The other advantage is that you can easily view and modify your data files by hand, if you get the urge to do so. This page describes the syntax of the three file types. You will first probably want to read the Stand-Up Data Files page, which is a simple introduction to the three file types which Stand-Up creates:
If you haven't read the Stand-Up Data Files page, then you should probably do so, before going any further.
Each file has their own syntax.
They each have some common concepts.
Each of the special commands is valid for only one file type. The following sections describe the specific special commands, and the issue definition syntax for each file type.
Note that all commands are case-insensitive, but by convention are shown with an uppercase initial character.
If you are looking at the source code, you will find the reading and writing code for Template and User Data Files in:
The reading and writing code for Index Files is in:java\standup\parse\Title.java java\standup\parse\Issue.java
java\standup\parse\Index.java
Line Syntax | Description |
---|---|
/Name <name> |
Defines the name of the title. Otherwise the title name is the file name. |
/Date <YYYYMM> <step> |
Defines a cover date (Year and Month) for the following issue.
The step is one of the following integer values:
1 = Weekly 2 = Two Weekly 3 = Monthly 4 = Two Monthly 5 = Quarterly 6 = Six Monthly 7 = Annual |
/Date |
A /Date command with no parameters indicates the end of a date sequence. |
/Flags <any-flag> |
Indicates something about this title. Currently, the only recognised flag is "INFO_IS_CODE", which indicates that the Issue Code may be rather cryptical, and where possible, the Issue Information should be displayed in full, rather than the short code. |
/HTML <any-text> |
This is abitrary text which is associated with the title. Multiple /HTML lines may be present, and each one is concatenated to produce a multi-line text value. |
/Credit <who=what> |
This command associates a Credit with the preceeding issue. This indicates that the person ("who") performed ("what") task on the issue. Up to six credits may be associated with an issue. |
<code> [Value [Info]] |
A line without a leading "/" character must define an issue. The
Issue Code must be present. This may be a number, or non-numeric.
By convention, upper case characters are used for non-numeric names. An optional Near Mint Value may be specified. This must begin with a "$" sign. My apologies, but the fact of the matter is that nearly all comics valuation guides are in U.S. Dollars. An optional Information String may be added. This could be the story title, or extra information, such as "First Hobgoblin Appearance", etc. If the Info String is specified, then the NM Value must be present too, although it can be the special value "$0.00" which indicates "unknown". |
Example: (spiderman_mysterio_manifesto.tem)
# # This file defines the three issues in the 2001 Mysterio Manifesto L.S. # /Name Spider-Man: Mysterio Manifesto /Date 200101 3 1 $0.00 Jack's Back /Credit Editor=Ralph Macchio /Credit Writer=Tom DeFalco /Credit Pencils=Lee Weeks /Credit Inker=Bob McLeod 2 $0.00 Even The Dead Can Lie /Credit Editor=Ralph Macchio /Credit Writer=Tom DeFalco /Credit Pencils=Lee Weeks /Credit Inker=Bob McLeod 3 $0.00 False Truths /Credit Editor=Ralph Macchio /Credit Writer=Tom DeFalco /Credit Pencils=Lee Weeks /Credit Inker=Bob McLeod #This template file defines a title, "Spider-Man: Mysterio Manifesto". It contains three issues, numbered 1 through 3. The first issue had cover date January 2001, and the following issues had consecutive monthly dates (step 3).
For each issue, the Editor, Writer, Penciller and Inker is credited.
Line Syntax | Description |
---|---|
<code> <grade> [Comment] |
A line without a leading "/" character must define an issue. The
Issue Code must be present. This may be a number, or non-numeric.
By convention, upper case characters are used for non-numeric names. The issue code must exactly match (including case) an entry in the corresponding Template File for this title. A grade must be specified for this code. This is one of the following permitted grade abbreviations. No other values are permitted. Grade abbreviations are case-insensitive, but upper case is used by convention.
? = Owned, Ungraded R = Reprint PR = Poor FR = Fair G = Good VG = Very Good FN = Fine F/VF = Fine/Very Fine VF = Very Fine NM = Near Mint M/NM = Mint/Near Mint M = Mint
|
Example: (spiderman_mysterio_manifesto.dat)
# # This file defines the copies I own from the 2001 Mysterio Manifesto L.S. # 1 NM 2 VF Negligable spine crease, almost NM 3The files are generally much simpler than the template files. This shows that I have the first two issues, but not the third. The second issue has a slight spine crease, which I have noted, and has a lower grade.#
Index files assign a structure for referencing the Titles which are defined by your Template and User Data Files:
Line Syntax | Description |
---|---|
/Collection <name> |
Defines a Collection, which consists of the subsequent Cards. |
/Card <name> |
Defines a Card, which references the subsequent Titles. |
/TitleRef <title> [refName] |
Adds a Title Reference to the preceeding card. A Title Reference is (quite reasonably) a reference to a title. A single Title may be referenced by more than one card. A Title Reference may refer to the entirity of a title, or may use a Filter to refer to only some of the Issue Codes which a Title contains. |
/Filter <filter-string> |
Applies a filter to the preceeding title reference. A filter is a comma separated list of the Issue Codes from the Title which the Title Reference wishes to refer to. If there is no Filter for a Title Reference, then the Card will contain a reference to the entire Title. |
Example: (default.idx)
# # A very simple index file for an example. # /Collection Marvel /Card Spider-Man /TitleRef spiderman_amazing /TitleRef spiderman_web /TitleRef spiderman_spectacular /Card Spider-Man Crossovers /TitleRef xmen_uncanny /Filter 17,35 /TitleRef marvel_treasury /Filter 1 /Card Marvel Treasury /TitleRef marvel_treasury /Collection DC /Card Superman /TitleRef superman /TitleRef superman_adventures /Card Superman Crossovers /TitleRef marvel_treasury /Filter 1 #This defines two Collections, with the following structure...
Collection: "Marvel" Card: "Spider-Man" (Amazing Spider-Man) (Web of Spider-Man) (Spectacular Spider-Man) Card: "Spider-Man Crossovers" (Uncanny X-Men #17, #35) (Marvel Treasury #1) Card: "Marvel Treasury" (Marvel Treasury) Collection: "DC" Card: "Superman" (Superman) (Superman Adventures) Card: "Superman Crossovers" (Marvel Treasury #1)If this isn't very clear, then maybe you should have a look at the Concepts Page, which outlines the relationships between Titles, Indexes, Collections, Cards, and Title References.
This index file assumes that you wish to index the following titles, "spiderman_amazing", "spiderman_web", "spiderman_spectacular", "xmen_uncanny", "marvel_treasury", "superman", and "superman_adventures".
The index doesn't create any of those titles. The titles must be defined by files "spiderman_amazing.tem", etc. which will be in a "templates" directory. The list of which issues and grades you own for each of these titles are defined in "spiderman_amazing.dat", in the "user" directory, etc.