error loading visual pinball database

[slydog43]

I wrote a little program to rename all of my tables from a database that I use to keep track of table name, desc, year, etc.

I now use the format: desc (Manu)(Year)(Author)(Version). It can go up to 255 but I think my max is about 120 characters.

I get an error when starting Pinballx when loading database.

18:37:43.0 1/14/2014: Loading Database: Visual Pinball

18:37:43.0 1/14/2014: Error. Exiting

18:37:43.0 1/14/2014: Argument 'Length' must be greater or equal to zero.

18:37:43.0 1/14/2014: at Microsoft.VisualBasic.Strings.Mid(String str, Int32 Start, Int32 Length)

18:37:43.0 1/14/2014: at PinballX.Main.a(String A_0, String A_1, String A_2, Boolean A_3, String A_4, String A_5)

18:37:43.0 1/14/2014: at PinballX.Main.b(String A_0, String A_1, String A_2)

18:37:43.0 1/14/2014: at PinballX.Main.b(Boolean A_0, Boolean A_1, Boolean A_2)

18:37:43.0 1/14/2014: at PinballX.Main..ctor()

18:37:43.0 1/14/2014: Disposing Plugins

18:37:43.0 1/14/2014: Showing Taskbar

18:37:43.0 1/14/2014: Unhiding Mouse Cursor

any ideas?

my database is attached

Visual Pinball.xml

[zeenon]

I'm reading this off an iPad so the translation of the .xml may be wrong but shouldn't the xml be in this format:

<game name="Back to the Future 1.02 Ultra (Data East 1990) ZED">

<description>Back to the Future (Data East 1990)</description>

<manufacturer>Data East</manufacturer>

<year>1990</year>

<type>SS</type>

</game>

Do you need quotes around "desc"?

Z

[slydog43]

I think the format is correct, I have been using it for a while. I have been cutting out large sections to try and find the offending line(s), but it does not seem to behave the same everytime. I cut out 1 letter at a time and pinballx started loading when I got to X (I cut out A-W), so I thought the offending entries where in the W's somewhere, but when I cut out W-Z, pinball x does NOT load.

[zeenon]

Disregard what I said above, broswing in Safari cut out all the tags.

So the format is correct, I copied a block of you code into my xml and it starts PBX. Maybe a limitation on the # of tables you can have in one xml??? (I thought 340 was the limit on Game Manager but there was no limit on editing the xml manually). Maybe Tom can jump in and verify.

Z

[zeenon]

Ok I see two errors:

<game name="STTNG_VP91x_v1.2.1FS_nightmod(Williams)(1993)(Inkochnito

<game name="Star_Wars_VP9_Mod_FS_v1.2(Data East)(1992)(JPsalas

I'm looking at this in Notepad ++ and the carriage returns are wrong. Let me know if you see the same.

Z

[zeenon]

Try this.....(620 Tables)

Visual Pinball.xml

[slydog43]

incredible, works fine. thanks. What was the problem? I need to fix the weird chars in my database I guess too. Very curious. THANKS

[zeenon]

I saw three errors, the two above and this one:

<game name="World Cup Soccer 94(Midway)(1994)(GetMoreSun)(1.0.5)">
<description>World Cup Soccer(Midway)(1994)(GetMoreSun)(1.0.5)</description>

too many spaces before the GetMoreSun was crashing PBX. (Oh and one of your tables is EP instead of EM but that wasn't the issue here)

I didn't see any weird characters like !@#$#%^&* which is what I thought it was.

Z

[slydog43]

what did you use to find those errors as I thought I changed them, but still same problem. Will double check again. Just currious how you found the errors so fast?

Thanks this was driving me nuts!

[zeenon]

I used notepad ++ and just scrolled through your xml file fast and picked out the first two errors. The second one took me about 5 minutes because I was searching for special characters (not spaces), then I scrolled through again and found the extra spaces.

Z

[slydog43]

thanks again for your help zeenon, I have cleaned up my database and everything is working great again. Where in NJ are you located? I'm in Lake hopatcong. We should get together and play a little pinball and VP.

[zeenon]

I'm right in Somerset, NJ off Rt 202. Now that the holidays are over, we should get together. I'm always up for playing a little pinball and shooting the breeze

Check you PM too

Z

[B2K24]

I really wish there was some sort of "official" description database or spreadsheet listed somewhere. I always see so many inconsistencies depending on what site I DL tables from.

inconsistencies like

Bally (1992)

Midway (1992)

Then it's worse if *the* is in the title of the table

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends (Data East 1993)

Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends (Data East 1993)

Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle & Friends (Data East 1993)

makes me wanna tear my hair out.

I wish PBX or some tool had the capability of you point it to the folder with all your tables and it parses all information from the .vpt name/script or some database then creates for you a visual pinball.xml all ready to go so everyone can be using the same information.