The Hardware System Beta 0.8 Released 9.20.06

[Izret101]

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.

[TraderJake]

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

[atari_wizard]

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

[TraderJake]

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.

[Tan]

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.

 

[TraderJake]

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

[shaggy]

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

[TraderJake]

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.

[bum-man]

Cool, I can't wait to start. 

[Funk_Buddy]

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.

[TraderJake]

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.

[Funk_Buddy]

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

[TraderJake]

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

[Funk_Buddy]

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

[TraderJake]

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)