Need your help - For addon inventory tool

[ar81]

I made a tool that search for addons in an installation, by looking for a set of addon specific files.
The tool is ready. What I need now is to gather info on addons.

So basically I would need this:

1.Name of addon (or addon patch)
2.Orbiter version (2005, 2006, 2006P1, etc)
3.Author
4.Website (if available) or link to download.
5.Zipfile name
6.General description
7.Addon type (ship, MFD, facilities, surface base, vinka required, etc)
8.Files that are specific for this addon, with paths relative to main orbiter directory (i.e. Meshes\Mymesh.msh,Modlules\Plugin\MyDll.dll). Having 2 or 3 files would do, as long as no other addon has this.

Any help would be appreciated.
I have made a list of the addons I use the most, but I would like to include your addons.

I am including even old addons.
I am also trying to make the file lists specific for addon versions.

This tool checks for existence of files, and it does not read its contents.
With this tool I am able to determine what addons I have installed in a certain Orbiter installation.

 

[MeDiCS]

Nice, but scanning inside files will provide a more accurate version number (checksumming/hashing). I think you should add a 'garbage collection' feature, so that unused files can be identified. :speakcool:

 

[ar81]

My intention is not to identify garbage files.
My intention is that you can find what addons you have in different installs.
Version checking is somehow secondary in my opinion... but it still can be done in some cases.

 

[MeDiCS]

Yea . *reads post again*

How's the database format? One file for each addon should help with database expansion (any one could write one).
How's the program's behaviour when finding corrupted addons?

 

[ar81]

Yea . *reads post again*

How's the database format? One file for each addon should help with database expansion (any one could write one).
How's the program's behaviour when finding corrupted addons?

It does not look for corrupted addons.
It creates a list of installed addons.
If you want to spot inconsistencies (you may call it corrupted addons) in an installation, use [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3201"]Orbiter diagnostic V0.2[/ame]

 

[garyw]

Have you thought about having a centralized database so that people can add in details about add ons the tool files? A net connection would be required but it would allow the DB to stay up to date.

 

[ar81]

Have you thought about having a centralized database so that people can add in details about add ons the tool files? A net connection would be required but it would allow the DB to stay up to date.

If you post here, I would update it and upload at OH, and that would keep up to date.
The download would be really small.

 

[garyw]

I was thinking more along the lines of a centralised database - One of those things that checks automatically at startup for any upgrades.

 

[Istochnikov]

it would be very useful that this add-on also checks the add-on versions :speakcool:

 

[garyw]

it would be very useful that this add-on also checks the add-on versions :speakcool:

That can be done by checking mesh and/or config file sizes, dates and MD5 hashes.........

 

[ar81]

It now detects about 106 addons by now.
I am creating an install where I test this detection.

I need to see how to check for file size in VB.
However, the most important thing in my opinion is to check for the presence of an addon, not really its version, since you can get into the docs to see what version it is.

Most of the most important addons can be easily spotted with filenames only.
For example NASSP 6.4.0 and NASSP 6.4.2 patch, or Endeavour 3.9.1 vs Shuttle Fleet 4.0.1, and even Orbiter 2006 and Orbiter 2006 P1

 

[agentgonzo]

That can be done by checking mesh and/or config file sizes, dates and MD5 hashes.........

executables and DLLs in Windows have the ability to store version numbers etc in them so that when you right-click on them and go to properties you can see the pertinent information in the Version tab. It is also accessible by a Win32 API call. This is much more reliable than file sizes/dates/hashes, but very few people seem to implement them.

 

[garyw]

I need to see how to check for file size in VB.

It's been a while since I did any VB but if I remember right there is a filelen function if you use the system.io plugins.

 

[ar81]

It now checks for filename and filesize in bytes.
I tested versions with NASSP 6.4.0 to 6.4.2 and AMSO 116 to 118, and it works.