View source for BOARD18 Author's Guide

== Introduction ==
Starting with release 2.2.0, BOARD18 provides to '''author''' and '''admin''' level
players the ability to upload game boxes directly from the PC running 
the browser to the BOARD18 database. This automatic process does require
that the game box in question be in '''a correctly formatted .zip file'''.

If you wish to have access to this facility then contact a site
administraator for the BOARD18 site in question and request that
you be made an '''author''' level player. <br><span style="color: Green">
Note that I will grant '''anyone''' author level access to
test1.board18.org for the purpose of testing new game boxes.</span>

== A Correctly Formatted .zip File ==
So what is '''a correctly formatted .zip file'''? In answering this
question, I will use '''1830-REP02''' as an example game box. You will
of course use your own game box name when you create your game box .zip
file.

The .zip file for the '''1830-REP02''' game box must contain only one
directory and this directory must be named '''board18-1830-REP02'''.
The .zip file itself must be named '''board18-1830-REP02.zip'''.
Actually the upload process will also accept a .zip file named 
'''Board18-1830-REP02.zip'''.

The '''board18-1830-REP02''' directory must contain four items as follows:
<pre> 
    1830-REP02
    1830-REP02.json
    LICENSE.txt
    README.txt
</pre>

The first item must be a directory containing all the image files for the 
game box. These image files should be in the .png format. This directory's
name must be the game box name [IE: the main directory name minus the
'''board18-''' prefix.]

The second item must be the .json control file for the game box. this 
file's name must be the game box name with a '''.json''' suffix. 
'''Do not use any other suffix.''' This file should have previously been
passed through a JSON validator like [http://jsonlint.com/ JSON lint].

The final two items are, of course text files. They can be downloaded 
[[Media:gameboxtext.zip|here]]. <br>
These files are optional for this upload process
<span style="color: Fuchsia">but they are required for the final game box submission</span>.

== The Game Box Upload Process ==
[[File:BoxLoadForm.png|frame]]
[[File:BoxLoadOK.png|frame]]
[[File:BoxLoadBad.png|frame]]
The Game Box Load Form is shown to the right. This form can be found on the 
board18BoxLoad.php page. A link to this page called '''Load Game Box''' can 
be found on the '''Administration''' page if you are an admin or author level 
player.

Use this form to browse to and select the game box .zip file that you wish
to upload. Then press the '''Load Gamebox''' button to start the actual game
box load process. This process is web traffic intensive and may take quite
a while to complete. Please be patient.

If the game box load is successful, then a green popup notice, like the one
shown to the right, will be displayed and an email with a 
'''Load Box Report''' will be sent to you.

This is a sample of such a report:
<pre> 
This is a message from the BOARD18 server at xxxxxx.
 
ZIP file was uploaded successfully.
  file name = Board18-1830-REP02.zip
  file type = application/zip
  file size = 3874417
  file temp = /tmp/phpzbqo3V
  
Unzip of uploaded file was successful.
  Gamebox directory board18-1830-REP02
  Directory structure:
    1830-REP02
    1830-REP02.json
    LICENSE.txt
    README.txt
  
Control [.json] file was read successfully.
  box name = 1830
  box version = REP02
  auther = Rich Price
  
Image directory move succeeded.
  
Game box exists - do update.
  game box id = 9
  
Game box successfully updated.
</pre>

If the game box load failed, then a red popup notice, like the one
shown to the right, will be displayed and an email with a 
'''Load Box Report''' will be sent to you.

This is a sample of such a failure report:
<pre> 
This is a message from the BOARD18 server at xxxxxx.
 
ZIP file was uploaded successfully.
  file name = Board18-1830-REP02.zip
  file type = application/zip
  file size = 3874415
  file temp = /tmp/phpS4SKM7
  
Unzip of uploaded file was successful.
  Gamebox directory board18-1830-REP02
  Directory structure:
    1830-REP02
    1830-REP02.txt
    LICENSE.txt
    README.txt
  
Unziped file does not have a valid directory structure.
  control file name should be
/tmp/phpS4SKM7extract/board18-1830-REP02/1830-REP02.json
Game box not created.
</pre>