Author Topic: TOSEC Dat Explorer  (Read 16324 times)

Offline Cassiel

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TOSEC Dat Explorer
« on: May 03, 2010, 07:23:13 PM »
Think I might have spotted a potential bug.

When trying to batch extract all [more info] flags from a folder of DATs, nothing is output despite there definitely being some [more info] flags in the DATs.



Offline PandMonium

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Re: TOSEC Dat Explorer
« Reply #1 on: May 03, 2010, 08:08:15 PM »
You are right indeed, missed something there :P
Anyway it is fixed now, you can get it in the same place.

Offline Cassiel

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Re: TOSEC Dat Explorer
« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2010, 08:43:02 PM »
Much appreciated....

Offline Cassiel

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Re: TOSEC Dat Explorer
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2010, 08:52:57 PM »
Just tested, works great...

(and there's no [more info] issues in my DATs... woohoo!)

Offline Diaboł

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Re: TOSEC Dat Explorer
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2010, 05:16:31 PM »
I have a little request. The Explorer works good but it doesn't display my nickname correctly :D Can that be fixed?

Offline PandMonium

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Re: TOSEC Dat Explorer
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2010, 06:39:09 PM »
Hi there,
it is possible/works indeed, but it is just extracting the name from the datfile, if you open your datfiles in a text editor you will see (at least for me) "Diabo³".
I just edited the file and saved it with "Diaboł" in UTF-8 format instead of ANSI/ASCII. This one obviously displays correctly in the tool, it is something (format) related with dats and their creation and not me this time ;D

Offline Diaboł

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Re: TOSEC Dat Explorer
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2010, 07:08:47 PM »
Looks like UTF-8 support in clrmamepro is enabled only for DAT files created in the XML format. When I open any of my DATs in a text editor (just checked notepad and notepad++ in Windows7 EN) I can see the nickname displayed properly though... Not a big problem anyway... Actually not at all :D

Offline Cassiel

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Re: TOSEC Dat Explorer
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2010, 08:57:40 PM »
The original ClrMamePro 'DAT' format is old and depreciated, that's why XML has been the default for some time now.

IMO we should really be using modern XML based DATs anyway, but I know others find them more awkward to manually edit (though I have made the point before that there's a number of very good XML editors out there  ;) ).

Offline Diaboł

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Re: TOSEC Dat Explorer
« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2010, 09:48:21 PM »
What would be the advantage over the old format? Lets skip the UTF for now since it can be easily implemented to the old format if Roman want to do that.

Offline Cassiel

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Re: TOSEC Dat Explorer
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2010, 11:10:36 AM »
He won't - the old DAT format is unsupported/depreciated.

All my point is (and has been) is that the old DAT format is exactly that, old (and unsupported).

It’s not a massive thing, but if we have the two options (old/depreciated format or modern/current format) and it’s exactly the same amount of ‘effort’ needed to create/host either, then why not go with the modern?

- More flexible/extendable since XML based
- Who knows when Roman will decide to dump old format DAT creation in CMP
- Fully Unicode compatible
- Gives more flexibility for future, especially changes in project direction/expansion
- and, at the end of the day: why use an outdated format when a modern standards based one is already available and in use?

Like I say, it not a massive ‘issue’, it’s just about being a little forward thinking... and being forward thinking always good (even for a project obsessed with the past).

Offline Diaboł

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Re: TOSEC Dat Explorer
« Reply #10 on: May 25, 2010, 06:19:13 PM »
I guess I agree with Cassiel about the reasons for using new format for our DAT files. Anyway I think I found a bug in the explorer. After I load and check a DAT I want to highlight all sets with an unknown publishers but for some reasons all sets gets yellow background and the statistics says that all sets are wrong. Obviously right after check all of them were OK. It's not very strange now that if I click Settings-->Show Sets-->Wrong Only all of my sets are highlighted.

One more thing, the app doesn't remember last used path.
« Last Edit: May 25, 2010, 06:22:18 PM by Diaboł »

Offline PandMonium

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Re: TOSEC Dat Explorer
« Reply #11 on: May 25, 2010, 06:36:34 PM »
Well the unknown publishers and scenegroups and so on shouldn't work very well (or at all). They idea is/was to use the xml lists in the lists\ path, you may try to put them there, if none there won't be any values present when you go to view -> something list.
Unfortunately i'm yet to finish that and i don't even remember how i left it so i can't tell you what will happen using the lists :P

The path part is true and is annoying.

Offline Symmo

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Re: TOSEC Dat Explorer
« Reply #12 on: January 07, 2011, 07:30:42 AM »
Hi
For anyone with linux no need to use wine to run it .
I installed mono (.net runner) from my package manager and from a cli type mono Dat Explorer.exe from were u installed.
Or from desktop add to open with so u can select mono on .net exes or to open with .dat.
Works fast and stable (under mono), a must for checking names in your when u are starting.
cya
 
« Last Edit: January 07, 2011, 06:13:37 PM by Symmo »
Try this as your wallpaper if you are new :-) http://symmo.net/tosec/tosectnc.png

Offline PandMonium

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Re: TOSEC Dat Explorer
« Reply #13 on: January 07, 2011, 03:17:21 PM »
I guess everyone should take a look on it from time to time, not only starting.
Still, i would not call it a 100% and stable app since it started as just a test :P

Offline Diaboł

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Re: TOSEC Dat Explorer
« Reply #14 on: January 18, 2011, 04:04:08 PM »
This is going to be about UTF once again  :P I have checked one of my XML DAT and I see all the names being displayed correctly so it looks like TDE can read UTF DATs fine. The problem is in the "DatFile Details" section where UTF is not displayed correctly (see attachment).

It would be nice if you could implement some sort of automatic DAT type recognition so we won't need to choose between (old) and (xml) while exploring menu. That would also allow to do a batch job on a folder with both types of DATs.