Differences

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--- plugin [2009/05/12 19:09] – romcenter
+++ plugin [2024/02/17 11:56] – [Installation] romcenter
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== RomCenter plugin ======
-[[Nes plugin]]
+Plugins are used by romcenter to calulate the file crc and size. Its main work is to recognize the rom format, skip header datas and process roms datas so
+that two roms of a same game in different format return only one size and crc.
+Here is an example of three roms with different crc and different size:
+{{:nes_plugin1.png|}}
+With the standart plugin, the crc is calculated on the whole files, including the header.
+Now, if we switch to a dedicated plugin (here, nes.dll), the nes format is understood (ffe, nes, unf) and the file appears to be the same game.
+{{:nes_plugin2.png|}}
+Using plugins, you only need to store one crc and one size in the datafile to recognize all formats.
+====== Installation ======
+Plugin is linked to a datafile. Most of the time, plugins must be use with 'pure' hash datafiles (datafiles produced from pure rom, with no header, not interleaved or swapped).
+Plugin to use can be defined in the datafile header:
+  <datafile>
+  <header>
+    <name>Nintendo Entertainment System</name>
+    <description>Nes dat</description>
+    <category></category>
+    <version>20220810</version>
+    <date>2011-08-10</date>
+    <author>Eric Bole-Feysot</author>
+    <homepage>Romcenter</homepage>
+    <url>http://www.romcenter.com/</url>
+    <comment>Test datafile</comment>
+    <romcenter
+      rommode="unmerged"
+      biosmode="split"
+      samplemode="merged"
+      lockbiosmode="no"
+      lockrommode="yes"
+      locksamplemode="no"
+      plugin="nes.dll"/>
+  </header>
+Here, when this datafile is loaded in romcenter, the nes.dll plugin will be used to calculate rom crc.
+Plugin files (nes.dll here) should be located in romcenter/plugin folder.
+====== Plugins development and updates ======
+I have developed several plugins and release the source code on github: https://github.com/ebolefeysot/RomcenterPlugins
-[[Arcade plugin]]