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Question on Datpacker superseeding files

Started by City Builder, September 09, 2009, 11:29:21 AM

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City Builder

Hello,

I wanted to ensure that I don't have any duplicate plugins for my plugins folder so here is what I did.

1. Took every plugin file out of their orignal installed folder and placed them in a folder named New Plugins.
2. Anytime that a duplicate file would appear, I would replace the original (i never allowed windows to make a second copy of the original, I always replaced the originals).

This left one large folder (New Plugins) with all 6,000++ plugins files in just one large folder so as to ensure that there were no duplicate files.

I then created alphabetic folders like A-C and D-G etc, and placed all the plugins by alphabetical order into the corresponding folders (example, a file named simgoober_tower_of_hades.dat would go into the S-V folder that I created).

I then ran Datpacker on the new folders and the plugins that were inside of each folder.

That's the history, now the question(s)....

I still get a huge amount of notices in datpacker 2008 that tells me that such and such file is usless and has been superseeded in xxx file.

This is the part I don't get, if I don't have any duplicate files (that I know of after doing the above steps) then how can there be newer plugins found since there are to my knowledge no duplicates?

Thanks,

P.S. I'm really just trying to eliminate any duplicates while trying to pack them all so that my menus load faster etc, but I want to ensure that I've got all the plugins actually packed at the end of the packing process and that datpacker hasn't left any out saying they've been superseeded (or in my mind, that means there are newer files found in another file).
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SC4BOY

The data that is being "superceded" can have reasons for being duplicated.. for example it is used by 2 lot'ers who packed it into their lot or whatever. That is part of the reason bat'ers are moving to "megapacks". In all likelyhood you have old packages that do have dup's in them.. There is no reason to worry about it since when they are packed only the last instance of the information is in the final compressed file. Whether this is good or not is not determined by whether it was a duplicate, but whether it was outdated or incomplete info where it "bad" file was after the "good" file.. if there is a "good" file. The fact is you will only have a good "packed" file when your plugins files are CLEAN, UP TO DATE, and WITH PROPER DEPENDENCIES, etc.. The compressed file is only as good as your plugins directory... You may feel like you're dodging the bullet, but there is no substiture for just wading in and cleaning up your plugins files.. Of course if you are operating on OLD regions, and if the plugins worked before, then the plugins_compressed should work with those old regions.. Archive it for use on that region.. But for all future work, start and properly maintain your plugins folder.

City Builder

Ok, thanks for that informaition.

I didn't realize that datpacker was actually reading the dat, model, or whatever other files it packs, I figure it was simply reading the names of the files and going by that.

Great idea about keeping my existing large plugin folder for my older regions and starting new plugin folders for my new regions.  This time around I guess I'll be a whole lot more choosey in what I download and only download those things that I'm going to use in my new regions.

Much appreciated for the explanation.
When your tired of games of destruction, come to CityBuilderGames.com to discuss games of Construction!
Oh!  Thanks for the negative rep, I love you too!