Mod filename rules for 0.10.7 and later

[cube]

Starting with 0.10.7, we are adding more strict mod filename rules.

In versions <= 0.10.6, the mod name was determined only from the filename. this means that mod in file FooMod.zip was called FooMod and mod in directory BarMod/ was called BarMod, regardless of the content of their info.json file.
0.10.7 has two changes:
1) Mod filename must match the name from info.json. This check is case sensitive We silently supposed that this would happen for all mods, it should have been made more clear ... now you will get a very uncompromising error message :-)
2) Mod filename may optionally contain version number separated by underscore. If the version number is present, it must again match the version from info.json.

The filename format without version number is deprecated since 0.10.7 and will eventually (in 0.11.0, probably) be completely disabled.


Edit:
Sorry, I should have explained it better.

example

Let's take an example mod called Foo, currently in version 0.1.4.
Before the change, it was distributed as file "Foo.zip", inside it had a file "Bar/info.json"
with content

Code: Select all

{ "name": "Baz", "version": "0.1.4", ... }

In 0.10.7 this mod won't load.
The fix would be to change the content of info.json to

Code: Select all

{ "name": "Foo", "version": "0.1.4", ... }

.

The distribution zip file can be called either "Foo.zip" or "Foo_0.1.4.zip", or if it is distributed as a directory, it can be called "Foo/", or Foo_0.1.4/"

Please note, that the name of the top level directory inside zip file ("Bar/" in our example) is not checked, but it should be named exactly as if it was a mod distributed in a directory ("Foo/", or Foo_0.1.4/"), so that you can transparently unzip it and no behavior will change.

Also we would like to make a recommendations for mod names, so that your mod directory looks a little cleaner.
Our current idea is lowercase mod name with minus signs separating words and underscores separating modules i.e. my-super-mod_planes-and-helicopters_6.4.16.zip. Discuss

[drs9999]

Sounds legit.

What happens if the user/player has installed 2 version of the same mod?
E.g. my-mod_1.0.0 and my-mod_1.1.0 ?

[cube]

Code: Select all

14:51:33 Error None: Duplicate mod example-mod.

[drs9999]

Ok, thx

[Holy-Fire]

WTF... Now instead of being able to relax and play the game, I get a ton of error messages which I have no idea how to fix. I changed the mod folder, now there's something about the graphics...

I guess it's my fault for not reading the changelog before upgrading, but I didn't expect something that will make the game unplayable.

Oh well, at least I managed to downgrade successfully until I can sort this out.

[safan]

to solve this, don't change the name of the directory, but open the json file and change the name of the mod to what the directory is named

[bobingabout]

I could do with a better explanation for how the version number requirement in directory/zip file name.

if I understand correctly, naming the directory exactly the same as listed in the info.json file will work fine.
naming the zip file the name_#.#.#.zip is needed to work, where #.#.# = the version number in the info.json file.

is this accurate, or is the version number required for directories too?

[bulldog98]

I could do with a better explanation for how the version number requirement in directory/zip file name.

if I understand correctly, naming the directory exactly the same as listed in the info.json file will work fine.
naming the zip file the name_#.#.#.zip is needed to work, where #.#.# = the version number in the info.json file.

is this accurate?

If you mean the folder within a zip it's as far as I've seen right, but if you have bare folders you need to name them also name_#.#.#

[bobingabout]

Well, I'm going to stick to the "old" method for now, MAYBE adding a version number to zip files, and just say the mods are for 0.10.x, since it is an optional thing in 0.10.7.
Then if they break in 0.11.0, well, most mods broke from 0.9.8 to 0.10.0 anyway, so, I'll just release them in the new format when 0.11.0 hits, as I did from 0.9.8 to 0.10.0.

[cube]

Edited the first post.

[bobingabout]

Okay, the example helps make it more clear.
So, V0.10.7+, directory/zip name must = mod name, and the version number is optional, and what works for a bare directory, works for a directory in a zip, works for a zip filename.
I like it.

but in V0.11.x the version number will be mandatory?
Not sure about he mandatory version number part, but I can understand the desire to force people to make keeping track of versions easier.

[Holy-Fire]

to solve this, don't change the name of the directory, but open the json file and change the name of the mod to what the directory is named

Hmm... The error message I got on loading confused me. I thought adding the version number was mandatory (and this, of course, cannot be worked around by changing the mod name). Now I see that the actual problem was a mismatch in the names.

[ludsoe]

I don't like the forced version number in the .zip name. That will hurt my batch file that I made to condense and prepare my mods for release. Whats the official reasoning on that.

[DaveMcW]

Also we would like to make a recommendations for mod names, so that your mod directory looks a little cleaner.
Our current idea is lowercase mod name with minus signs separating words and underscores separating modules i.e. my-super-mod_planes-and-helicopters_6.4.16.zip. Discuss

The mod filename is displayed in yellow on every recipe. I would rather use capital letters and spaces to make it look pretty. Or maybe you could replace that with the mod title?

[Vitduo]

I don't like the forced version number in the .zip name. That will hurt my batch file that I made to condense and prepare my mods for release. Whats the official reasoning on that.

+1
It breaks my system of the multi-version translations.

[starxplor]

What is with all the zip file name stuff, the zip file is for backup, and unzipped directory goes in the mods directory?

[FreeER]

What is with all the zip file name stuff, the zip file is for backup, and unzipped directory goes in the mods directory?

given proper naming of the mod zip, folder, and information given in the info.json, Factorio is capable of loading the mod from the zip, no need to unzip it. My guess as to the file name requirements is conformity (multiple reasons this can be nice) and ease of coding (no need to check for multiple possible "correct" setups), but I'm mostly just guessing with this.

[cube]

Mostly just conformity, make the mods directory look clear and understandable. (I personally voted against this, though :-) ) There has to be double loading anyway because of the transition period in 0.10.x

[bobingabout]

I still think that the version number should be optional as it is now, but if it requires double loading, I can see why its a transition to mandatory.

[Rseding91]

I don't like the forced version number in the .zip name. That will hurt my batch file that I made to condense and prepare my mods for release. Whats the official reasoning on that.

+1
It breaks my system of the multi-version translations.

You can easily do this system with the new name scheme. Just use variables in the batch files.