Old recordings URL

MJS · Post by **MJS** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 2:08 am

Does anyone know how can I retrieve the URL of previous recordings? I want to make them available in the description because as some might know... higher score isn't always better gameplay!

Thanks

LN2 · Post by **LN2** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 2:22 am

I noticed you did that with your pacland....but isn't a previous one deleted when you submit a new file for that same game?

MJS · Post by **MJS** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 3:34 am

The script says "deleting old score of ..." but the recording isn't deleted. I could do that with my pacland recording because I copied in the clipboard the old URL before uploading the new recording, but does anyone how to deduce the URL of old recordings? I don't understand how MARP organize the directory structure

Post by **mahlemiut** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 4:26 am

No zip uploaded is physically deleted from the server. The database does keep track of previous recordings, in case of deletions/zeroing.

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 4:55 am

Take the filename of the recording, without the ".zip" on the end.

Find the MD5 digest of the name. There is a generator here:
http://www.lagmonster.org/cgi-bin/encrypter.cgi

The first three hex digits of the MD5 digest are the names of the subdirectories the inp is stored in.

For example:

the recording is called:

mjs_pacland_686010_mame71.zip

the MD5 digest of

mjs_pacland_686010_mame71

in hex is:

9ebe0901ff6c04378a45f7c251ba20bf

So the inp's URL is:

http://marp.retrogames.com/inp/9/e/b/mj ... mame71.zip

John

LN2 · Post by **LN2** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 12:40 pm

mahlemiut wrote:No zip uploaded is physically deleted from the server. The database does keep track of previous recordings, in case of deletions/zeroing.

ouch...I wonder how many gobs of obsolete inp files are at the MARP server then.

maybe on the submit page when submitting the default should be the old inp file is actually deleted...instead of just removing the score...with perhaps a checkbox having as an option to save that old inp file.

It certainly would free up quite a chunk of space as I'm guessing most that upload a new inp improving over an old score really don't care if the old one is kept on the server.

As far as zeroing etc. what difference does it make if a newer inp has been uploaded? The old one is voided as far as high score and leaderboard points.

Maybe this new checkbox could be by the one where you can check the box to have your inp uploaded to the tricks page/area and not considered for a high score.

Chad · Post by **Chad** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 1:37 pm

LN2 wrote:It certainly would free up quite a chunk of space as I'm guessing most that upload a new inp improving over an old score really don't care if the old one is kept on the server.

the main reason disk space is wasted is if someone upload a 433230 score and then a 434890 score and then a 434891 score.

LN2 wrote:As far as zeroing etc. what difference does it make if a newer inp has been uploaded? The old one is voided as far as high score and leaderboard points.

Mostly it's for archival backup purposes, it's cool when someone uploads a 400k score then a 900k score then a 1100k score, it's cool to have a record of how well someone progressed (i guess only the scores are necesary to mark improvement, but with inps you could compare techniques learned or unlearned from different scores.)

LN2 wrote:Maybe this new checkbox could be by the one where you can check the box to have your inp uploaded to the tricks page/area and not considered for a high score.

cool idea but still requires a page redesign.

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 1:46 pm

LN2 wrote:As far as zeroing etc. what difference does it make if a newer inp has been uploaded? The old one is voided as far as high score and leaderboard points.

If one submits a higher score for a game that one already has a recording uploaded, and the membership winds up deciding to remove the newer submission because they don't approve of some technique used, shouldn't the older recording be allowed to stand, assuming that it did not also use the (now) illegal technique?

John

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 1:56 pm

Chad wrote:the main reason disk space is wasted is if someone upload a 433230 score and then a 434890 score and then a 434891 score.

Well I have resisted on occasion uploading a score that wasn't enough of an improvement, but wouldn't it suck if you had a high score at 400k, and didn't bother to upload a score of 402k for this reason, then someone comes along and does 401k, after your time limit to upload. (Aren't inp's supposed to be upped within 48 hours or something?)

Chad wrote:it's cool to have a record of how well someone progressed

We can't see it though. Unless we have the exact filename, we have no way of knowing where it's stored, or even that it exists.

John

MJS · Post by **MJS** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 2:29 pm

Weehawk wrote:We can't see it though. Unless we have the exact filename, we have no way of knowing where it's stored, or even that it exists.

That's why I want to make them available in the description. BTW, thanks for the detailed explanation. Needless to say, I am against the removal of recordings with lower score.

MJS · Post by **MJS** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 2:56 pm

Thanks again John.. it works perfectly. Now I wonder why didn't they make only one subdirectory instead of three? It doesn't really matter, but I am curious!

What I mean is: why /9/e/b instead of /9eb

Weehawk · Post by **Weehawk** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 3:05 pm

MJS wrote:What I mean is: why /9/e/b instead of /9eb

Because that would create 4096 subdirectories in the inp directory.

This way it just has 16, and each of them has 16...and each of them has 16.

That's sort of the whole point of subdirectories.

John

MJS · Post by **MJS** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 3:06 pm

One more thing (I never post anything and now I flood the board

) I encourage everyone to do the same... or find a way to do this automatically I don't know. That's all, bye!

MJS · Post by **MJS** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 3:13 pm

Weehawk wrote:
MJS wrote:What I mean is: why /9/e/b instead of /9eb
Because that would create 4096 subdiectories in the inp directory.

This way it just has 16, and each of them has 16...and each of them has 16.

That's sort of the whole point of subdirectories.

John

Understood

Buttermaker · Post by **Buttermaker** » Mon Aug 11, 2003 4:49 pm

Aren't inp's supposed to be upped within 48 hours or something?

no