File Format?

[Keklas Rekobah]

In the World Builder Series file format, these fields are defined:

WBS File Format (V1.1.0)
------------------------

Hex Location = 00 - 03
World Name = 06 - 19
UWP Code = 22 - 30
Trade Code = 33 - 43
PBG Code = 47 - 49
Base Code = 52
Allegiance Code = 55 - 56
Satellite Code = 59
Stellar Details = 62 - 81

Questions:

1. Why is there no field for the Travel Zone?
2. What is the "Satellite Code"?
3. What do you use instead?

This is what I've been using IMTU:

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IISS SURVEY FORMAT

The Imperial Interstellar Scout Service format is a sector-based format in two parts, World Data and World Index. The two parts may be cross-referenced.

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WORLD DATA

The IISS World Data standard is for recording the vital statistic of star systems. It consists of a string of 61 alphanumeric characters, with defined fields for each statistic. Each field is separated from adjacent fields by one or two spaces.

Field:	Description:
00-03	System Hex Number (4 digits, with leading zero)
05-13	Main world's Universal World Profile (UWP)
	05 Starport
	06 Size
	07 Atmosphere
	08 Hydrographics
	09 Population
	10 Government
	11 Law Level
	12 Technology Level
15	Base Code
18-32	Remarks (Trade Class and Features)
33-39	ZPBG Details
	34 Travel Code
	35 Population Multiplier
	36 Planetoid Belts
	37 Gas Giants
	38-39 System Allegience
41-60	Stellar Details
	41-46 First star
	      41-42 Spectral Class (B0 through M9 or DB through DM)
	      43 Hyphen
	      44-46 Luminosity Type (Ia, Ib, II, III, IV, V, VI, or VII)
	48-53 Second star
	      48-49 Spectral Class
	      50 Hyphen
	      51-53 Luminosity Type
	55-60 Third star
	      55-56 Spectral Class
	      57 Hyphen
	      58-60 Luminosity Type

Example:

00000000001111111111222222222233333333334444444444555555555566
01234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901
1827 A867A69-F  B  Hi -- -- --   G414Im  G2-V
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WORLD INDEX

Worlds are listed alphabetically, with the world name first, a space, and then the system hex number. Other world identities (research stations, way stations, and special installations) are also indexed. There are no defined fields in the IISS World Index; every line-entry is of variable length.

Example:

Terra is a planet in system 1827 of the Solomani Rim sector (Sol subsector). Called "Terra" by the natives, it has a long history...

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Is there a better way?

 

[GameDaddy]

1. I would add Zone info in the remarks section. So few worlds are Amber or Red zones.

2. I would venture a guess it's the number of satellite moons/asteroid belts orbiting the main world.

3. Heaven and Earth, available as a download from here:
Heaven and Earth

 

[Birdrock]

Looks fine... Whatever works for you. The subject has been discussed at soeme length on the Software Solutions section.

For flat file, I stick as close as I can to SEC format, with some very barebones XML tagging of broad sections.

Ideally though a structured format is best, such as JSON or any variation thereof ... YAML or Perl structure or Lua structure ... They're all essentially a way to structure data into key value pairs and lists with arbitrary nesting. XML can do this too,, tho it's very bulky.