Pandora Pnd File Restrictions

[streak]

Is there any PND file format restrictions? [ for example fixed "sysid" or "volume label" ]

 

[Squidge]

Just needs to be an uncompressed iso followed by optional (but recommended) pxml and completely optional icon. If the pxml isn't appended, the iso is searched for the pxml, which will obviously take a little longer.

 

[streak]

Just needs to be an uncompressed iso followed by optional (but recommended) pxml and completely optional icon. If the pxml isn't appended, the iso is searched for the pxml, which will obviously take a little longer.

So if will be not appended it will work aswell, right? Maybe we could stay with not appended ISO files but with PXML inside. Maybe it takes a while to fileseek but it will be clear to edit file with any ISO editor. Appended file will be like "garbage" for ISO editors.

 

[BackAssward]

What about the option of having the iso and pxml (and maybe icon) all in the same path (with the same name for ease)? That way the ISO is still readable by editors and the search is fast because the pxml isn`t in the ISO.

edit: stupid single quotes

 

[streak]

What about the option of having the iso and pxml (and maybe icon) all in the same path (with the same name for ease)? That way the ISO is still readable by editors and the search is fast because the pxml isn't in the ISO.

I think this is the best option, for now. Any other ideas?

 

[Squidge]

PND files have been talked about a LOT, and eventually got frozen on March 3rd so that all relevent coding could take place. Therefore, changes are no longer being taken.

There's no reason to edit the pxml or the iso once they have been built. If you produce a new version, then you'll be creating a new .PND anyway. It's recommended to append the pxml to the iso for speed (much faster for the tools to find it than searching the entire iso, as theres no iso parsing, and mounting each iso to find the pxml would be far too slow).

If you really want to use an ISO editor for some reason, then most (if not all) will ignore the appended data due to the iso specification.

 

[Kramy]

Just needs to be an uncompressed iso followed by optional (but recommended) pxml and completely optional icon. If the pxml isn't appended, the iso is searched for the pxml, which will obviously take a little longer.

Does that mean creating an ISO with imgburn, then appending with...
CODE
COPY /b file.iso+file.pxml+file.png file.pnd

...would work in Windows?

 

[sindbad]

Yes, if copy on windows is analogous to cat on unix.

 

[Squidge]

Yes, if copy on windows is analogous to cat on unix.

Almost, if you specify a single destination but multiple sources, the files are appended.

You could also just do: TYPE file.pxml >>file.iso
and then just rename the resulting file (or output as .pnd instead of .iso to start with)
which means you don't have to copy a possibly multimegabyte file when it's unlikely your going to use the .iso again.

 

[skeezix]

For now the icon must be a .png file (it likely works with others too, but thats our 'spec' so far.)

The PXML.xml should be appended; it is bad form not to. However, being that the iso is uncompressed and should contain the PXML.xml file in it somewhere, the reverse scan (end of file towards front) will eventually find it. The reason for appending it is because it wil lbe very fast to find regardless of the size of the iso.. people might well pack up 50MB iso's (or hundreds of MBs for CD images..) so seeking through that would be highly tedious and make users wait But, the design is clever.. if no PXML appended, it'll get found _eventually_ unless there is no PXML at all, and that is defined as error.

Icon is defined as 'everything after the PXML.xml' (</PXML>) so don't append random crap

jeff