popot.org

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Norbert
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Re: popot.org

Post by Norbert »

I'm going to add a http://www.popot.org/xml/mods.xml file, that the system will update every time a mod or vote has been added/changed.
That file can then be obtained and parsed by external programs/websites that want up-to-date information about mods.
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Norbert
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Re: popot.org

Post by Norbert »

Here is the format the XML file will have:

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<!-- http://www.popot.org/xml/mods.xml -->
<mods version="????-??-?? ??:??:??">
	<mod id="?">
		<s_name>?</s_name>
		<i_number>?</i_number>
		<s_number>?</s_number>
		<i_creation_year>?</i_creation_year>
		<i_pop_version>?</i_pop_version>
		<s_pop_version>?</s_pop_version>
		<s_description>?</s_description>
		<i_starting_minutes>?</i_starting_minutes>
		<i_author1_id>?</i_author1_id>
		<s_author1_name>?</s_author1_name>
		<i_author1_type>?</i_author1_type>
		<i_author2_id>?</i_author2_id>
		<s_author2_name>?</s_author2_name>
		<i_author2_type>?</i_author2_type>
		<i_author3_id>?</i_author3_id>
		<s_author3_name>?</s_author3_name>
		<i_author3_type>?</i_author3_type>
		<i_altered_graphics>?</i_altered_graphics>
		<i_altered_audio>?</i_altered_audio>
		<s_executable>?</s_executable>
		<s_cheat_code>?</s_cheat_code>
		<f_enjoyment>?</f_enjoyment>
		<f_difficulty>?</f_difficulty>
		<i_levels_changed>?</i_levels_changed>
		<i_enjoyment_votes>?</i_enjoyment_votes>
		<i_difficulty_votes>?</i_difficulty_votes>
		<i_screenshots>?</i_screenshots>
		<i_comments>?</i_comments>
	</mod>
	<mod id="?">
		...
	<mod/>
	...
</mods>
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Norbert
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Re: popot.org

Post by Norbert »

Norbert wrote:
Here is the format the XML file will have: [...]
All right, it's finished:
http://www.popot.org/xml/mods.xml

That XML file automatically updates, so if a mod is being added or changed in any way, or if someone votes/comments, the XML file is being updated as well.
Now that that's out of the way... time for me to continue working on my next mod. :)
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Norbert
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Re: popot.org

Post by Norbert »

As requested by starwindz (in a PM), I've altered the XML file to include for each mod a <comments> block with all the comments.

Code: Select all

<comments>
	<comment>
		<s_nick>?</s_nick>
		<dt_added>????-??-?? ??:??:??</dt_added>
		<s_comment>?</s_comment>
	</comment>
	<comment>
		...
	</comment>
	...
</comments>
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Norbert
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Re: popot.org

Post by Norbert »

[Edit: Updated this post.]

As requested by starwindz (same PM as above), I've altered the XML file to also include for each mod a <dt_last_update> and <dt_last_update_zip>.

Code: Select all

<dt_last_update>????-??-?? ??:??:??</dt_last_update>
<dt_last_update_zip>????-??-?? ??:??:??</dt_last_update_zip>
Note: currently these dates are the same as the dates the mods were added to popot.org, because in the past I didn't keep track of when the last updates took place.
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Norbert
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Re: popot.org

Post by Norbert »

Another short update (last was 5 August 2013). The last 10 months, I've updated popot.org in the following ways:
- Added a document about PoP2 DAT differences.
- Added a page about PoP1 for Amiga.
- Added 4 new apoplexy releases (2.2b, 2.1b, 2.0, 1.9b).
- Added 19 mods (During Sleep 2 (Miracles), New Mini Tricks, The Vizier's Kingdom, The Castle of Dreams, The Brave Prince, SNES version of SmallDungMod, Trick of Tiles, SmallDungMod, Definition Of The Time, PoP and the Temple of Bird Creatures, Prince of Persia During Sleep, Micro Palace, Mini underground, The Persian Secret Passage, Imprisoned... again, The Great Adventure, Maksi Prince, The Dungeons of a Dark Magician, Trick Bootcamp).
- Added 15 new trick videos.
- Added a new Pr1SnesLevEd release (of 17 January 2014).
- Added NESPrincEd (1.0.7).
- Added a page about PoP1 for NES.
- Added a separate news article about the apoplexy 2.0 release.
- Updated CusPop to include David's sixteen additional hacks.
- Added a page about PoP1 for FM Towns.
- Added 11 additional events to the Modding Timeline.
- Added 2 new Total Packs (3.0, 3.0b1).
- Added an updated version of the PoP1 Special Events document.
- Added a package with images of all original PoP1 levels.
- Added mods.xml and improved it (twice).
- Added an overview of custom VPALACE.DAT files.
- Added an overview of custom VDUNGEON.DAT files.
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Norbert
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Re: popot.org

Post by Norbert »

It's now possible to receive e-mails when people post comments about mods.

This can be enabled for individual mods (one or more) and for all mods (all-inclusive).

If you want to receive e-mails about individual mods, go to their pages and check the checkboxes there.
If you want to receive e-mails about all mods, go to the Settings page, check the checkbox there and use the "Change" button.

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Norbert
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Re: popot.org

Post by Norbert »

The height of the website's content area now roughly matches the browser's viewport height.
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Re: popot.org

Post by Norbert »

Another short update (last was 7 June 2014). The last 12 months, I've updated popot.org in the following ways:
- Added the PoP2 Special Events document. (+ updated it once)
- Added new apoplexy releases (2.3, 2.3.1, 2.4, 2.5, 2.5.1, 2.6b).
- Added 18 mods ("During Sleep 2 (Remix)", "Trick of Chomper", "New SNES mod", "ZethHolyblade's [Hardcore] PoP2", "Trick of Through", "Istaria's custom maps", "Training Lessons", "King of Persia", "The Prince Mystery Dungeon", "Jaffar Not Forget", "Lost in Errors", "The Resurrection Of Jaffar And The Revolt Of The Guards", "Story Retold", "Hell of a Palace", "The Tricky Tower", "The Princess is Mine", "SNES Remnants", "SNES Level 15").
- Added the PoP1 XML Format document. (+ updated it twice)
- Added 16 trick videos.
- Added an e-mail service.
- Added all PoP1 for DOS music.
- Added a page about SDLPoP. (+ updated it with: 1.09-1.14)
- Changed the height of the website's content area to roughly match the browser's viewport height.
- Added a new CusPop (2.2).
- Added versions 1.3 and 1.4 of PoP1 for DOS (yes, finally ;)).
- Added a new PR (1.3.1 pre-release 2).
- Added a new PrinHackEd (2.1).
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Norbert
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Re: popot.org

Post by Norbert »

Recently, some mod authors have been updating their works frequently. It's entirely up to them to decide when and how they update their files. Recent updates and releases have resulted in frequent private messages addressed to me with requests to update popot.org. This has created a situation where on the one hand I feel obligated to update popot.org, because I've positioned popot.org as the go-to website for up-to-date packages of mods, while on the other hand the pressure to keep updating both popot.org and princed.org is taking its toll mentally, because the work is not enjoyable and my gaming and programming interests have shifted towards other things. When I visit this forum and see that mods have been updated or released, or even when software has been updated, it does not make me happy; it makes me sad, because I know I'll have to do work that I don't want to be doing. Don't worry, I'm not going to suddenly drop everything. I'm going to think about the current situation and I will try to find a good solution. Maybe I will try to find one or more successor(s) who can take on/over some or all of the work I've been doing the last 4-5 years. The popot.org website has nice PHP forms for modifying and adding authors and mods to the MySQL database, which makes things easier, but the forms do not include file upload functionalities. A couple of weeks from now I'll post some more on this subject.
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Norbert
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Re: popot.org

Post by Norbert »

TODO list:

(currently empty)
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Norbert
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Re: popot.org

Post by Norbert »

Norbert wrote:A couple of weeks from now I'll post some more on this subject.
My simple solution is to keep a todo list in this forum thread (see above) and update mods less frequently.
Yes, it's not perfect (because Total Pack uses popot.org's files), but it'll have to do.
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R3
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Re: popot.org

Post by R3 »

greetings, Master Norbert!

would it be possible to request download stats for all mods since you started POPOT.ORG?

as i've mentioned, i believe this is a good measure of a mod's popularity.
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Norbert
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Re: popot.org

Post by Norbert »

R3 wrote:would it be possible to request download stats for all mods since you started POPOT.ORG?
Sorry, I don't have statistics like that, all mods since the beginning. What I have is basic AWStats. I would have to add up the ZIP downloads myself, which would be too much work. Even just for one month I'd have to look through 2800+ different entries to find mod packages. And if there are 100 downloads (views, is what AWStats calls it), those could all be from the same person. Or from a computer program, like Google's Googlebot.

Generally speaking, the most popular mods seem to be the most recent mods. The ZIP file of Secrets of the Citadel got 100+ 'views' in August. Second and third are mods #154 and #152. So, yeah, recent mods.
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Re: popot.org

Post by R3 »

many thanks for your inputs, Master Norbert!

your efforts here and @ POPOT.ORG are highly appreciated. :D :D :D
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