Ootp 2006 Db Format?

rwmorey · 06-03-2006, 07:15 PM

Hi..

What is the file format of the OOTP Data files? I would love to try my hand at making some utilities but figure this is an important first piece of the puzzle.

Rich

Comedian2004 · 06-05-2006, 10:20 AM

Markus.dat files.

Without looking, I remember he said it was a binary save, which means you ain't gonna figure it out.

DaveHorn · 06-05-2006, 11:31 AM

You don't need to figure it out, that is the point of the SQL Dump features of OOTP 2006.

Comedian2004 · 06-05-2006, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveHorn

You don't need to figure it out, that is the point of the SQL Dump features of OOTP 2006.

Yeah, I know, but SQL dump don't write back to the dat files..

rwmorey · 06-05-2006, 09:03 PM

Yeah.. I'd like to be able to view mostly, but maybe edit, the data directly.

fearofmimes · 06-23-2006, 10:54 PM

It's a pretty simple database format at the binary level, but there is a new twist that wasn't present in the database for previous versions: variable-length fields for strings. I've been analyzing the data files to try to find a way to parse them effectively and I have a pretty good handle on the general contours of the files (I'm working updating some code I wrote previously to manage schedules). Right now I'm working to resolve a final issue with Teams.dat where it appears that there is an additional variable-text field somewhere in addition to the city, abbreviation, nickname, and logo fields.

I suspect that others have been doing the same thing, so it might make sense to describe our results so the database format can be documented by the community.

Correction: There are only 4 variable-length fields in Teams.dat (the table I used to calculate field characteristics was wrong) and the code is working.

06-03-2006, 07:15 PM	#1 (permalink)
rwmorey Minors (Double A) Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 157 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	Ootp 2006 Db Format? Hi.. What is the file format of the OOTP Data files? I would love to try my hand at making some utilities but figure this is an important first piece of the puzzle. Rich

06-05-2006, 10:20 AM	#2 (permalink)
Comedian2004 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: In a house in Saint Cloud, Florida. Posts: 6,870 Thanks: 0 Thanked 22x in 14 posts	Markus.dat files. Without looking, I remember he said it was a binary save, which means you ain't gonna figure it out. __________________ Like BLUES? Visit www.smokestacklightnin.com, you will LOVE it! New show every Monday!! New Blues HOF![/COLOR][/FONT]

06-05-2006, 11:31 AM	#3 (permalink)
DaveHorn All Star Starter Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,140 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1x in 1 post	You don't need to figure it out, that is the point of the SQL Dump features of OOTP 2006. __________________ Dave HFTC Commish

06-23-2006, 10:54 PM	#6 (permalink)
fearofmimes Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 31 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	Reverse engineering the database file structures It's a pretty simple database format at the binary level, but there is a new twist that wasn't present in the database for previous versions: variable-length fields for strings. I've been analyzing the data files to try to find a way to parse them effectively and I have a pretty good handle on the general contours of the files (I'm working updating some code I wrote previously to manage schedules). Right now I'm working to resolve a final issue with Teams.dat where it appears that there is an additional variable-text field somewhere in addition to the city, abbreviation, nickname, and logo fields. I suspect that others have been doing the same thing, so it might make sense to describe our results so the database format can be documented by the community. Correction: There are only 4 variable-length fields in Teams.dat (the table I used to calculate field characteristics was wrong) and the code is working. Last edited by fearofmimes; 06-24-2006 at 05:05 AM.

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06-05-2006, 09:03 PM	#5 (permalink)
rwmorey Minors (Double A) Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 157 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	Yeah.. I'd like to be able to view mostly, but maybe edit, the data directly.