Re: what info should a dsk image archive store?

["Jeff Blakeney" <jeff.blakeney@a2central.com.remove-aar-this>]

  To: Andy McFadden
On Tue, 31 Jul 2007 15:42:23 +0000, Andy McFadden wrote:

> jonnosan <jonnosan@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Data stored should include data needed to add to a browsable catalogue
>> of images. For commercial applications, that information will include:
>> - Application Name
>> - Application Publisher
>> - Application Author(s) (if known)
>> - Year of publication
>> - Application Category (needs to have some kind of constrained and
>> structured list of categories e.g. "Applications/Word Processor"
>> "Games/Arcade"
> 
> How about:
> 
> - media type (5.25 / 3.5 / HD image / cassette?)
> - disk format (DOS, ProDOS, Pascal, CP/M, custom)
> - total number of disk sides (Wizardry is 2, Time Zone is 10)
> - platforms supported ("any", "enhanced //e or later", "IIgs") -- this is
>   not strictly expanding, as some games / cracks won't boot on a IIgs

This could be handled with a bunch of bit flags and just set the bit for
each machine it will run correctly on. (ie. Bit 0 is Apple I, Bit 1 is
II, Bit 2 is II+, Bit 3 is IIe, Bit 4 is Enhanced IIe, Bit 5 is //c, Bit
6 is //c+, Bit 7 is IIgs).  Possibly keep this in a word (16 bits) or
double word (32 bits) just in case we need to add others such as clones
or emulators but those could be handled with separate flags I suppose.

> - supports Mockingboard sound (y/n)
> - input devices required (joystick, paddles, mouse)
> - original legal status (freeware, shareware, commercial)

Don't forget to include:

 - current status as some have been reclassified as public domain,
   freeware or shareware
 - how much memory is needed to run it (ie. 4KB, 48KB, 64KB, 128KB, 2MB)
--- Synchronet 3.14a-Win32 NewsLink 1.85
A2Central.com - Your total source for Apple II computing.