Software Support > controls.dat
controls.xml outdated
headkaze:
--- Quote from: TheShanMan on September 06, 2008, 09:27:29 pm ---Headkaze, will the generated controls.xml files have some sort of flag indicating whether a record is official or unofficial? Do you think it would be beneficial for apps like CPW to have the ability to differentiate between official and unofficial as a means to convey trustworthiness of the data?
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Already implementing this as mentioned earlier in my post about the software, I'm adding a flag called "Verified". All the current data will be called verified, and new data will have the ability to be flaged as Verified or not. This software really takes the Controls.Dat project from a public project to a private one and I think it will have more chance of being maintained that way. Once we get an update to the current Mame version we will have someone (or a couple of people) maintaining it. Then if someone decides they don't have the time we can move it on to someone else. But I think we want people who are clued up on the Mame controls to maintain it. The verified flag is really not that important though, and it's really only to display to the author that the controls probably need to looked at and tested more, or that the official labels are not known so labels are guessed and what not. An explaination as to why it's not verified can probably be added to MiscDetails.
The program will have a working data set with the ability to export to Controls.xml with an option to include verified games or not. So there will be two versions released to the public; Controls.xml (All Data) and Controls.xml (Verified Only). I think that should ensure that both the integrity of the data can be maintained as well as getting as many games added as possible.
TheShanMan:
That sounds excellent, but it sounds like you're suggesting someone take the verified controls.dat project over, and I'm not sure SirPoonga is on board with that? Or are you suggesting that he would take charge of the verified AND unverified projects?
SirPoonga:
I think saint is suggesting to host the project here. I'm trying to get the site back online so I can grab the data.
I found a backup of the data from march. Since not much happened that is probably fine.
I could easily add a verified attribute to the format.
You know what controls.dat needs, what slows down updating it. I use mamediff to determine roms that were renamed, removed, etc... I need a program that can compare the output of two listxml's and find the control changes. I see asteroids is now buttons. When it was added to controls.dat they mapped the directions to the joystick. That's why asteroids lists a joystick in controls.dat.
Listxml is getting huge. None of my xml editting tools can open it. It wouldn't be hard. In theory the xml node isn't going to change unless they reorganize. So a simple test to see if the text changed would be enough. I might be able to modify my tool that creates the sql statements to update the website to also check for input changes.
headkaze:
SirPoonga: I thought the website was closed down because of lack of public support ??? I didn't realise it was only down temporarily. I was looking at taking over the project with an offline version maintained using the new software I'm writing. Seeing how it's been so long since the last update perhaps we should try this approach? I'm also adding in colors.ini to the file so that will mean it will conflict with the online version. People are only going to want to support the one format.
So I feel like I'm stuck here not knowing what to do. I was pretty much thinking it was going to have to go this way to keep the project going. So what now? How much data is there that has been added to the website ready to be added to a new version? If there is nothing then I'll just take the current version and start from there. Are you happy for me to continue on with this SirPoonga? I was hoping u_rebelscum was going to have a go at doing a large update using the software or do you want to try out my program yourself?
Space Fractal:
--- Quote from: SirPoonga on September 06, 2008, 07:23:59 pm ---There's a bunch of gotchas in mame you have to watch out for. In controls.dat, if I recall (since the site is down I don't know off hand), playchoice 10 uses service buttons which are not normal buttons. That entry is hard coded because it didn't fit well with the way everything else in mame works.
This is where some of the "inaccuracies" come from. I know there are games that just have a singe fire button but controls.dat says it has two. That's what mame reports. if you research the game it actually had two buttons that did the same actions. It's stupid but they had separate buttons on each side of the joystick (for lefties and righties) wired to their own pins on the board. They could have just wired the buttons in parallel.
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Only Mario Bros is they Play Choice game use one button, all other use 2 buttons (based on games that is on klov.com). Just look on the help screen, what the buttons does. These games is based on NES hardware which have 2 buttons.
headkaze: does any fe actuelly use colors.ini? If Yes you need to still have a seperated version to fit these fe.... But a joined version would been very fine.
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