Spectrum Computing

Posted: **Thu Jul 05, 2018 1:56 am**

Hi all.
A first version of an Android app using the ZXDB API to make searchs.
Very early version that has only General and Magazine Searchs (and a very ugly UI).
The Magazine list shows the cover, number and release year (it takes a time to load the cover from the host site).
General search is cool... I could find a lot of software/books that I didn´t imagine that exists. Try 'Soccer' word.
Download and install the APK (virus free).
Feel free to make comments.

I will upgrade the app soon.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sj0ihsm5r8kyq ... p.apk?dl=0

Posted: **Thu Jul 05, 2018 6:07 am**

Very nice work!

Posted: **Mon Sep 16, 2019 1:39 pm**

Hi all.
Just to say that the app has grown since then...
It is listed in Google playstore: https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... boys.zxapp
Now you can:
- download software (ZX Spectrum and ZX81 files)
- download books (pdf files)
- see YouTube videos (it opens the YouTube app)
- see pictures from softwares and inlays

more to come!

Posted: **Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:23 pm**

It looks awesome!

My only suggestion for improvement is an option in "General list" to choose if user wants to see a "loading screen" or "running screen" for each title. it's nice to see all loading screens by default, but when an user is searching for some specific game without recalling its name, then showing all running screens will make it much easier to find it.

Posted: **Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:55 pm**

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:23 pm It looks awesome!

My only suggestion for improvement is an option in "General list" to choose if user wants to see a "loading screen" or "running screen" for each title. it's nice to see all loading screens by default, but when an user is searching for some specific game without recalling its name, then showing all running screens will make it much easier to find it.

Hi Einar. That´s good!
I´ll implement in the future.
Thank you for suggestions!

Regards.

PS: is there a way to know which type of inlay I´m getting? Such as: inside, front, back, etc?
Thanks.

Posted: **Tue Sep 17, 2019 11:07 pm**

Turrican wrote: ↑Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:55 pmThank you for suggestions!

You are welcome!

Turrican wrote: ↑Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:55 pmPS: is there a way to know which type of inlay I´m getting? Such as: inside, front, back, etc?

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 there are over 10,000 tape inlays in ZXDB so don't expect a better solution any time soon...

Posted: **Wed Sep 18, 2019 11:13 am**

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 11:07 pm
Turrican wrote: ↑Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:55 pmThank you for suggestions!
You are welcome!

Turrican wrote: ↑Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:55 pmPS: is there a way to know which type of inlay I´m getting? Such as: inside, front, back, etc?
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 there are over 10,000 tape inlays in ZXDB so don't expect a better solution any time soon...

Ok. Thanks!

Posted: **Wed Sep 18, 2019 9:50 pm**

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 11:07 pm
Turrican wrote: ↑Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:55 pmThank you for suggestions!
You are welcome!

Turrican wrote: ↑Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:55 pmPS: is there a way to know which type of inlay I´m getting? Such as: inside, front, back, etc?
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 there are over 10,000 tape inlays in ZXDB so don't expect a better solution any time soon...

How about making it easy for the consumers - add a type and populate type based on _front / _back / full - any errors / exotic cases can be corrected manually afterwards with no pain for the consumers who can start using the normal interface directly.

Posted: **Wed Sep 18, 2019 10:59 pm**

Stefan wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2019 9:50 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 there are over 10,000 tape inlays in ZXDB so don't expect a better solution any time soon...
How about making it easy for the consumers - add a type and populate type based on _front / _back / full - any errors / exotic cases can be corrected manually afterwards with no pain for the consumers who can start using the normal interface directly.

That's exactly what I'm planning to do.

It seems like a very simple change, so why didn't I do it already? Well, I should probably explain this point...

Each file already has a "filetype" field, that indicates if a certain file is a "Tape image" or a "Cassette inlay", for instance. Instead of a generic "cassette inlay", it will be more useful to have "Front cassette inlay", "Back cassette inlay" and "Full cassette inlay". This way we can avoid creating one more type field that would be only useful in this specific case anyway.

However we currently have 4 filetypes for inlays: "Cassette inlay", "Compilation cassette inlay", "Covertape cassette inlay", "Re-release cassette inlay". Therefore we would to break it down into 12 new filetypes such as "Front covertape cassette inlay", "Front re-release cassette inlay", etc.

However we don't really need these current 4 filetypes. For instance, each file already has a release number, that can be used to distinguish if it's the inlay for an original release or re-release. There's no need to have different filetypes for "Cassette inlay" and "Re-release cassette inlay", this information is redundant.

However the information originally imported from WoS contained some inconsistencies. There are a few cassette inlays from the original publisher classified as "Re-release cassette inlay" and vice-versa. I'm currently working with Pavero to validate and fix these cases. Afterwards I will make the other changes I mentioned.

This case is a good example that we have been working on a lot of ZXDB improvements without any publicity about it!

Posted: **Thu Sep 19, 2019 1:42 pm**

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2019 10:59 pm For instance, each file already has a release number, that can be used to distinguish if it's the inlay for an original release or re-release.

It doesn't make sense to be associating files with release numbers when the release order is incorrect - eg. Thanatos has the Encore inlay as "Re-release cassette inlay (#1)" because the Encore re-release has the wrong year. Correcting the year to 1989 would make it into Re-release #3, but "Re-release cassette inlay (#3)" has already been given to the IBSA inlay.

Posted: **Thu Sep 19, 2019 10:24 pm**

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.

Posted: **Sun Sep 22, 2019 12:39 pm**

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?!

Posted: **Sun Sep 22, 2019 2:01 pm**

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!!!

Posted: **Sun Sep 22, 2019 6:48 pm**

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!

Posted: **Sun Sep 22, 2019 10:11 pm**

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.

Posted: **Tue Sep 24, 2019 8:27 am**

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!

Posted: **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".

Posted: **Thu Oct 31, 2019 11:53 pm**

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!

Posted: **Sun Feb 16, 2020 8:04 pm**

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

Posted: **Thu May 07, 2020 2:11 am**

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

Posted: **Thu May 07, 2020 7:14 am**

Sounds interesting!

Posted: **Thu May 07, 2020 4:54 pm**

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

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).

Posted: **Thu May 07, 2020 5:01 pm**

Yes. On the next updates I will add more features.
It is a first attempt.

Posted: **Thu May 07, 2020 5:11 pm**

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

Posted: **Sat May 09, 2020 9:16 pm**

Added refresh button in the next update to load another game screens.
Touch the screen to hide/show the refresh button.

Spectrum Computing

ZX App - ZXDB for Android

ZX App - ZXDB for Android

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Re: ZX App - ZXDB for Android

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