Spectrum Computing

Stefan wrote: ↑Wed May 27, 2020 10:47 pm No problems, they are loading screens - when I submitted them the opening screen concept was still being fleshed out.

Thanks for the information! I will change them back to "loading screen" for the next ZXDB update.

If you notice anything else wrong, please let me know!

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Wed May 27, 2020 7:19 pm A technical note for anyone running websites and apps based on ZXDB:

Column "magrefs.feature_id" is now obsolete and it will be removed in the next ZXDB update. There's already a separate table called "magreffeats" to store this information.

Thanks for the heads-up, I'll figure out with next ZXDB release

ZXInfo + API updated to latest release

/Thomas

kolbeck wrote: ↑Wed May 27, 2020 11:01 pm Thanks for the heads-up, I'll figure out with next ZXDB release

If you are using "magrefs.feature_id", then you can already modify your site. The information that was previously stored in this column is already available in table "magreffeats" now. You would just need to use "magrefs r LEFT JOIN magreffeats f ON r.id = f.magref_id".

Stefan wrote: ↑Wed May 27, 2020 10:47 pm No problems, they are loading screens - when I submitted them the opening screen concept was still being fleshed out.

We also have "opening screens" for Bowin and the Count Dracula, Batz 'n Balls, Boing!, and Booty.

Are they really opening screens, or loading screens?

Stefan wrote: ↑Wed May 27, 2020 10:47 pm Yes, even when using a disk drive, the larger amount of data that needs to be loaded can still take enough time to want to stare at something nice.

Thanks. It's going to be important to load disk games at real speed to sometimes tell if a screen is loading or intro.

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Thu May 28, 2020 1:23 am

Stefan wrote: ↑Wed May 27, 2020 10:47 pm No problems, they are loading screens - when I submitted them the opening screen concept was still being fleshed out.

We also have "opening screens" for Bowin and the Count Dracula, Batz 'n Balls, Boing!, and Booty.

Are they really opening screens, or loading screens?

• Bowin and the Count Dracula: opening screen (I think - screens have incorrect file extension)
• Batz 'n Balls: loading screen
• Boing: opening screen (screens have incorrect file extension)
• Booty: don't know, never seen it (screens have incorrect file extension)

Stefan wrote: ↑Thu May 28, 2020 7:57 am

• Bowin and the Count Dracula: opening screen (I think - screens have incorrect file extension)
• Batz 'n Balls: loading screen
• Boing: opening screen (screens have incorrect file extension)
• Booty: don't know, never seen it (screens have incorrect file extension)

Thanks!

I had already fixed the incorrect file extensions, but we will have to wait for the next ZXDB update to get these fixes. Sorry!

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Thu May 28, 2020 8:05 am I had already fixed the incorrect file extensions, but we will have to wait for the next ZXDB update to get these fixes. Sorry!

No problem. Are the extensions going to be the old ss4 or the new ssx?

When the changes to SimCoupe were announced last week, [mention]moroz1999[/mention] kindly said he would work on an .ssx filter. In future I will use SimCoupe for screens, but I will need to do testing first, then change the code behind the scenes, so you won't see anymore new screens for a while.

Those .ss4 screens that you and I produced will need to be retaken in .ssx format when the filter is available and has been tested.

PeterJ wrote: ↑Thu May 28, 2020 8:34 am Those .ss4 screens that you and I produced will need to be retaken in .ssx format when the filter is available and has been tested.

Sorry, I didn't realize [mention]Stefan[/mention] produced some of these new screens so I failed to mention him in the last ZXDB update.

Thank you very much [mention]Stefan[/mention]!

Yet another ZXDB release is available!

Special thanks to [mention]R-Tape[/mention], [mention]druellan[/mention], [mention]pavero[/mention], and [mention]PeterJ[/mention]!

Another ZXDB version is already out!

This release contains mostly little fixes. Lots of them

Thanks [mention]Einar Saukas[/mention]. Update applied.

And another ZXDB release is out!

With special thanks to [mention]druellan[/mention], [mention]pavero[/mention], [mention]kolbeck[/mention], and [mention]PeterJ[/mention] this time!

Assuming that the database model has not changed but only the contents - maybe split this into two. A topic with content updates and a topic with database model updates?

Stefan wrote: ↑Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:17 amAssuming that the database model has not changed but only the contents - maybe split this into two. A topic with content updates and a topic with database model updates?

Every ZXDB update has content updates, even when it also includes database model changes. For this reason, I don't think it would help to announce it in 2 different topics.

BTW there was a database change this time...

There's now a new table called "files". It combines all content from 3 other tables: "labelfiles", "magfiles", and "toolfiles".

These 3 tables are very similar, so it makes sense to unify them. Somewhat similar to the way table "magrefs" combine magazine references for entries, labels, and topics.

For now, all data stored in "files" continues to be duplicated separately into tables "labelfiles", "magfiles", and "toolfiles". In a future update, I'm planning to drop these 3 tables, and just keep "files". This should be a relatively simple change, I will give enough time for websites to adapt, and provide a warning in advance before removing these 3 tables.

The goal of this change is to simplify the ZXDB model, making it easier to understand. Any objections to this change?

One more ZXDB release is already available!

Many thanks to [mention]R-Tape[/mention], [mention]PeterJ[/mention], and [mention]pavero[/mention]!


PS: Don't worry, I didn't make any changes yet to those tables that I mentioned in my last post...

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Tue Jun 30, 2020 11:04 pm BTW there was a database change this time...

There's now a new table called "files". It combines all content from 3 other tables: "labelfiles", "magfiles", and "toolfiles".

Would it makes sense to add a md5 field to the files table? So it would be possible to cross check when new/old files arrives.

/Thomas

kolbeck wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2020 4:41 pm Would it makes sense to add a md5 field to the files table? So it would be possible to cross check when new/old files arrives.

Good point. Now that I'm already collecting file sizes because of this, collecting md5 also shouldn't be a problem.

I will implement it ASAP!

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2020 5:42 pm

kolbeck wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2020 4:41 pm Would it makes sense to add a md5 field to the files table? So it would be possible to cross check when new/old files arrives.

Good point. Now that I'm already collecting file sizes because of this, collecting md5 also shouldn't be a problem.

I will implement it ASAP!

Great - i Will start using it

A new ZXDB version is now available!

Many thanks to [mention]kolbeck[/mention], [mention]druellan[/mention] and [mention]pavero[/mention] for their contributions as usual... also a very special "thank you" to Steven Brown from TZXVault, that's now helping the ZXDB team to add countless rare tapes and solved M.I.A.s to ZXDB. I'm sure a lot of people will recognize his name, he has been preserving Spectrum software a lot longer than any of us, so it's a privilege to work together with him. We have just added 300 rare tapes to ZXDB that he provided, there's certainly a lot more to come

On a more technical note, ZXDB now contains MD5 data for ZXDB files, so it's easier to keep track of updated files. Another change is, tables "labelfiles", "magfiles", and "toolfiles" don't exist anymore. As I mentioned before, all their content went into a single table "files". Don't forget to check if you have already made this change to your website before updating ZXDB this time.

My apologies for all other new contributions that were not included in this release yet, but we have been very busy. They will be included next time!

Thanks [mention]Einar Saukas[/mention],

I will get the site updated tonight. Great news about the link with TZXVault

The 'signing' of the TZX Vault is a very, very great news for Spectrum Computing.

Congrats!

Great to see joining the forces with Steve and TzxVault !

He and other guys did an incredible job of preserving missing software and uploading it to WOS when it was still ran by Martijn.
We all know what happened later but now it seems that the dark days are over and we are going to enjoy their great work again.