Spectrum Computing

Yet another ZXDB release is now available!

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Wed Jul 21, 2021 12:03 am Yet another ZXDB release is now available!

Thanks Einar. I will do this later in the week.

A new ZXDB version is now available!

There was another change in the ZXDB structure, that's only relevant to site owners and tool authors using ZXDB.

Tables "compilations" and "variationtypes" are being replaced by tables "contents" and "contenttypes" respectively. The old tables still exist, but they will be removed in the next ZXDB update. Please replace them with the new tables, that already exist in the current ZXDB version.

The reason for this change is that these names were too misleading. Table "compilations" was originally intended to store list of contents specifically for tape compilations, so it even has columns like "compilation_id", "tape_side", etc. However this is not the case anymore. It currently stores all kinds of contents (lists of programs in compilations, covertapes, electronic magazines, even lists of B-side "freebies" that came as extras with certain games). Moreover it doesn't store only information about tapes anymore, it now stores all kinds of media contents such as disks, CDs, even generic ZIP packages that came with modern electronic magazines.

My apologies for the extra work required for this change. I always try to minimize any change in ZXDB that impacts anybody else. However this is a simple enough change that will make ZXDB structure more intuitive and easier to understand, to fix misleading tables that changed their purpose over time, so I think it was worth it.

If anyone has any questions, please let me know.

A new ZXDB release is now available!

There was yet another change in the ZXDB structure: table "publicationtypes" and column "entries.publicationtype_id" are not used anymore. Both will be removed in the next update.

This field was imported from Martijn's old WoS to indicate if a certain program was originally published in a special way: as type-in, within a compilation, covertape or electronic magazine.

However this field wasn't enough to identify an original publication properly. For instance, according to old WoS, game "Knight Fight" was originally published as type-in. The problem is, this game appeared as type-in both in a magazine and a book in the same year. Which one was the original publication? There are lots of cases like this.

In ZXDB, there's now a better way to identify original publications. Each magazine or book reference contains a flag indicating if it was the original publication. Therefore we know exactly what's the original, as you can see here. There's also a similar flag for games appearing in compilations, covertapes and electronic magazines.

In a nutshell, the old "publicationtype" was both insufficient and redundant, thus the reason it's being removed.

Technically you can see if a certain game was originally published in a special way using a query like this:
If anyone needs help making the necessary adjusts to their systems, please let me know.

There's a new ZXDB release available now!

Another ZXDB update is now available!

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:19 pm Another ZXDB update is now available!

Thanks [mention]Einar Saukas[/mention]. I will update tonight.

EDIT: Will now be Sunday. Sorry, something has cropped up.

A new ZXDB update is now available!

Another ZXDB update is available!

A new ZXDB version is now available!

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:53 pm A new ZXDB version is now available!

Just to keep count, ^this^ update marks update #121 (plus however many there were before SC).

121 is a very special number,* it's a star number and a centered octagonal number. Whatever the bloody hell that means. Also:
The electricity emergency telephone number in Egypt.
The number for voicemail for mobile phones on the Vodafone network.
The undiscovered chemical element unbiunium has the atomic number.
The official end score for cribbage.

*According to Wikipedia

R-Tape wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 8:28 pm

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:53 pm A new ZXDB version is now available!

Just to keep count, ^this^ update marks update #121 (plus however many there were before SC).

121 is a very special number,* it's a star number and a centered octagonal number. Whatever the bloody hell that means. Also:
The electricity emergency telephone number in Egypt.
The number for voicemail for mobile phones on the Vodafone network.
The undiscovered chemical element unbiunium has the atomic number.
The official end score for cribbage.

*According to Wikipedia

I fully understand that preparations for WOOT 2021 must be driving you insane! I hope you will be fully recovered after the holidays!!!

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 9:08 pm I fully understand that preparations for WOOT 2021 must be driving you insane! I hope you will be fully recovered after the holidays!!!

Hehe Wibble!

I just realised it had been ages since the last count marker

A new ZXDB release is available now!

Another ZXDB release is now available!

Yet another ZXDB update is available!

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Tue Oct 05, 2021 8:37 pm Yet another ZXDB update is available!

Thanks [mention]Einar Saukas[/mention],

I will update over the weekend.

A new ZXDB release is available!

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Sat Oct 16, 2021 1:18 am A new ZXDB release is available!

This is update #125 (plus the as yet uncounted amount before SC) :–)

Another ZXDB release is now available!

A new ZXDB update is available!

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Mon Nov 15, 2021 11:39 pm A new ZXDB update is available!

Thanks Einar. I will update over the weekend.

Another ZXDB update is now available!