So I've invented a new patch-fileformat (for internal use at the moment, but perhaps others are interested)? The idea is to have a text-file containing all modifications in
cleartext, which is then parsed, and applied to the source-ROM.
This way, you can enter your modifications in this file and just run the parser (a .NET console application at the moment), and the patch gets applied in a second or so. If you screw things up, you can easily comment out your stuff and run the parser again, no need to hex-edit the file.
The parser uses this syntax:
c:\patch.exe <patch file> <Source ROM> <Destination ROM>
The original ROM is never touched, you always gets a new file.
Here's an extract how a patchfile could look like for my latest hack "VS Castlevania".
Code: Select all
;**** Remove ROM-check
poke #$ea,$1c038
poke #$ea,$1c039
poke #$ea,$1c03A
;*** NMI-inject
poke #$6c,$1c078
poke #$20,$1c079
poke #$fe,$1c07a
;*** Inject own-code
incbin "castle.bin",$1fe30
etc. etc.
'
Another advantage is documentation. It's alot easier to read later, what kind of modifications that has been done etc.
The fileformat is perhaps best suited during development. IPS-files are obviously alot smaller and probably better to distribute.
What do you think? Usefull or not?