caos.syntax
The caos.syntax file is found in Docking Station and is Zlib-encoded CreaturesArchive data.
Format[edit]
caos.syntax is little-endian encoded, like other Creatures file formats. All strings are preceded by a 4-byte integer stating their length. The length of a string can be 0.
It begins as follows:
| type | description |
|---|---|
| uint32 | CreaturesArchive file version (0x0c = Creatures 3, 0x27 = Docking Station) |
| uint32 | caos.syntax file version (0x6) |
| uint32 | version length |
| char[version length] | version |
| uint32 | number of categories |
| uint32 | category #1 length |
| char[category #1 length] | category #1 |
| ... | |
| uint32 | number of event names |
| uint32 | event name #1 length |
| char[event name #1 length] | event name #1 |
| ... | |
| uint32 | number of groups |
| Group[number of groups] | groups |
The first group is all toplevel commands (those which don't return any value), followed by commands returning integers, variables, floats, strings, and finally agents. These standard groups are followed by groups corresponding to namespaced commands as defined earlier in the file — e.g. the _CD_ namespace is defined in the toplevel group and the integers group, so there are two more groups for _CD_ subcommands that return nothing, and _CD_ commands that return integers, respectively.
Group
| type | uint32 |
|---|---|
| uint32 | number of commands |
| CommandInfo[number of commands] | commands |
CommandInfo
| type | description |
|---|---|
| uint32 | index, incrementing within group |
| uint32 | name length |
| char[name length] | name |
| uint32 | signature length |
| char[signature length] | signature, string, with one character per argument. control flow commands start this with "-". namespaces have "*". |
| uint32 | control flow id, unique to control flow commands, otherwise zero |
| uint32 | namespace id, corresponding to the command group for associated subcommands, otherwise zero |
| uint32 | argument names length |
| char[argument names length] | argument names, space-delimited |
| uint32 | category |
| uint32 | description length |
| char[description length] | description |
| uint32 | command group index |
The signature string has the following format:
- "-" starts signature of all control flow commands
- "*" subcommand
- "#" label
- "a" agent
- "b" bytestring
- "c" condition
- "d" decimal
- "f" float
- "i" integer
- "m" anything
- "s" string
- "v" variable
