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Timetable file format

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Timetable file format 17/11/2013 at 12:47 #51646
Forest Pines
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525 posts
It was mentioned elsewhere on the forum that the new "Loader format" sims use compressed XML to save timetables, instead of the old binary format.

This is just a minor feature request: would it be possible for sims to be also able to load uncompressed XML timetable files? It shouldn't be too hard to auto-detect the file type on load even if the file extension was kept as .WTT for both file types; potentially there could be an option to save as uncompressed. Alternatively there could be a new file extension (eg .WTX) for uncompressed files.

The reason I'm suggesting it is: to make life easier for TT developers. As XML is a type of plain text it is very easy to version-control. Moreover, it makes it relatively straightforward for timetable developers to collaborate and then for the lead dev use standard merge tools such as WinDiff to incorporate changes or bug fixes. With the old binary format this would have been completely impossible; the new format makes it doable; a side-by-side uncompressed XML format would make it easy.

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Timetable file format 17/11/2013 at 13:29 #51648
tlib
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Hi Forest Pines

I believe you can just extract the uncompressed xml from the .WTT files using you favorite ZIP utility (I use 7-zip)

You can also zip the files back up again and rename the file to .WTT so that SimSig can read it.

Hope this helps

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Timetable file format 17/11/2013 at 14:31 #51651
Forest Pines
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Yes, that's why I used the term "doable" to describe that process in my original post. It's not exactly smooth though. Thank you for your condescending smiley-face.
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Timetable file format 17/11/2013 at 15:53 #51656
GeoffM
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" said:
it is very easy to version-control. Moreover, it makes it relatively straightforward for timetable developers to collaborate and then for the lead dev use standard merge tools such as WinDiff to incorporate changes or bug fixes. With the old binary format this would have been completely impossible; the new format makes it doable; a side-by-side uncompressed XML format would make it easy.
I hadn't thought of it in this way. I'll see what I can do.

SimSig Boss
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The following user said thank you: Forest Pines
Timetable file format 17/11/2013 at 18:22 #51665
tlib
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" said:
... Thank you for your condescending smiley-face.
I'm sorry Forest Pines, I dint know that you knew they were just zipped and I was just trying to be helpful.

I just wont bother posting in the future.

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