Custom file types

[TheMelodyMaker]

If we have any other programmers on the boards, have you ever along your coding travels ever had to invent a custom file type for your needs? I've had to invent about 5 of them for The Traveller's Guide! If memory serves me correctly, here they are:

ADF (Animations Definitions File): Has basic information about a sprite's animation sequence(s)--that is, the bitmaps' paths, how long to display them for, etc.

MOB (Movable Object Block file): Contains info about the general behavior, stats and ADF of a MOB (that is, a non-player character or enemy sprite).

MAP, DAT, MIF: Map data. MAP is the header file with info about how big it is, which music is played, how many MOBs it has, etc. DAT contains info about each tile on the map--appearance, whether it's passable, etc. MIF, short for "MOB Initialization File", contains info about the initial settings, paths and placement of MOBs on the map.

Save file: One must be able to save one's progress, you know. ^_~

Configuration file: Right now, this is just player-generated info about which controls do what in the game. (That may be all it does.)


Fellow programmers, have you had to invent any file formats of your own? Let yourselves be heard! ^_^ (You don't have to say what they are like I did if you don't want to; I just want to rest assured that I'm not the only one that does this. ^_^; )

[LorentzForce]

all the time actually. well, i can't give examples due to sheer number of them (including those with only the extension names for security in unix environment) but i have to think more of them soon, because i currently am designing my new site... will be 100% PHP and HTML have to make a custom flat-file DB system that actually is organised...

[madphilb]

The "Verse in Color" program that I wrote (a friend of mine came up with it though) had a couple files, a CFG file for the settings (obviously)... but the verses themselves where split into two files, a VRS file with the encrypted verse text and a VIX file that served as an Index File to find where each verse was in the VRS file.

Eventually I want to re-do the program completely ( a version 3.0) that will be one file for the verses. The new file will have the index as part of the header, then a list of token words (most common words in the orignal verses/quotes would be in this list and then a "token" would represent them in the text later in the file.. a mini-compression of sorts). Also in the header would be all the data for how the verse/quote should be displayed, if you want it to be verses or quotes (might make it an option for mixed and have a flag on each verse/quote)... etc.

So far that's been my biggest claim to fame (so to speak).