Profiler Dialog

What is the Profiler ?

This is the main dialog to receive the needed file information. Here you can manage your DatFiles, executables and settings.

There are basically two ways of stored file-information. The first one is a simple DatFile. The second one are binaries which support options to create a datfile. So e.g. when a new binary is released you don't have to create a DatFile or wait till someone does that for you, you can simply use the executable to get the needed data. clrmamepro handles both types. Normal DatFiles and so called exe-based-DatFile. An exe-based DatFile is simply a different word for 'I'm using a binary to get my file information'. clrmamepro creates pseudo DatFiles for such binaries in clrmamepro's DatFile folder. So...from now on we have DatFiles and exe-based-DatFiles.

DatFiles ? SettingsFile ?

(exe based) DatFile are the files with the file information. Each DatFile has a corresponding SettingsFile which is stored in clrmamepro's Settings folder. DatFiles and SettingsFiles have the same filename but different extensions. DatFile extensions are normally *.dat and SettingsFiles have a *.cmp extension. clrmamepro stores all its settings (Paths, Scanner options, etc.) in that SettingsFile. If you use a new DatFile you can create a default SettingsFile for it or update an earlier used SettingsFile. Read more about that below (Loading / Updating). SettingsFile can be viewed/edited with a common texteditor. clrmamepro automatically saves the SettingsFile when leaving clrmamepro and when leaving or entering the Profiler.

I've downloaded a DatFile...How can I use it ?

There are 3 ways to use a datfile:

  1. Put the DatFile in clrmamepro's datfiles folder
  2. You can drag & drop datfiles in the profiler window, too. They will be copied to clrmamepro's datfile folder. You can also drag & drop zipfiles with datfiles. If the zipfile has more than one datfile in it, you will see a list of datfiles and you can pick one or more of them. Zipsubfolders will be recreated in the datfilesfolder !
  3. Press the Add DAT Button. A file requester opens and you can load a zip or a dat (see 2.)

DatFiles have to be put in <clrmamepro-Folder>/DatFiles. This is the only valid folder for DatFiles. Run clrmamepro, go to the Profiler. Your DatFile should be now listed in the DatFile-list. It is not listed if it isn't a valid DatFile. If you want to use it, click on Load/Update or simply double-click it. Before you do that you should read the part about Loading / Updating below. You can use subfolders in your datfiles folder. The profiler will show the subfolder structure as well. The subfolder structures of the datfile path and the settingsfile have to be the same. New and unused DatFiles are always listed in the 'Not Used / New DatFiles' folder ! Even if they are physically stored in a datfiles subfolder !

What should I do if I want to use a binary to get the file information ?

Simply add an exe-based DatFile. First click on the Create... button. You'll see a new window. Now follow the following 3 steps

  1. enter a filename of the binary you want to use (or use the browse button to get that name)
  2. setup the executable type
  3. press 'Create DAT'

clrmamepro will ask you where to put the DatFile. Chose a folder (e.g. DatFiles Root). The DatFile list will do a refresh and you'll see your added exe-based DatFile. Now simply follow the steps for DatFiles...

The Profiler and its options:

 

DatFile List

clrmamepro scans its 'DatFiles' folder and lists all valid DatFiles (and exe-based DatFiles) in this list. If the DatFile has a description tag, clrmamepro will list the DatFile with that name. Otherwise it uses the filename. New Datfiles or not used datfiles (dats without a corresponding settingsfile) are listed in the 'not used / new datfiles' folder. Exe-based DatFiles have a different symbol (the small computer) than normal DatFiles.

The Buttons

By right-clicking a folder or profile, you can move, load, rename, delete profiles, copy datfilename, create subfolders and you can view the logfile of the currently selected profile. There is also a hide menu to hide/show grey/red/green profiles optionally. When moving profiles, you'll see a new destination directory tree. Scanfile/Logfiles/ScanDetailfiles are also moved as long as they use relative paths. There is also an option called Garbage Collection...this can be used to remove all not-used scanfiles/logfiles/scandetailfiles/settingsfiles. Little note to rename: Rename only renames the description tag in the datfile, not the datfile itself. You can even create a HTML report of your profiles (either all, current folder or currently selected profiles) by selecting the belonging popupmenu option If you want to select a specific number of profiles, you can use the popupmenu's option 'select profiles...' where you can select profiles with the help of regular expressions.

The popupmenu for folders also include options to load all profiles in the selected folder or even all profiles in all subfolders.

You can also drag&drop folders and files (including zipfiles) to add DatFiles. Drag'n drop datfiles from the list to the tree moves the files.

 

DatFile Information

clrmamepro displays various information about the currently selected DatFile in this box. Most of these information are stored within the DatFile. Like Name, Version, Author, Comments, real DatFilename, Description and a date/time stamp. You have to modify the DatFiles to change these values. CMPro's profiler shows the last used date/timestamp of the currently selected profile and how many sets and files are missing. You have to do a not-aborted scan to see the correct value. There are also 3 kind of little lights (grey, red and green) which indicate the status of the collection:

Some more options:

DatFile Errors:

Here you can chose weather or not showing DatFile problems. Check the "show common" box if you want to see the errors - like parent/clone conflicts, double descriptions, etc - which are in a -listinfo output (or a datfile). Check "show all" to see even more problems. If you don't want to see any of them, check "hide common". Normally this means that all questions will be internally answered with 'yes'. With Pro_ForbidSystemMerging (cmpro.ini), you can tell clrmamepro if it should allow/forbid merging between systems while cleaning up the datfile (while using 'hide common').

For Default Naming Use:

When you use the batch run (multiple loading of datfiles) or create a default profile, some names (scanfiles, logfile and auto-rompath) are named after:

 

Use an Emulator Binary To Create A DatFile / Add an executable-based DatFile

To use a binary as a file-information-resource you have to add an exe-based DatFile.

Loading / Updating DatFiles

So...clrmamepro needs fileset information, you've a list with DatFiles or exe-based DatFiles...now...what do you have to do to get the information which is stored in the DatFile or the exe-based-DatFile ?

Normally you only click on a listed DatFile and then click on 'Load / Update'. You can also double click the listed file to load it. That's it ? Really ? Well...in most cases. The only other possibility is that the selected DatFile doesn't have a valid SettingsFile. Remember: The datfile is listed in 'not used / new datfiles' in that case. After double-clicking (or using the "Load/Update" button), clrmamepro checks if the new datfile is an update to an old, if so, it directly asks you if you want to update your old one. If no update is available or you don't want to use that 'auto update' feature, you'll see this dialog:

So...no SettingsFile exists for the currently selected DatFile. Now you can