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Main => Software Forum => Topic started by: Jimbo on June 16, 2007, 06:25:48 am

Title: MAMEs listinfo xml file
Post by: Jimbo on June 16, 2007, 06:25:48 am

Hi,

I'm writing some code to read in mame's full xml game list (-listinfo).

Does anyone here know if the DTD for it has changed much in the past (recently) or is it a safe bet to assume it will stay the same for some time to come?

Thanks

Jimbo

Title: Re: MAMEs listinfo xml file
Post by: Buddabing on June 16, 2007, 07:27:38 pm

I don't know what DTD is, but you can count on them adding fields to the XML info every few revisions.

The listinfo option was removed from MAME some time ago, the XML file is generated via the -listxml option.

You might look at how MAME itself parses out the listxml info. The last I looked at it, MAME used the free expat library for parsing.

The ListGen (http://cpmaker.mameprojects.com/files/LISTGEN.ZIP) utility I wrote uses a flex/bison based parser and is much faster that the MAME library. It is, however, more subject to breaking when the XML changes.

HTH,
Buddabing

Title: Re: MAMEs listinfo xml file
Post by: Jimbo on June 17, 2007, 08:14:14 am

Hi,

Yeah thanks for your suggestion. I did actually mean the -listxml option, was just a typo. :)   DTD is "Document Type Definition" - its whats at the top of MAME's -listxml output, and it describes/helps validate the document.

I'll check out the MAME parser - didn't even think of looking at that! I'll have a look a your ListGen util too.

Cheers

Jimbo