[Tutorial] DATutil

[Nachtgarm]

Introduction

Since there are always questions coming up about how to create "filtered" DAT files from an original DAT file, I'll explain below on how to do that with the command line tool DatUtil on an Example.

Scroll to the end for the most common used strings

Description

DatUtil is a command line tool, which lets you edit and adjust DAT files in several different ways. It can handle DAT files of any size, which makes it more comfortable and more usable than DatWorkshop Pro

Example

• You want to create a DAT file which ONLY includes NeoGeo Games.
• Additional, this file shall ONLY include the parent roms (no Clones).
• In this example we're using the "MAME - ROMs (v0.176_XML).dat"

Content

The tool comes with a readme.txt, which is, in my humble opinion, quite unclear.

In the following, you can see the important partof the readme.txt:

Defaults:
fix merging (used to be the -m option)
remove duplicate ROMs/disks/samples

Saving:
-f output format (listinfo, listxml, romcenter2, delimited, sublist, etc)
-q always use quotes around strings (only applies to listinfo output)
-k keep as much information as possible from the source file
-j Nebula Jukebox - only load Z80 and Sample ROMs from romdata
-o output to file
-a append to file
-t test mode - no data file is actually saved (just loaded and cleansed)

Header text:
-A author
-V version
-C category
-R ref name
-F full name (i.e. description)
-T date
-E e-mail
-H homepage
-U url
-O comment
-M merging (none, split or full)
-P packing (zip or unzip)
-N nodump (obsolete, required or ignore)

Game selection:
-g individual game selection. use the @ symbol to specify a file of names
-c include clones (for use with the -g option)
-G select games from a specified sourcefile. The @ method is also supported
-S select games using substring of description. The @ method is supported
-! changes the -g, -G, -S options (including the -c option) to exclude games
-r remove clones

Cleansing:
-l lower case game names and ROM names
-s sort games by parent (sorted by parent name then game name)
-i include missing information from a 'reference' data file
-I Incorporate games from a 'supplement' data file
-X fix merging off (do not use unless you understand the consequences!)
-D remove duplicate ROMs/disks/samples (as above in terms of usage)
-p prune (remove) ROMs, disks and/or samples (e.g. '-p disk,sample')

MD5/SHA1:
-x Calculate SHA1/MD5 when scanning files or ZIPs in a directory
-m Use MD5 checksums rather than SHA1 (e.g. when using -x, -m can be used)

Information:
-v Verbose logging
-d Show debug messages

Instructions on an example

1. Copy the MAME - ROMs (v0.176_XML).dat into the DatUtil directory
2. Open CMD as administrator
3. Within CMD change into the DatUtil directory
   4.Execute the following command: datutil.exe -g neogeo -c -r -f generic -A Nachtgarm -C "Standard DatFile" -F NeoGeoOnlyNoClones -R NeoGeo_only_NO_clones -V "1.0" -o NeoGeoOnlyNoClones.dat "MAME - ROMs (v0.176_XML).dat"

The result will be a new .datwith the name NeoGeoOnlyNoClones.dat, which then can be opened in ROMulus, or clrmamepro.
Included are 159 Games and one Bios.

Here's an excerpt of the created file:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE datafile PUBLIC "-//Logiqx//DTD ROM Management Datafile//EN" "http://www.logiqx.com/Dats/datafile.dtd">
<datafile>
	<header>
		<name>NeoGeo_only_NO_clones</name>
		<description>NeoGeoOnlyNoClones</description>
		<category>Standard DatFile</category>
		<version>1.0</version>
		<author>Nachtgarm</author>
	</header>
	<game name="2020bb" romof="neogeo">
		<description>2020 Super Baseball (set 1)</description>
		<year>1991</year>
		<manufacturer>SNK / Pallas</manufacturer>
		<rom name="sp-s2.sp1" merge="sp-s2.sp1" size="131072" crc="9036d879" sha1="4f5ed7105b7128794654ce82b51723e16e389543"/>
		<rom name="sp-s.sp1" merge="sp-s.sp1" size="131072" crc="c7f2fa45" sha1="09576ff20b4d6b365e78e6a5698ea450262697cd"/>
		<rom name="sp-u2.sp1" merge="sp-u2.sp1" size="131072" crc="e72943de" sha1="5c6bba07d2ec8ac95776aa3511109f5e1e2e92eb"/>
		<rom name="sp-e.sp1" merge="sp-e.sp1" size="131072" crc="2723a5b5" sha1="5dbff7531cf04886cde3ef022fb5ca687573dcb8"/>
		<rom name="v2.bin" merge="v2.bin" size="131072" crc="62f021f4" sha1="62d372269e1b3161c64ae21123655a0a22ffd1bb"/>
		<rom name="asia-s3.rom" merge="asia-s3.rom" size="131072" crc="91b64be3" sha1="720a3e20d26818632aedf2c2fd16c54f213543e1"/>
		<rom name="vs-bios.rom" merge="vs-bios.rom" size="131072" crc="f0e8f27d" sha1="ecf01eda815909f1facec62abf3594eaa8d11075"/>
		<rom name="sp-j2.sp1" merge="sp-j2.sp1" size="131072" crc="acede59c" sha1="b6f97acd282fd7e94d9426078a90f059b5e9dd91"/>
		<rom name="sp1.jipan.1024" merge="sp1.jipan.1024" size="131072" crc="9fb0abe4" sha1="18a987ce2229df79a8cf6a84f968f0e42ce4e59d"/>
		<rom name="sp-45.sp1" merge="sp-45.sp1" size="524288" crc="03cc9f6a" sha1="cdf1f49e3ff2bac528c21ed28449cf35b7957dc1"/>
		<rom name="japan-j3.bin" merge="japan-j3.bin" size="131072" crc="dff6d41f" sha1="e92910e20092577a4523a6b39d578a71d4de7085"/>
		<rom name="sp-1v1_3db8c.bin" merge="sp-1v1_3db8c.bin" size="131072" crc="162f0ebe" sha1="fe1c6dd3dfcf97d960065b1bb46c1e11cb7bf271"/>
		<rom name="uni-bios_3_2.rom" merge="uni-bios_3_2.rom" size="131072" crc="a4e8b9b3" sha1="c92f18c3f1edda543d264ecd0ea915240e7c8258"/>
		<rom name="uni-bios_3_1.rom" merge="uni-bios_3_1.rom" size="131072" crc="0c58093f" sha1="29329a3448c2505e1ff45ffa75e61e9693165153"/>
		<rom name="uni-bios_3_0.rom" merge="uni-bios_3_0.rom" size="131072" crc="a97c89a9" sha1="97a5eff3b119062f10e31ad6f04fe4b90d366e7f"/>
		<rom name="uni-bios_2_3.rom" merge="uni-bios_2_3.rom" size="131072" crc="27664eb5" sha1="5b02900a3ccf3df168bdcfc98458136fd2b92ac0"/>
		<rom name="uni-bios_2_3o.rom" merge="uni-bios_2_3o.rom" size="131072" crc="601720ae" sha1="1b8a72c720cdb5ee3f1d735bbcf447b09204b8d9"/>
		<rom name="uni-bios_2_2.rom" merge="uni-bios_2_2.rom" size="131072" crc="2d50996a" sha1="5241a4fb0c63b1a23fd1da8efa9c9a9bd3b4279c"/>
		<rom name="uni-bios_2_1.rom" merge="uni-bios_2_1.rom" size="131072" crc="8dabf76b" sha1="c23732c4491d966cf0373c65c83c7a4e88f0082c"/>
		<rom name="uni-bios_2_0.rom" merge="uni-bios_2_0.rom" size="131072" crc="0c12c2ad" sha1="37bcd4d30f3892078b46841d895a6eff16dc921e"/>
		<rom name="uni-bios_1_3.rom" merge="uni-bios_1_3.rom" size="131072" crc="b24b44a0" sha1="eca8851d30557b97c309a0d9f4a9d20e5b14af4e"/>
		<rom name="uni-bios_1_2.rom" merge="uni-bios_1_2.rom" size="131072" crc="4fa698e9" sha1="682e13ec1c42beaa2d04473967840c88fd52c75a"/>
		<rom name="uni-bios_1_2o.rom" merge="uni-bios_1_2o.rom" size="131072" crc="e19d3ce9" sha1="af88ef837f44a3af2d7144bb46a37c8512b67770"/>
		<rom name="uni-bios_1_1.rom" merge="uni-bios_1_1.rom" size="131072" crc="5dda0d84" sha1="4153d533c02926a2577e49c32657214781ff29b7"/>
		<rom name="uni-bios_1_0.rom" merge="uni-bios_1_0.rom" size="131072" crc="0ce453a0" sha1="3b4c0cd26c176fc6b26c3a2f95143dd478f6abf9"/>
		<rom name="030-p1.p1" size="524288" crc="d396c9cb" sha1="47ba421d14d05b965a8d44e7475b227a208e5a07"/>
		<rom name="030-s1.s1" size="131072" crc="7015b8fc" sha1="8c09bc3e6c62e0f7c9557c1e10c901be325bae7f"/>
		<rom name="sfix.sfix" merge="sfix.sfix" size="131072" crc="c2ea0cfd" sha1="fd4a618cdcdbf849374f0a50dd8efe9dbab706c3"/>
		<rom name="000-lo.lo" merge="000-lo.lo" size="131072" crc="5a86cff2" sha1="5992277debadeb64d1c1c64b0a92d9293eaf7e4a"/>
		<rom name="sm1.sm1" merge="sm1.sm1" size="131072" crc="94416d67" sha1="42f9d7ddd6c0931fd64226a60dc73602b2819dcf"/>
		<rom name="030-m1.m1" size="131072" crc="4cf466ec" sha1="6a003b53c7a4af9d7529e2c10f27ffc4e58dcda5"/>
		<rom name="030-v1.v1" size="1048576" crc="d4ca364e" sha1="b0573744b0ea2ef1e2167a225f0d254883f5af04"/>
		<rom name="030-v2.v2" size="1048576" crc="54994455" sha1="76eb62b86e8ed51a77f44313d5cc8091b3f58d57"/>
		<rom name="030-c1.c1" size="1048576" crc="4f5e19bd" sha1="ef7975c4b33a7aea4a25a385f604799f054d3200"/>
		<rom name="030-c2.c2" size="1048576" crc="d6314bf0" sha1="0920cc580d7997fcb0170dd619af2f305d635577"/>
		<rom name="030-c3.c3" size="1048576" crc="47fddfee" sha1="297c505a63448c999a2510c27bf4549102134db8"/>
		<rom name="030-c4.c4" size="1048576" crc="780d1c4e" sha1="2e2cf9de828e3b48642dd2203637103438c62142"/>
	</game>
[...]
</datafile>

Explanation of the string:

datutil.exe = The command to execute the tool
-g = individual game or system selection. In our case neogeo
neogeo = see above
-c = Includes all games (the readme is a bit confusing here). If you don't use this option, only the NEOGEO bios will be found
-r = removes all clones
-f = determines the format of the new DAT. In our case generic
-A = determines the author. In our case Nachtgarm
-C = determines the DAT type (Category). In our case "Standard DatFile". Note the " ", which are necessary, due to the blanks
-F = determines the name (Description) of the DAT within a ROM manager. In our case NeoGeoOnlyNoClones
-R = determines the name, which is displayed within a ROM manager. In our case NeoGeo_only_NO_clones
-V = determines the version of the DAT file. In our case "1.0". Note the " " here too, due to the full stop
-o = determines the new file name. In our case NeoGeoOnlyNoClones.dat

Most used strings

Each of the following strings expects the original DAT to be placed in the same directory as the tool datutil.exe

Create a DAT file which includes ONLY NEO-GEO Games (including their clones)

datutil.exe -g neogeo -c -f generic -C "Standard DatFile" -o NewFileName.dat "OriginalFile.dat"

Create a DAT file which includes ONLY NEO-GEO Games (without their clones)

datutil.exe -g neogeo -c -r -f generic -C "Standard DatFile" -o NewFileName.dat "OriginalFile.dat"

Create a DAT file which includes PARENTS ONLY (without NEO-GEO and without clones)

datutil.exe -g neogeo -c -! -r -f generic -C "Standard DatFile" -o NewFileName.dat "OriginalFile.dat"