Wiki Formatting for File Types

[Sunrunner_Charina]

I've begun dumping large amounts of data from my personal notes onto the Wiki, including pretty much writing the .MGN and .MSH file types and 'forms' pages from scratch, as well as an expansive re-write of the Interchange File Format page.

One thing I noticed while doing this, is that the structures contained in the file types are often referred to as 'forms', probably because the 'FORM' structure is the most common one found in Galaxies IFF files. Unfortunately, these structures are actually called 'chunks' in the IFF standard, and the 'FORM' is just one TYPE of chunk.

This even extends to the detail pages for file types, the '<filetype> Forms' pages.

To clarify the difference, I'd like to start migrating the information contained in various 'forms' into better-named 'chunks' pages (E.G., '<filetype> Chunks'). As part of this, I'd like to also create a new category, 'Detailed Chunk Pages', to which all '<filetype> Chunks' pages will belong. In addition, I'd like to go through the existing file-types pages and edit ambiguous use of the term 'form' into the more appropriate 'chunk', while detailing which chunks are actual 'forms'.

Current file-types pages serve as a concise general overview of the purpose and structure of the files in Galaxies. The '<filetype> Chunks (currently, Forms)' pages should provide more detailed information on the data within those files, with the purpose of helping people write tools to interact with those files. As part of my changes, I'd like to make the purpose of the File-types category page clearer in it's description, and use that description to link anyone interested in the details over to the 'chunks' pages.

I envision MTG as a potentially excellent source of information on the way the Galaxies client behaves. With SOE's Galaxies ending, the various EMU servers are going to explode in popularity, and the wiki could become the #1 source of information on the files the client uses, the hub to which all other modders come. I think these changes would go a long way to keeping the information clean and organized, and helping new persons interested in Modding the Galaxy to contribute new advancements, either by exploring file types, or contributing new content. I'd be willing to do the work all by myself, but I wanted to run it by you guys before I start making what could be a massive amount of changes to the Wiki.

Please, let me know what you think.

[Phoenix]

Get to work! (= I like what I read.

[DavinFelth]

Sounds absolutely awesome Char! Thanks for planning all this, make it so!

Also, let me know if you need anything or if I can help in any way

[Shempoo]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you could always backup the Wiki before the massive changes go in right? Thus allowing you to restore/revert if the need be.

[DavinFelth]

(07-27-2011 06:47 AM)Shempoo Wrote:  Correct me if I'm wrong, but you could always backup the Wiki before the massive changes go in right? Thus allowing you to restore/revert if the need be.

The wiki software has systems inbuilt for exactly this purpose, it retains a complete editing history of every single page so that any changes can be easily reverted with the click of a button in case of vandalism, incorrect edits etc.