SIDManager V1.2 Readme ---------------------- 1. Introduction 2. Using SIDManager 3. Errors and Problems 4. FAQ 5. To Do List & Revisions 6. Credits 7. Further Information 8. Legal Stuff 1. Introduction ---------------- SIDManager, the SIDTune management utility: integrate all the information on your SIDTune collection; simply and easily generate PlayLists that can be played dynamically by SIDPlay. This is my first real attempt at Visual Basic, so I am learning all the time. Consequently it may take a while for the program to mature. In the meantime, please be patient. 2. Using SIDManager ------------------- The main Help.htm file contains the basics of how to use SIDManager. This section covers the more technical issues. 2.1 Files Required The main SIDManager files are contained in the SIDManager.zip file. These are: SIDManager.exe - the main executable. Readme.txt - you've probably guessed by now what this is. TotalSIDs.nul - an empty database, the template for the main database. Help/* - The help files. Once SIDManager is up and running and all the administrative functions have been carried out, some more files will exist: SIDManager.ini - the settings for SIDManager; tamper at your peril. Tunedata.als - the AllSIDs file, containing information about all the SIDFiles in the collection. TotalSIDs.mdb - a standard Access 7.0 database containing all the data that has been integrated from the different sources. It is this file that is the main file that SIDManager manipulates during operation. Because SIDManager was written in Visual Basic 6.0 there are certain other files that are required. These are described in more detail in 2.2 below. 2.2 Installing SIDManager If you have the full installation package then just run Setup.exe and follow the instructions. If you have the basic package then just unzip the files into a folder (crossing fingers that all the VB6 files are in place). Ensure that you maintain the folder structure. The additional files that are installed by the full installation package are: MSVBVM60.DLL - placed in the Windows\System folder. OLEAUT32.DLL - placed in the Windows\System folder. OLEPRO32.DLL - placed in the Windows\System folder. ASYCFILT.DLL - placed in the Windows\System folder. STDOLE2.TLB - placed in the Windows\System folder. COMCAT.DLL - placed in the Windows\System folder. DAO350.DLL - placed in the Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\DAO folder. MSCOMCTL.OCX - placed in the Windows\System folder. COMDLG32.OCX - placed in the Windows\System folder. MSCOMCT2.OCX - placed in the Windows\System folder. 2.3 Uninstalling SIDManager I don't understand why you would ever want to do a thing like that, but if you do then it depends how you installed it. If you used the full installation then you need to uninstall it from the Add/Remove Programs bit of the Control Panel. This will not remove the files that are generated dynamically, but they can just be deleted in the normal way. Alternatively, if you did a manual installation then you just need to delete the SIDManager folder. 3. Errors and Problems ----------------------- 3.1. Errors during Startup/Shutdown Most errors during Startup and Shutdown are as a result of problems with the sidmanager.ini file. Deleting that file should hopefully solve the problem. If it doesn't then try following the general error procedure below. 3.2. General Errors If you get an error message that is not for an obvious reason (i.e. not because you tried something silly) then the following should be attempted in order to solve the problem: 1st. Delete the sidmanager.ini file. 2nd. Delete the totalsids.mdb file. 3rd. Delete the tunedata.als file. 4th. Reinstall the whole programme. Also, check that you have all the necessary dll files installed and that they are the latest versions. So far, SIDManager has only been tested with Windows 98 SE, so any problems related to other operating systems are currently unknown. If these steps don't work then there is probably an incompatibility with something or other. Please e-mail me with any problems that you discover and I will attempt to fix them in future versions. 3.3. ERROR: Could not open file for binary input This is an error that is produced when SIDPlay does not recognise the SIDTune that is being loaded. The most likely cause of the error is one or more incorrect settings for the different folder locations in the Options screen. 3.4. Timings File Problems I came across the Timings file (currently HVSC 3.9 Songlengths MD5 DB Release 1) at the SIDPlay HomePage (http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/5147). It wasn't in a format that was ideal for what I wanted (it was in .gz format for a start, which made things a bit fiddly), but when saved as a single text file it can be used to produce that oh-so-important list of timings. However, in order to make the code (reasonably) resilient to any variations in formatting, style, etc. it is not possible to detect that the format of the file is OK. There are two ways to spot problems. Firstly, no timings are added. Secondly, things go all screwy. Fortunately I haven't yet discovered any cases of the latter. Because of this limitation I would advise that you exercise care when using timing files. I will keep a (reasonably) up to date timing file on my web site that should work, though you may well get good results from the original version - that's how I did it. [The code looks for a line starting with a semi-colon (;), generating a filename. The next line is then read and colons (:) looked for repeatedly. For each colon that is found a timing is created based on the characters on either side of the colon. The filename is then used to locate a match with an entry in the database. Not the most elegant solution, and some useful data is ignored, but it does work...] 3.5 Problem with STIL Author Names There are some entries in the STIL that cause problems because the composer is written in the format [folder name]/[folder name] e.g. Drax/Worktunes. At the moment any comments related to these composers are ignored (but only the composer comments, not any Tune or Song comments). This is because the database can only cope with a composer name that equates to a top-level folder i.e. just [folder name]. If I think of a way to fix the problem then I will do something about it, in the meantime you'll just have to read the comments in the error log (Merge_Data_Errors.log). 3.6 Songs with Multiple STIL Blocks If a Song has multiple STIL blocks associated with it (e.g. /20CC/1988_Top_40_MEGAMIX.sid #1) then the information is concatenated together in the various database entries (e.g. The artist is 'Level 42 + Salt 'n Pepa + ... + Bomb the Bass'). The effect of this is that the different fields become mismatched (e.g. the comment field is 'Based on the version sung by Kylie Minogue.' which only corresponds to the 'I should be so lucky' part of the Song, not the whole thing!). This may or may not be fixed in future versions (why make things totally predictable?). 3.7 The Normal/Random and Repeat Issue PlayLists are supposed to playback either in Normal or Random mode, or to Repeat. Having played around with this feature, it appears that it doesn't work in either current or last versions of SIDPlay/w (although it is OK if a Format 1 PlayList is used). I've left the functionality in SIDManager even though it doesn't work at the moment. All comments to the usual address. 3.8 Saving in Format 1 Although SIDManager is not yet able to save PlayLists in Format 1, the latest version of SIDPlay can. So if this is important to you, just play your PlayList and then save it from SIDPlay. 4. FAQ ------- The main FAQ is on the website. This FAQ is intended to address more technical questions that are only relevant once you actually come to use SIDManager. 4.1 Does SIDManager add lots of stuff to the Registry? No. SIDManager relies on the SIDManager.ini file to maintain itself. I prefer my applications to be self contained. The only exception to this is if you use the full installation, in which case the Setup program does its own thing and adds the basic installation/uninstallation information to the Registry. This *should* be deleted if you ever decide to uninstall SIDManager. 4.2 HVSC has been updated. What should I do? At the moment it is necessary to rebuild the database from scratch (i.e. Build Tunedata, Merge Data, Merge Timings). For this reason IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT, AT THE MOMENT, YOU DO NOT MAKE ANY MANUAL CHANGES IN THE DATABASE as they will all be lost when you rebuild. It is my intention to create a mechanism to allow updates to be carried out in a way that does not result in a loss of data. Keep checking the website for new versions. 4.3 Can I pass a copy of SIDManager to my chums or put it on my website? You are welcome to distribute SIDManager as you see fit so long as you don't do anything naughty like claim credit for it, tamper with the code, infect it with viruses, etc. However, if you want to make it available for download then please link to my files page rather than the files themselves - that way I can ensure that people get all the information they need to get SIDManager up and running. 5. To Do List & Revisions -------------------------- 5.1 To Do - Add ability to associate .spl files with SIDManager. - Add a search facility. - Add the facility to cope with HVSC updates. - Allow cancelling during processing. - Find a better way of dealing with the NAME and TITLE fields in the STIL. - Add Copyright info to database. - Allow choice of columns to displayed/hidden. - Save Format 1 (i.e. old format PlayLists). - Improved handling of multiple STIL entries for a single Song. - Keyboard shortcuts. - Resolve the Normal/Random and Repeat issue. - Implement resizing vertically as well as horizontally. 5.2 Revisions V1.2, 06 Jan 2001 - Added to RMB menus on the PlayList so that the details of the selected song can be viewed. Also added 'Select All', Ctrl-A can also be used. Note that the Time and Fade are not displayed when this is done as it can be quite slow. Other selection methods will display the Time and Fade. - Improved other RMB Menus. - Added Double-click functionality to Lists. - Got rid of test for string 'hvsid' before loading Build TuneData screen. - SIDManager no longer crashes if you have SIDFiles in the top-level HVSC folder - an author called "\" is created to hold them. - Recently used files list should now work properly. V1.1, 04 Jan 2001 - Added ability to load Format 1 PlayLists. - Minor interface improvements. - Improved help file. V1.0, 03 Jan 2001 - The first release, so not much in the way of revisions. 6. Credits ----------- In no particular order, the most credit and thanks must go to the following: Michael Schwendt - for the original SIDPlay. Adam Lorentzon - for SIDPlay/Windows (and some icons that I 'borrowed'). All those great SID composers - for making all this worthwhile. The SIDTune rippers - for allowing me to nostalge (a real word?) about my youth. The documenters, organisers, finders - for building the historical record. The HVSC crew - for bringing it all together. Nick - for getting me started. Richard - for assistance with Visual Basic. Marv - for selling me a broken Spectrum all those years ago, which meant I had to upgrade to a C-64 almost immediately. 7. Further Information ----------------------- Further information about SIDManager can be obtained from the help file, or from the SIDManager Web Page. You could even e-mail me. Other useful sources of information are: The SIDPlay HomePage - http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/5147/ The SIDPlay for Windows Page - http://www.student.nada.kth.se/~d93-alo/c64/spw/ The High Voltage SIDs Collection Page. - http://www.hvsc.c64.org/ Lemon - http://www.lemon64.com/ 8. Legal Stuff --------------- GERNTHSOFT TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY UNWANTED RESULTS, PERSONAL INJURY, LOSS OF DATA, OR EQUIPMENT DAMAGE DUE TO THE USE AND/OR MISUSE OF SIDMANAGER. SIDMANAGER IS NOT DESIGNED, MANUFACTURED OR INTENDED FOR USE IN HAZARDOUS ENVIRONMENTS REQUIRING FAIL-SAFE PERFORMANCE, SUCH AS IN THE OPERATION OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES, AIRCRAFT NAVIGATION OR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, DIRECT LIFE SUPPORT MACHINES, SHIPS, SUBMARINES OR WEAPONS SYSTEMS, IN WHICH THE INCORRECT PLAYING OF A SIDTUNE OR ERRONEOUS OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE COULD LEAD DIRECTLY TO DEATH, PERSONAL INJURY, SEVERE PHYSICAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE, MENTAL INCAPACITY, WAR, FLOOD, FAMINE, PESTILENCE, A SLIGHT FEELING OF DREAD IN THE PIT OF THE STOMACH, EARACHE, OVERWHELMING NOSTALGIA, OR ANYTHING ELSE NOT VERY PLEASANT. YOU USE THIS PROGRAM ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://members.tripod.co.uk/SIDManager/ sidmanager@tripod.co.uk (c) GernthSoft 2001.