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[clonemaster]

It would be nice if the <description> element could be omitted from dat files.  The generic xml format requires the tag, and clrmame chocks when it's left out.  This element works fine with arcade roms...

Code: [Select]

<datafile>
<game name="puckman" sourcefile="pacman.c">
<description>PuckMan (Japan set 1)</description>
<year>1980</year>
<manufacturer>Namco</manufacturer>
<rom name="namcopac.6e" size="4096" crc="fee263b3" sha1="87117ba5082cd7a615b4ec7c02dd819003fbd669"/>
<rom name="namcopac.6f" size="4096" crc="39d1fc83" sha1="326dbbf94c6fa2e96613dedb53702f8832b47d59"/>
<rom name="namcopac.6h" size="4096" crc="02083b03" sha1="7e1945f6eb51f2e51806d0439f975f7a2889b9b8"/>
<rom name="namcopac.6j" size="4096" crc="7a36fe55" sha1="01b4c38108d9dc4e48da4f8d685248e1e6821377"/>
<rom name="pacman.5e" size="4096" crc="0c944964" sha1="06ef227747a440831c9a3a613b76693d52a2f0a9"/>
<rom name="pacman.5f" size="4096" crc="958fedf9" sha1="4a937ac02216ea8c96477d4a15522070507fb599"/>
<rom name="82s123.7f" size="32" crc="2fc650bd" sha1="8d0268dee78e47c712202b0ec4f1f51109b1f2a5"/>
<rom name="82s126.4a" size="256" crc="3eb3a8e4" sha1="19097b5f60d1030f8b82d9f1d3a241f93e5c75d6"/>
<rom name="82s126.1m" size="256" crc="a9cc86bf" sha1="bbcec0570aeceb582ff8238a4bc8546a23430081"/>
<rom name="82s126.3m" size="256" crc="77245b66" sha1="0c4d0bee858b97632411c440bea6948a74759746"/>
</game>
</datafile>
However, with roms that have file names longer than 8.3 character it, becomes slightly redundant having to state the name three times...

Code: [Select]

<datafile>
  <game name="&apos;89 Dennou Kyuusei Uranai (1988-12-10)(Jingukan)(JP)[!]">
    <description>&apos;89 Dennou Kyuusei Uranai (1988-12-10)(Jingukan)(JP)[!]</description>
    <rom name="&apos;89 Dennou Kyuusei Uranai (1988-12-10)(Jingukan)(JP)[!].nes" size="262144" crc="ba58ed29" sha1="56fe858d1035dce4b68520f457a0858bae7bb16d" status="verified" />
  </game>
</datafile>

[Roman]

Description is required, it's used internally for all kind of checks, sorting possibilities and displaying information.
I don't see a problem having it in the dat either.
Within cmpro it's stored only once anyway if it matches the setname and datfiles can be compressed.

Of course you might say, so if cmpro uses it only once if it's identical to the setname, why not cloning it during datparsing....hmm...I might think of it.

[clonemaster]

Description is required, it's used internally for all kind of checks, sorting possibilities and displaying information.
I don't see a problem having it in the dat either.
Within cmpro it's stored only once anyway if it matches the setname and datfiles can be compressed.

Of course you might say, so if cmpro uses it only once if it's identical to the setname, why not cloning it during datparsing....hmm...I might think of it.

I don't have a problem with the description element either, but I would like the option of developing dat files without having to include it.  With all due respect to you and all the hard work you've put into clrmame, the data file format was originally designed to audit mame rom sets and not single-file console roms.

[Roman]

see...I never understood why "singe console roms" need a name which is 132947310897414 characters long if you got a nice description tag.
Besides of that, MAME is not fully 8.3 since years

[clonemaster]

see...I never understood why "singe console roms" need a name which is 132947310897414 characters long if you got a nice description tag.

True, but which emulators support the description tag?  MAME?  MESS?  Any others?  Most modern emulators have a windows type gui with a file/load dialog box.  This becomes cumbersome when you have thousands of roms in one directory.  Moreover, all the popular groups that develop dat files, use the long names for renaming roms.

The point I’m trying to get at is perhaps you could consider extending the generic xml format to ad more flexible elements and attributes.  Perhaps even creating a second doctype much like the fact that we have both html and xhtml to choose from when developing web pages.

[Roman]

For cmpro 3.133 you don't need the description tag anymore.

[clonemaster]

Thank you very MUCH!