RF Generation Message Board

So for what has been a fun and interesting experience in the realm of PHP it is time to release the Beta Hardware System. What is this system you say? Simply put, this system is identical to the gamepages, only for hardware. Now you can check out the hardware pages for a myriad of hardware entries and their variations. Neat huh? It sure is and here is the one script that will act as your "in" to the hardware system:

Search Hardware (http://www.rfgeneration.com/PHP/searchhw.php): Functions like the advanced search Script for games.

Neat huh, hardware entries on the site, and a video game hardware database. Boy is that nice. Well let me make it clear that this is the Beta System 0.2, and some features are not going to work yet, or have yet to be implemented. Let me make it clear that some of these features may not be implemented for a long time, as there is a larger priority over getting this system to a final release, and that is the transition of the database to a mySQL driven system. Sounds like a blast, right? Be sure to give Eddie (St0rmTK421) much encouragement on that one.

Version 0.2.

• Search variables now passed from page to page, or, you can now see more than the first 50 results for a search.

Known Issues:

At the present, any page with a search can only show the first 50 results. Will eventually work on that to fix it.
Screenshots can not be uploaded, and will not be able to be uploaded until the final scripts are released.
The hardware cannot be added to your collection, and will not be able to until the final release.
Members can not submit data

If you notice any bugs in the system, please let me know. I've spent a lot of time in the last 4 weeks on this system, and I am now going to take a momentary repose to do something other than code. Maybe game or go running, who knows.

I hope everyone finds this as something that differentiates us from other databases, and will be more than useful to them. Hardware is essential to play video games, without it our games are just cartridges or CDs with cool labels on them.  I hope you all enjoy this as much as I enjoyed coding the scripts that are necessary to make this work.

And on that note.... Search away!

I will be the first to say... SWEET  8)

When I first joined RFG, I was a little disappointed that there wasn't at least a basic hardware database.

This is exciting and I can't wait for it to expand... as well as the final release  :drool:

AWESOME work David!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh come on.  You knew.

Doesn't change the fact that it is awesome. Also Dave did a ton of works and deserves our thanks.

wow, project B really adds a all new depth to the site with alot of possibilities :nod:, i think we're all gonna have fun with this, good stuff  ;D

I'll second that, well played Dave.

This is indeed a most excellent addition to RF Generation!
Especially for those who go out of their way for a rare limited edition version of a system as their crowning piece of their collection.

I concur!

I know i love to pick up cool system variants.

Much thanks. This is very sweet!

I must say, Dave, this is an AWESOME addition for the site.  Even for those without any crowning pieces of hardware.  Two BIG thumbs up! 

The only flaw so far is that the Genesis stuff is listed as Game Gear hardware...but otherwise it's coming along.  Hurry up with those scripts so we can see some pics and get some info added!

I fixed the Genesis entries, it appears as though Anthony accidently added them to the wrong console.

 :embarassed:

Awesome dude...and I was kidding about hurrying up man...take your time, make sure it gets done right...better to get shit working one piece at a time than to do it all at once and bugger the whole thing up.

I added 19 new pieces today.

I don't know if i will do anything else this weekend since i kinda have plans.

I am going to try and at least finish adding things on my system shelf with their info by monday though.

You're doing an awesome job Anthony, keep it up.

Awesome. Everything is looking great. Thanx for all the hard work.

Hey, it's not a pipe dream! Our hardware database is inching and inching closer and closer to completion, and I am pleased to announce that tonight marks the launch of Version 0.5 of the hardware scripts. Will it allow you to add hardware to your collection, you ask? No, not yet, sorry about that. But, there has been many improvements to the system on the front and back ends. Here is a list of current improvements:

Version 0.5

• Regional Variation Support Added. Now all the PAL variations can be added for hardware. This feature has not yet been implemented into the games database, but should be in the near future. Too see an example page with a regional variant, Click Here.
• Image Support Added, now you can see what the packaging, manuals, and hardware looked like. Too see a page with images, Click Here.
• Any contributions to the hardware database get logged, so now you can boast about how many contributions you've done. We hope to implement this system into the games database, but I cannot guarantee that we will be able to give credit to previous submittals, as there is no way to identify you in an easy manner.
• Lots and lots of revisions to scripts that you can't see.

We hope you enjoy this latest addition, as I busted my butt off this week to get this release finished before I return to work full time on Monday. If I said I didn't spend more than 40 hours working on these scripts in the last week I'd be lying. So, please, take the time to check out where are newest database is going, and relish the fact that someday soon you'll be able to add these entries to your collection, as well as submit entries to the database. Edits, Adds, it doesn't matter, you should be able to do it all in the next month or so. On another note, Eddie "The Black Perl" Herrmann has been busy all week working on the port to mySQL for the games database. Our resident Perl programmer has been doing a kick-ass job preparing the games database for the mySQL switch. On that note, I must transition my focus to sculpting scripts that add games entries to the mySQL database, so until these games scripts are complete the hardware database will be on the back burner. These add scripts for both hardware and games scripts are considerably more user friendly, and are the foundation for new submit scripts for general users. Stay tuned to RF Generation, more is surely to follow when you keep it tuned to channel three.

out of curiosity will the hardware database have a rating system and/or a top and bottom lists like the game database has?

hats off to you gentlemen on your hard work, it seems every week this site is stepping up it's game and setting the bar higher, making us more proud to be members and sating our painstakingly meticulous cravings for record keeping and tracking.

 :beer:

No, it was decided that ratings would not be implemented into the hardware database, or any future database at this time.

Yes, great job you guys.  Two BIG thumbs up!

I had this long newspost written up until my computer froze, so here is the abridged version:

Tonight marks the release of the hardware system version 0.8, and with that you can finally add hardware to your collection submit info for the hardware database. Images, Title Additions, Regional Variations, Edits, it doesn't matter, my one little script can do it all right here. (It's also in the Nav Bar) So please, please PLEASE start submitting info for the database.

I really need people to use this script as soon as possible, as this script is the foundation of the new games submission script, and I am not coding that until the bugs are worked out of the hardware submit script. I've tried to make this as user friendly as possible, so have at it. Please PM me if you find any bugs. As soon as I know this thing works I can start working on the games submit scripts, which will lead to the mySQL switch and your ability to add hardware to your collection. In case you were wondering, the Black Perl has coded the ability to add hardware to your collection, but we need the mySQL switch to occur before that script can be used, so be patient.

Stay tuned everybody, more is sure to follow when you keep it tuned to channel three.

Cool, I can't wait to start. 

I have a question about region variants. After reading the text above it states you must use the add region variants after searching. I know it's not in the system, so do I use the add a system first (for the region) to get it in, then add variants?

I want to add Japanese Dreamcast, then package variants.

I am fairly certain that the Japanese Dreamcast Console Exists. You would need to first add the base system, and then you could add the variations to that.

Nope, when I search Dreamcast it's all US items.

I'll write an FAQ eventually, but for the time being let me describe what a regional variant.

A regional variant (as in one which requires you to use the add regional variant script) is a subregion within a major region. For example, if there was a mainland Europe entry for a certain title and you wanted to add a French variant, you would use the "submit regional variant" script. If you wanted to add the Japanese version of that title you would use  the submit hardware script.

For Reference, these are the current regions with their subregions indented in.

Regions
-Australia
-Brazil
-China
-Europe
   Mainland Europe
   France
   Italy
-Hong Kong
-Japan
-Korea
-North America (USA)
   USA
   Canada

I see, I misunderstood the meaning of "regional variant". Got it now!

Yeah, at this time there is no inherent correlation of titles between major regions, only within a region. So, if Brain Age had an ID of U-087-S-00590-A, the Japanese version would not be J-087-S-00590-A, but a Canadian Version would be U-087-S-0059C-A

For fun, here is an interpretation of the RF Generation ID
Example: U-087-S-0059C-A

U - Region (North America / USA)
087 - Console (Nintendo DS)
S - Database (Games)
0059 - Game Number (Corresponds to when it was added, in this case it is the 59th title added to the database for this console)
C - Subregion (Canada)
A - Variation (Main One, A is always the main variation, but B through 9 can be anything)

Since I understand that the submit title system can be confusing, I've written this lovely faq (http://www.rfgeneration.com/PHP/submitinfo.php?action=faq) to help explain things. I highly recommend that you read this FAQ before submitting anything, as there are probably some things in the FAQ that will be advantageous to know if you would like your submittals to be approved. If you would like other questions to be added to the FAQ, contact me  through this thread or PM, and if I find your question to be a FAQ worthy question I'll add it to the FAQ, otherwise I'll just answer it.

Got some errors today while submitting new hardware items. Here is one message.


: Lost connection to MySQL server during query
/hsphere/local/home/rfgene2/rfgeneration.com/forum/Sources/Load.php
380: Can't connect to MySQL server on '72.41.4.31' (111)
/hsphere/local/home/rfgene2/rfgeneration.com/forum/Sources/Load.php
2004
Warning: Unknown(): A session is active. You cannot change the session module's ini settings at this time. in Unknown on line 0

- edit

On another topic. I wonder if the Swan Crystal should be lumped together with the WonderSwan color. If it is then I guess the system variant could be listed as so:

Bandai WonderSwan Color then under variant Swan Crystal Red Wine and so on for the colors.

To answer the latter part of Funk Buddy's post.

The WonderSwan crystal will be a variant of color. You can change the name of the system so it would appear as crystal and not color and then we can add the color variants seperatley.

On another note I have just enetered the Skeleton Green WOnderswan in to the database from my collection and realised you had also submitted it. I didn't want you to think I had stole your thunder, I'll sort out the other colour variants now, one question before I do though the Wonderswan which is already entered does this need altering to include one of the colour variants you have submitted?

I'm not sure on what the original color was. If I had to guess, I'd say pearl white. djbeatmongrel might know for sure since he's a Wonderswan guy.

As for stealing thunder... doesn't matter to me one bit if I get credit.

I stopped before putting in the special sets like Gunpey, Tare Panda (or whatever you call it) or the Gundams.

Put in what you want as long as it's relevant, the more the merrier. I will try and get them all accepted and logged into the database, I've been working through loads of PAL stuff and it takes ages because I've been getting the same errors you have been getting.

ok I see that I can add systems to my collection how do I view them

They appear in your system just like any other game, except under the type field it has a H for hardware.  If you want to only view your hardware entries, use the search and select hardware from the type dropdown.