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Exporting a selection of game files

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arkive
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Exporting a selection of game files

Sat May 05, 2018 3:50 am

Hi guys, long-time Gamebase fan here.

I'm using Retropie for my retro gaming at the moment, combined with GB sets. Recently I had an idea to play games from certain years. I can make such selection in GB thanks to the awesome filters - say, find all the ZX Spectrum games from 1984 - and export it to a file. But the problem is, how to move the games themselves?

There's a tool for GB64 called GB64Reorganiser which does just that. I also managed to do it for other Gamebases, but the process is convoluted - involves using an external search program (UltraFileSearch) being fed the file names from the list, then correcting it with Total Commander because it makes mistakes. It's also only a trial which expires after 30 days and I was unable to find any other search tool which would work with file name lists from Romlister. I've found this script for PowerShell: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/147 ... -directory but it seems it needs directory paths as well.

I was wondering if there are any other ways to accomplish this task? Perhaps by using .dats and romcenter or some such? I have little experience with these programs, so I thought I would ask you guys. Any advice much appreciated.
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.mad.
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Re: Exporting a selection of game files

Sat May 05, 2018 11:03 am

The process is going to be a little convoluted whatever solution you use.
I take it you just want to copy the files from the generated list.
cant help you with the Retropie end.

This will speed up the more you get used to it.

load the generated romlister file into a editor.
search HEX 09 or a [TAB]
replace [nothing]
----------
sort the list A-Z, so all game name files are together.
*delete all the other lines.

<game name="4THINCH_00061_01.zip">
<game name="APOLLO0_00338_01.zip">
<game name="BLUEANG2_00890_01.zip">
<game name="BUBBLEG1_01141_02.zip">
<game name="CARDSHRK_01271_01.zip">
<game name="CYCLES_01910_02.zip">

--------------
search text
<game name=
replace with
xcopy[space]
--------------

xcopy "4THINCH_00061_01.zip">
xcopy "APOLLO0_00338_01.zip">
xcopy "BLUEANG2_00890_01.zip">
xcopy "BUBBLEG1_01141_02.zip">
xcopy "CARDSHRK_01271_01.zip">
xcopy "CYCLES_01910_02.zip">

------------
search text
>
replace with
[space]c:\work
--------------

xcopy "4THINCH_00061_01.zip" C:\work
xcopy "APOLLO0_00338_01.zip" C:\work
xcopy "BLUEANG2_00890_01.zip" C:\work
xcopy "BUBBLEG1_01141_02.zip" C:\work
xcopy "CARDSHRK_01271_01.zip" C:\work
xcopy "CYCLES_01910_02.zip" C:\work

save the result as a batch file.
run it from all (42) game dirs.

you could also edit the source code file "frmRomLister.frm"
search for the section starting with this line
strEntry = vbTab & "<game name=""" & strRomName & """>" & vbCrLf

edit to this...
strEntry = "xcopy """ & GameFilenamePathPart & strRomName & """ c:\ARKIVE" & vbCrLf

delete the other (not wanted XML results) lines under it.

it will then generate a romlister XML like this...

xcopy "j\JUMPMAN1_04000_02.zip" C:\ARKIVE
xcopy "k\KATAKIS_04058_01.zip" C:\ARKIVE
xcopy "l\LADYTUT_04239_01.zip" C:\ARKIVE
xcopy "l\LNINJA2A_04285_01.zip" C:\ARKIVE
xcopy "l\LODERUN1_04420_02.zip" C:\ARKIVE
xcopy "m1\MANIACE0_04576_02.zip" C:\ARKIVE
xcopy "m1\MAYHEMIM_04673_02.zip" C:\ARKIVE
xcopy "m2\MERCENE0_04740_05.zip" C:\ARKIVE
xcopy "m2\MISOCCER_04802_01.zip" C:\ARKIVE
xcopy "m3\MULE_05076_02.zip" C:\ARKIVE
xcopy "p1\PARADRO2_05555_02.zip" C:\ARKIVE
arkive
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Joined: Sat May 05, 2018 3:31 am

Re: Exporting a selection of game files

Sun May 06, 2018 9:01 am

Ha, awesome, thanks! It definitely works. What's even better you can actually create this .bat file directly in romlister - there's an option for that (choose BatchFile in the drop down menu).

Granted, running it separately from 30+ directories is a bit of a pain, but not a huge one. Does your second method automates this? I wasn't sure where to find that "frmRomLister.frm" file so couldn't try it.
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.mad.
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Re: Exporting a selection of game files

Mon May 07, 2018 5:48 pm

arkive wrote: Does your second method automates this? I wasn't sure where to find that "frmRomLister.frm" file so couldn't try it.
Yes, once the GB source has been edited.
The generated romlister batch file, only needs to be ran from the root of the game dir.
as it will contain the game path along with the filename in the new result.

you will need to download the GameBase v1.3 source code.
https://sourceforge.net/projects/gameba ... base/v1.3/

edit the frmromlister.frm file and recompile it with Visual Basic 6.

If you can not do it?.
i could compile you a custom version, just for making the lists.
arkive
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Posts: 8
Joined: Sat May 05, 2018 3:31 am

Re: Exporting a selection of game files

Thu May 10, 2018 4:41 am

I'm a simpleton, anything source-wise is dark sorcery to me :)

If it's not too much trouble it'd be much appreciated...maybe it'd come handy to some other folks too.

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