File Naming Convention

By quick count, I have 28 routes containing 723 activities, 2118 paths, and 2694 services in my Train Simulator load. In addition, there are 3004 consists, many which are artifacts of long abandoned routes. Probably most people don't collect as much as I have but I bet you have more than you suspect. My concern is that the possibility of duplicate file names becomes a real problem at this size. Probably in the future there may be a standards organization established similar to the National Model Railroaders Association (NMRA) but that is not a reality right now.I call on those who develop activities to establish a self-imposed standard naming convention in the naming of service, path, and consist files. The consist files should have an abbreviated route and activity designator and the others should identify the activity. This would prevent someone from establishing a consist called "GP38_tank_train" that half a dozen other developers might also use on a half a dozen other routes, for example. A name such as "CAJTNK05_GP38_tank_train" would make this file much more unique and unlikely to try to overlay someone else's consist file for Marias Pass or, for that matter, another Cajon Pass activity. Even though the file name would be unique to an activity, in no way would a developer be prevented from using a path, service, or consist file that was established by someone else for another activity.

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RE: File Naming Convention, buttercup, Aug-09-03, 10:22 AM, (1) RE: File Naming Convention, kevarc, Aug-09-03, 01:35 PM, (2) RE: File Naming Convention, hughes407, Aug-09-03, 05:10 PM, (3) RE: File Naming Convention, kevarc, Aug-09-03, 05:45 PM, (4) RE: File Naming Convention, hughes407, Aug-09-03, 05:49 PM, (5) RE: File Naming Convention, kevarc, Aug-09-03, 09:58 PM, (6) RE: File Naming Convention, Hobart, Aug-09-03, 10:50 PM, (7)

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Routes: 140
Activities: 1,173
Services: 3,587
Consists: 3,632
Stock Items:
Engines: 1,760
Wagons: 3,502
Total: 5,262
RegardsEric

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Ah, no. I use consists in more than one route - Cajon and TH2 for example. In the past I have not been to concerned with naaming conventions for consists. Lately I have changed that and use the RR as the 1st set of letters in a consist. i.e. - SPmainifest would be a Southern Spacific Manifest consist. That is the way I am doing it. One thing I do though is use the same consists for AI traffic in all the activities for a specific route. I do not name then for activities. Some do and you end up with 5 or 6 of the same consists floating around in the folder with different names.Kevin Arceneaux
DEFAULT IS FOR DUMMIES
Lone Wolf Activities Forum on www.3DTrains.com

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Kevin, there is no reason why a file name will prevent anyone from using a consist file in any route or activity regardless of the first two or three letters in the file name. The same argument applies to path and service files within a particular route. An example of a problem I'm trying to address is two developers each creating a file named "Wash_Phil.pat" for two activities on the NEC where one wants to start on Track 5 and the other on Track 7 in Union Station. Whichever gets downloaded last overlays the first unless the user says to not overlay the file. Either way, one of the activities may not work correctly and the poor user isn't going to have a clue why. He sees that all the files required are in place just where he expects them to be. He can only assume that the so-and-so activity developer didn't test his activity.Don Hughes

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LAST EDITED ON Aug-09-03 AT 05:47 PM (EDT)

NOIf someone is creating paths and services that over write one of mine, then there is a serious problem. I probably use the longest file names of anyone here, esp with my new stuff. He would have to get up pretty early in the morning to come up with the screwy ones I do. But if you would take a look at them you would see that they are very discriptive of what the path or service is. I do this more for my sanity that anything else. This keeps things striaght on what is what. The other would not. You must also remember that their is no formal organization in MSTS for that. Not that I would join or follow their standards if I felt mine were better. We are a pretty independant group here. If you think about carrying on with this I would recommend that you try to herd a group of cats, I see the same amount of success. Who would make these standards? See that last sentence of the previous paragraph. And who would enforce these standards? Tell me I can't upload my packs becasue I didn't follow your ideals? BS! I don't upload my activities here any more so that will not work. I can live without the MSTS Guild's Seal of Approval for my stuff.I would like the same for file names in car and engine folders. But, I would never post and tell folks this is how you WILL do it if you want me to use your skins in my activities. I just download them and redo the names and repackage multiple dl's into a single folder for my and any other activity designer to use. I get permission first to do that.Edit
We don't get paid for things we do. The members of the NMRA do, they are commercial enterprises. You start paying me and I will do it your way.Kevin Arceneaux
DEFAULT IS FOR DUMMIES
Lone Wolf Activities Forum on www.3DTrains.com

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Very well, sir. I withdraw my comment. I have no intention of carrying on an argument on the forum.

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Don, no need for that.I was chatting with Matt Vince and he came up with a excellent idea. After the pack I am working on, it is about 80% done and I do not want to go start screwing around in them, I will start adding LWA as a prefix to all the files with an activity. That should prevent overwriting. Other activity writers, this would be a good idea for you to. Use your intials or something to identify them. And stick with it for ALL of your future activities.Kevin Arceneaux
DEFAULT IS FOR DUMMIES
Lone Wolf Activities Forum on www.3DTrains.com

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Along the same line for route builders that create their own buildings and stuff. Put POSTfixes on your .s files, like
"BigFatOutHouse_ROUTE.s". Why Postfixes? Makes hunting thru
a big pile of objects easier because the listbox is sorted alphabetically. All My stuff has prefixes and its a real pain in the kazoo to find stuff.

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