how much it could improve on but am intrigued! My biggest complaint about hyperpause is it freezes up sometimes when viewing manuals. Especially mugen which I'm sure there is a thread for that but once I view a doc I can't leave it. Do u have a link for the projected work? U all never stop and I love it, i say I have a few more things to update and u all blow my mind and release something better. Thank you!

[bleasby]

It was not a cynical statement. And ,as I said on the previous post, I did apologized myself if anything sounded offensive. If you prefer to keep with your unreal interpretation of my words and disregard what I wrote I cannot do anything about it.

It is very usual to call git branches by the name that the user made. I had no intent to hurt your feelings by making this.

On the contrary, your posts calling me a dick, suggesting that we are trying to finish the world hunger with the HL updates, calling me by many other offensive names, are undoubtedly disrespectful.

So, to end with this, I repeat again, I am sorry if anything that I wrote on this thread sounded offensive to you, as I already said above.

This is my last apologies. I don't even think that you deserved the first one, but I am trying to be civilized. I hope also that this is the last off topic post posted on this thread.

If anything else is posted on this subject, the posts will be moderated as they should be done a long ago.

From now on, I will also try to moderate any disrespectful answer that anyone makes to any HS member, or about the work that we do for free to you.

This will be undoubtedly inefficient to the so called very slow Hyperlaunch updates. Really man, in what world do you live, we release more updates than microsoft releases for windows.

Anyway, it seams that it is more important that I loose my time moderating the forum than developing HyperLaunch and HyperPause.

[bleasby]

My biggest complaint about hyperpause is it freezes up sometimes when viewing manuals. Especially mugen which I'm sure there is a thread for that but once I view a doc I can't leave it.

Please make a thread on the HyperPause forum section (http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?122-HyperPause-Discussion) and explain the problem, providing the exact steps to reproduce the issue that you have, troubleshooting logs, the files used and screenshots if you think necessary so I could take a look if I can improve anything on that.

[Dogway]

"It is very usual to call git branches by the name that the user made" I see none on the GIT, or any other place, plus my name is Dogway, what's with the case W, are you making fun of my nick? Have you re-checked your over the top post (if you are better than me then...)? It doesn't sound offensive, IT IS offensive. That worthed you the dick tag. I wrote a plain straight post with the goal of not wasting my time (with more overdrama) and you came up with another drama-loaded defensive post followed by others playing the victim role. So by your words let's not post here anymore because what we should do is "wait for next release" (a no ETA point in time).

What's with the gratuitous "like" to ninja2bceen, is that a kind of a subversive mind game? I should get a "like" every time I report a bug because that's a real world contribution, not by saying how great you are and cheap flattering. That double side face is what makes you look really childish, still people will kiss where you (ie. developers) tread because we know how low people values are (as long as they get their food...). I keep aside, I'm just not like them and hence the hate I've been getting.

I expect you to not "moderate" this post, because otherwise I'm really out, out for good. Attacking is not the best way to apologize, specially with posts doubling mine, not very conciliatory looking.

You told me to update HyperPause, and I'm using the last one mVersion=1.0.5, so unless you are using an obscure undisclosed version I have the voice to say I found a bug, until you prove me wrong (quite difficult ATM with that defensive attitude). This takes us again at point zero (this post) right before the very unwelcoming post.

[djvj]

The language and insults will not be tolerated. When you come back in 10 days, the next infraction will be permanent.

[Polemicist]

bleasby your comments are always eloquent even under duress. Thanks for everything that you do for the community. It is all very much appreciated by many.

[dragon57]

The archive has been updated (NES and Famicom). A new link is below.

https://mega.co.nz/#!6ohF3aSI!Lci9NOXFq792CVi_8NCVt3Ck_wpw0X-q31X6Gw3qy30