SOM file/list of environment variables

Note that while this article is divided up into sections, the SOM file itself is not. It is essentially an INI file but were it actually such it would be an INI file without sections. It is best to think of it as a radically simplified BAT file where environment variable assignment eschews the SET command and nothing else works. Refer back to SOM file.

Identification

GAME and DISC are unique in representing the original content of the .SOM file. If the first or second line does not begin with a ; or contain an = then they should be interpreted as assignment to GAME and DISC respectively.

GAME

GAME is a label used to identify a physical or virtual media, such as a compact disc. It does not have to be a legal file name, but if it is to be used elsewhere, it ought to be.

If #CD is used to change to a drive with a single SOM file, then the file is checked to ensure that GAME and #DISC match. If they do not then the user will be advised that the incorrect media may be inserted into CD.

DISC

DISC is used for an additional level of virtual disc identification. It could be changed for every variant of a disc. Or even made unique for ever printing of a disc. Refer to #GAME.

Information

These variables are not variables as such as assigning values to them accomplishes nothing special. Though it is likely possible to do so. They are simply informational. If you do not substitute them into other variables by way of surrounding them in percent signs they will not be otherwise used for any other purpose.

PLAYER

PLAYER communicates the player's folder. This may be a setting or a default folder, for example the Saved Games folder of Window's Vista. Note that the folder itself is not specific to the game or project. Neither is it the literal save folder:

;on Windows Vista the save folder will be Saved Games/King's Field/save
GAME=King's Field
USER=%PLAYER%/%GAME%

Work & play

DATASET

Sets allow lines beginning with + or - or | include individual profiles (eg. PRF and PRT files) and or sets of profiles:

;include short swords found within the Cemetery
+Cemetery 
|short swords

A | line continues a + or - line. It is equivalent to appending each | line to the end of the + or - line. In other words the example above is equivalent to:

;include short swords found within the Cemetery
+Cemetery short swords

A - line is an exclusion statement. Comment lines can appear above or below | lines without terminating a + or - statement spread over multiple lines.

The words of a + or - statement are found among SET files taken from the data folders. If a single + or - statement appears then only profiles named by SET files can be included in the project.

In place of the name of a set, a single profile can be indicated by its file name. This name must include a file extension. If a name has a period it is considered to be a profile and not a set. If two profiles have the same name but are different file formats, then a set must be indicated in addition to the profile in order to differentiate the files.

Finally, instead of an empty space, a / may be used to separate sets. Where a space yields an intersection of two sets, a / yields a union:

;include both short and long swords found within the Cemetery
+Cemetery short/long swords

All / separates are considered before empty space separators. Just as 3*3+4*4 is usually interpreted to mean (9)+(16) and not ((9)+4)*4. (Note that the grouping parentheses are for illustration purposes only.)