New Frontend Developer: Question Concerning Libretro Database

General Development
#1

I’m developing a new frontend application that will launch games in Retroarch or Steam (among a few others). This is actually the very first place I’ve mentioned it on the Internet. It is a Windows Store app (can be sideloaded if they won’t approve it), similar to Hyperspin, LaunchBox, and GamesEx although vastly better if I do say so myself. It supports importing of any artwork originally created for Hyperspin, including themes with flash animations (flash animations are converted to HTMl5/CSS3). I’m about 80-90% complete. It is going to be released. I’m very excited. If a userbase develops I’ll consider Linux and Android versions.

Anyway my question. I’ve written code to deserialize and parse No-Intro, ReDump and MAME dats. However it would be much easier and cleaner if I could access the libretro database itself instead of reinventing the wheel. Unfortunately the RDB files are compiled, all I see on the Github are those and a small handful of source DATs. Is the RetroArch database not considered open source?

If not that’s cool no judgement here, but then where did you guys get the original DATs? Some of the platforms (like Wii games) are not available on DatOMatic, Redump, or Tosec respective sites? Am I missing something?

On a related note, does anyone know how to access TruRip DAT files? Their site does not accept new members.

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Tilted Frontend Update / Question for Web Devs
#2

They’re open. RDBs are indeed compiled for speed, but you can get the raw dats from the repo:

#3

Do you not see there are only dats there for a handful of platforms? Also I assume the rdbs are not simply complied representations of the dat files. I would assume the tags have been parsed from the names.

#4

Did you try looking in the metadat subdir and/or using the repo’s search function?

We have dats for many platforms in that subdir, including Gamecube and Wii, separated by source (redump, no-intro, etc.).

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#5

Thank you I am blind. EDIT: Wait that’s a different folder. No I didn’t know about that one. Only the dat folder. Thanks!

#6

BTW, No-Intro releases dats in XML format now instead of that clrmame format. Easy to deserialize.

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#7

hype! can you leak a small pic or something?

#8

Yeah I’ll try to tonight. I’m cleaning up the db so can’t do a build.

#9

Here is a screenshot showing it exists.

Desktop 04.15.2017 - 15.49.00.01.png3840×2160 1.06 MB

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#10

Thanks for the pic. slick ui. I like it. That search box is where it’s at. Looking forward to the beta release.

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#11

I look forward to the day when this is all settled and merged and ALL the open source retro gaming stuff is under one massive umbrella. The wikipedia of retrogaming :slight_smile: This is part of why I like retroarch so much. I also love launch box for dosbox but only because I was able to download a folder preconfigured such that from my perspective it just worked.

But dos games don’t work for the big screen typically, obviously no pad support. It would be glorious if someday the art had progressed to such a point that such support was added via whatever super future tool is in use.

I would also like to see later PC emulation engines. And a rom scene equivalent for PC games that happened between the time of dos and now. /ramble rant.

For me, dos games happened along side the retro consoles. So I’ve always felt like one machine was “missing.” Seeing a dosbox core in retroarch made me happy even if I haven’t used it for fear of configuration complexity and the knowledge that it’s pointless in my use case because I have the launchbox folder and don’t honestly play these games much anyway XD

Still, please do keep this up and good luck!