ZX App - ZXDB for Android

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Einar Saukas
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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by Einar Saukas »

StooB wrote: Thu Sep 19, 2019 1:42 pm It doesn't make sense to be associating files with release numbers when the release order is incorrect
We have been fixing incorrect release orders already.

However it takes time, because each one of these cases need to be validated one-by-one first. For instance, the database says that Zafi Chip managed to re-release Ikari Warriors about 2 years before it was originally released!

If anyone can help validate and indicate the cases that need to be fixed in our "little bugs" thread, it will help us a lot.
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StooB
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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by StooB »

Einar Saukas wrote: Thu Sep 19, 2019 10:24 pm However it takes time, because each one of these cases need to be validated one-by-one first. For instance, the database says that Zafi Chip managed to re-release Ikari Warriors about 2 years before it was originally released!

If anyone can help validate and indicate the cases that need to be fixed in our "little bugs" thread, it will help us a lot.
But where has the Zafi Chip year of 1986 come from? It's not from the original WoS entry. Of course they'll need validating one-by-one if you're just going to invent dates rather than add them as "unknown" - whose idea was that?!
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Einar Saukas
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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by Einar Saukas »

StooB wrote: Sun Sep 22, 2019 12:39 pmOf course they'll need validating one-by-one if you're just going to invent dates rather than add them as "unknown" - whose idea was that?!
Oh no! I guess I will have to stop my current habit of inventing dates randomly!!!
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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by StooB »

Well, the wrong years must have come from somewhere. WoS didn't store re-release dates, but the earliest copy of zxdb I have (17/5/2017) is full of incorrect ones. Is it incorrect WoS data that wasn't displayed, an error in the conversion? There's no documentation to explain it!
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Einar Saukas
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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by Einar Saukas »

StooB wrote: Sun Sep 22, 2019 6:48 pm Well, the wrong years must have come from somewhere.
It came from WoS internal file "maindb.dat" line 9905:

Code: Select all

ikariwarriors	elitesystemsltd|davidshea|nickjones|~snk|@edos|@encore|@zafichip|@mcmsoftwaresa	Ikari Warriors	-1988	Elite Systems Ltd	EDOS, Encore, MCM Software S.A., Zafi Chip	4/1	2	K2C	Arc/SEU	g	Eng	6		O:UL:4/1:Eng:1988::5012189010324::IkariWarriors.!!t:|O:--:+3:Eng:1988::::IkariWarriors.!!d:|REncore:UL:4/1:Eng:1990::5012189200398::IkariWarriors(Encore).!!t:|RMCM Software S.A.:UL:4/1:Eng:1988:SEC504::M-14264-1988:IkariWarriors(MCM).!$t:|RZafi Chip:--:4/1:Eng:1986:::::|B:UL:4/1:Eng:1988::::IKARIWA1.TAP:	O	David Shea, Nick Jones		0002450	1162	Arcade: Shoot-em-up	12.99	8.99		Crash cover demo; cf. Victory Road	Elite Systems / Encore	aSNK|8180|Ikari Warriors		{Ikari Warriors|Elite Systems Ltd} was originally announced for release end of 1986, written by David Perry. The various magazines were allowed to preview the game. However, for an as yet unknown reason, all went silent until it was finally released in 1988, written by David Shea instead.#This earlier version was reportedly finished, so we might find a copy sometime...	IkariWarriors		E1138|D728|A1273|MIkari_Warriors|N891|Q0	875 ptas.	Ikari_Warriors			2884	Elite Systems / Encore		0002450	Ikari_Warriors
More precisely from this part:

Code: Select all

O:UL:4/1:Eng:1988::5012189010324::IkariWarriors.!!t:|
O:--:+3:Eng:1988::::IkariWarriors.!!d:|
REncore:UL:4/1:Eng:1990::5012189200398::IkariWarriors(Encore).!!t:|
RMCM Software S.A.:UL:4/1:Eng:1988:SEC504::M-14264-1988:IkariWarriors(MCM).!$t:|
RZafi Chip:--:4/1:Eng:1986:::::|
B:UL:4/1:Eng:1988::::IKARIWA1.TAP:
StooB wrote: Sun Sep 22, 2019 6:48 pm WoS didn't store re-release dates,
Wos stored re-release dates, but didn't display them.

When ZXDB started, it imported 100% of WoS content, even the part that wasn't displayed.

StooB wrote: Sun Sep 22, 2019 6:48 pm but the earliest copy of zxdb I have (17/5/2017) is full of incorrect ones.
Sure, there are still lots of incorrect information to be fixed. That's no surprise, considering that old WoS was a huge database and it's not easy to collect reliable information about titles released decades ago.

If you can download the incremental files mentioned in this post, then run the first 6 files only, you will obtain the oldest version of ZXDB from when it started. It contains all the information imported from old WoS, and some "semi-automatic" bugfixes I embedded into the import procedure (that's about 101 Mb of SQL).

The remaining incremental scripts contain every change we made afterwards in ZXDB. What we have been doing for the last 3 years was fixing wrong information, adding missing data, cataloging MIAs and new titles (that's another 45 Mb of SQL and increasing).

StooB wrote: Sun Sep 22, 2019 6:48 pm Is it incorrect WoS data that wasn't displayed, an error in the conversion?
Incorrect WoS data that wasn't displayed.

StooB wrote: Sun Sep 22, 2019 6:48 pm There's no documentation to explain it!
The ZXDB overview is documented here. More detailed information about ZXDB has been explained in hundreds of posts, most of them here, here, here. And if you are interested in even more detail, then every single change ever made in ZXDB has been stored as commented scripts here.
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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by StooB »

Einar Saukas wrote: Sun Sep 22, 2019 10:11 pm
StooB wrote: Sun Sep 22, 2019 6:48 pm WoS didn't store re-release dates,
Wos stored re-release dates, but didn't display them.

When ZXDB started, it imported 100% of WoS content, even the part that wasn't displayed.
Ah, my apologies then - obviously that date was invented a long time ago. I was of the optimistic belief that re-release years would be the one area that was free from WoS bugs, but sadly no!
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Einar Saukas
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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by Einar Saukas »

Einar Saukas wrote: Tue Sep 17, 2019 11:07 pm As a general rule, if the filename contains "_Front" or "_Back" then it's front or back, otherwise it's a full inlay (front and back together).

This rule should work most of the time, but it's not infallible. I'm planning to implement a better classification in the future, but[...]
The new classification is now available in ZXDB. There are now distinct filetypes for "Cassette inlay", "Cassette inlay - Front" and "Cassette inlay - Back".
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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by Turrican »

Einar Saukas wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2019 4:29 pm
Einar Saukas wrote: Tue Sep 17, 2019 11:07 pm As a general rule, if the filename contains "_Front" or "_Back" then it's front or back, otherwise it's a full inlay (front and back together).

This rule should work most of the time, but it's not infallible. I'm planning to implement a better classification in the future, but[...]
The new classification is now available in ZXDB. There are now distinct filetypes for "Cassette inlay", "Cassette inlay - Front" and "Cassette inlay - Back".
Thank you!
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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by Turrican »

Added option to choose between Loading and Running screen (of software) in the general list.


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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by Turrican »

Based on the [mention]R-Tape[/mention] idea and using the random function of the [mention]kolbeck[/mention] API, I created a new option in the Zx App to make wallpapers.
Please, it is yet a basic function.

Added "Wallpapers" menu.
When you tap this option, a screen will be opened with a join of a Running Screen and Loading screen. It´s totally random for now. Use back button of your device, then enter again to a new Wallpaper. Take a screenshot of your phone´s screen to use it as wallpaper.

PS: will be available in the "48K Issue 4A" version of the App. It was uploaded recently
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Juan F. Ramirez
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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

Sounds interesting!
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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by R-Tape »

Turrican wrote: Thu May 07, 2020 11:22 am Some screens created in the app:

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Turrican wrote: Thu May 07, 2020 2:11 am Based on the @R-Tape idea and using the random function of the @kolbeck API, I created a new option in the Zx App to make wallpapers.
Please, it is yet a basic function.

Added "Wallpapers" menu.
When you tap this option, a screen will be opened with a join of a Running Screen and Loading screen. It´s totally random for now. Use back button of your device, then enter again to a new Wallpaper. Take a screenshot of your phone´s screen to use it as wallpaper.

PS: will be available in the "48K Issue 4A" version of the App. It was uploaded recently
Very cool! It would be nice to have a bit more user input, for example tap it to change random, swipe it right to go up an ID, left to go down (or something).
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Turrican
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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by Turrican »

Yes. On the next updates I will add more features.
It is a first attempt.
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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by R-Tape »

Turrican wrote: Thu May 07, 2020 5:01 pm Yes. On the next updates I will add more features.
It is a first attempt.
Ace. BTW Turrican, you have a PM :)
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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by Turrican »

Added refresh button in the next update to load another game screens.
Touch the screen to hide/show the refresh button.
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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by Turrican »

A small update: larger screens in general list and in details and more info tabs.

Version 48K Issue 5.

Regards
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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

Post by Turrican »

Added ZX ART picture search using the ZX ART API.
Thanks to [mention]moroz1999[/mention] !

App will be updated on Google Play soon.
Version 48k Issue 6.

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