New Controls.dat!

[SirPoonga]

Controls.dat is updated.  We have a new look, new software, new features.

First, the project software has been updated to the 21st century.  Now using CSS and xHTML to lessen bandwidth usage  If you use a browser that the site shows up weird let me know.  I've tested in Mozilla 1.6, 1.7.2, and I.E. 6.0.02600.  For the most part the layout shows up near correct on those.

New features:

1) The dat files are now pre-generated.  The dynamic generation that was happing took up too much bandwidth and timed out.  Now the ini and xml files are available, zipped, with version numbers.
2) Because of above older versions are automatically archived.  Will probably only show the last 5-10 zip.  If you need something older you will have to PM me.  Once a dat gets too old I will archive it offsite to save on webspace.
2) 700+ games directly supported!
3) New reports.  I use them for debugging, but I figured many of you will find them interesting.
4) Updated FAQs.
5) 'Other' control type renamed to 'Misc' as to not be confused with the 'Other' input port in mame 0.85
6) Mahjong is now supported.  Mahjong control type handled just like Misc control type.

FE Devs, new features to take note of.  
1) FE Dev package gets updated and versioned along with the ini and xml files.
2) The version and date generated are stored in the ini and xml format.
3) The tilt information is more accurate, comes form list xml.  Also included a cocktail variable which indicated if the game had a cocktail dipswitch.  Useful for correctly displaying controls for those games.
4) No more "no whitespace" xml format.  If oyu have a parser that is slow due to whitespace I suggest using a different parser.

The news feature will hopefully be completed in the near future.  Otherwise the only other majory update  right now is displaying indirectly supported games correctly.  This has been removed until that task is finished.

If you don't know what Controls.dat is read the FAQs

[u_rebelscum]

Great work!


fixed

[SirPoonga]

FE DEvs.  If you have an FE that supports controls.dat or support for using a viewer let me know, I iwll add you to the list.
http://fe.donkeyfly.com/controls/support.php

[Minwah]

Cool!

I can't access the page right now, but MAMEWAH supports a viewer which can be auto-launched before launching a game, or launched with a key...

[SirPoonga]

Can't access it?

[Buddabing]

The stupid superscript in Alien 3 caused an error on my browser. (IE)

- <controls>
- <control name="8-way Joystick">
  <constant name="joy8way" />
  </control>
The XML page cannot be displayed

Cannot view XML input using XSL style sheet. Please correct the error and then click the Refresh button, or try again later.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An invalid character was found in text content. Error processing resource 'controls.xml'. Line 682, Position 40

 <game romname="alien3" gamename="Alien

DIV>
  </controls>
- <labels>
  <label name="P1_BUTTON1" value="Attack" />
  <label name="P1_BUTTON2" value="Roll" />
  <label name="P1_BUTTON3" value="Special" />

[SirPoonga]

don't use IE.

[Minwah]

Can't access it?

The site was down...seems OK now