View source for Sierra Version Tool

<div align="center"><span style="font-size: 22pt">Sierra Version Tool</span><br />''Version 1.1''<br />''Author: [[Andrew Branscom]]''<!--<br />''Developer ''--><br />''2023-02-23''</div></div>

{{FanSCISoftwareInfobox
| Software = Sierra Version Tool
| Image = [[Image:SierraVersionToolSS.png|190px]]<br />
''Sierra Version Tool<br />''Screenshot
| Version = 1.1
| ReleaseDate = {{2023S}}-02-23<ref>[https://sciprogramming.com/community/index.php?topic=2116.0 sierrahelp.com]</ref>
| Company = {{SHPTool}}
| DevStatus = {{ActiveDev}}
| Published = {{Published}}
| Developers = {{AndrewBranscomToolDev}}{{ColdTurkeyToolC}}{{JeremiahNellisToolC}}
| Interface = {{GUI}}
| ProgLanguage = {{CSharp}}
| OpenSource = {{OpenSRC}}
| Source = {{NoSourceSW}}
| License = {{GPL3}}
| Type = {{FanCataloger}}, {{FanVersionDetector}}
| Engine = {{3SpaceTool}}, {{ADLTool}}, {{AGITool}}, {{DGDSTool}}, {{GALTool}}, {{GOBTool}}, {{LSCITool}}, {{SCITool}}
| Platform = {{WinTool}}
| Localization = {{EnglishTool}}
| Website = [[shp:|sierrahelp.com]]
}}

<br />
==<br /> A.K.A. ==

* '''''SVT'''''

==<br /> Description ==

<div class="NarrowQuote">
{{Quote|Attrib = README.md<ref>From the project's README.md</ref>
}}
Andrew Branscom's Sierra Version Tool is a browsable tool that returns release information for Sierra games. It can create a text file with the information gleaned for cataloging and archival purposes.
</div>

===<br /> Screenshots ===

<div align="center">
<gallery widths=320  heights=246 mode="nolines">
Image:SierraVersionToolSS1.png|Tools Menu
Image:SierraVersionToolSS2.png|Unknown Release Submission Editor
</gallery>
</div>

==<br /> Features ==

<blockquote>
The Sierra Version Tool includes a few handy tools.

* Hash Generator
* DOSBox Launcher
* DOSBoxECE (Enhanced Community Edition)
* [[AGILE]], a modern AGI interpreter
* [[AppleWin]], the AppleII emulator
* [[github:otya128/winevdm|WineVDM]]

The hash generator can be used to determine the MD5 of a key game file for unrecognized games. The generated hash can be used to submit determined information for the database. Go to "Tools" > "Get Hash" and select your key file. This is usually the "[[LOGDIR]]" file for AGI games and [[RESOURCE.MAP]] or the first of the RESOURCE.00* files for SCI games. This will copy the file name and MD5 to the clipboard so you can easily paste it into any notes to report a game missing from the game database.

The DOSBox Launcher can launch a PC AGI or SCI game to check the game's about information. You can select the copy of DOSBox you wish to use by going to "Tools" > "Options" and browse to your installed DOSBox executable. You can select the game's executable and any needed arguments from this dialog, too. This is intended to be a convenience for gathering any missing game information, not a generic DOSBox frontend. Please note that the use of DOSBox may result in stdout.txt and stderr.txt files to be written to the game's folder. Please see the "Important Note" section above before using this feature.

The Sierra Version Tool ships with a copy of DOSBoxECE, an enhanced build of DOSBox for running and querying a game for additional information.

Agile is a modern AGI Windows interpreter that is not affected by the infamous CPC disk copy protection of early AGI games. It allows running and querying AGI games for additional information.

To query Apple II games, the AppleWin emulator is included.
 
WineVDM allows running and querying Win16 SCI games for interpreter flags and exploring ingame menu information on x64 Windows.

Additional features include built-in search links to research your game. For any unknown games you might encounter there is a Submissions Editor to gather and submit hash and version info to the developer to add the game to the Sierra Version Tool's database.
</blockquote>

==<br /> Requirements ==

<blockquote>
4.8 .NET runtime
</blockquote>

==<br /> Version History ==

<blockquote>
<!-- Place version history here -->
</blockquote>

==<br /> Development Status ==

<blockquote>
The Sierra Version Tool is currently under active development. It is maintained by Andrew Branscom
</blockquote>

==<br /> Options ==

<blockquote>
<!-- Add options here -->
</blockquote>

<div id="DL">
==<br /> Download ==

<blockquote>
Download from here:
* <div id="DL">[[Image:ZIP.png|ZIP File]] [[File:SierraVersionTool1.1.zip|SierraVersionTool1.1.zip]] <span class="DLInfo"> (ZIP file) [11.7 MB]</span>
</blockquote>

==<br /> Known issues ==

* The Sierra Version Tool can write files to the selected game path if you have it write a "Version.txt" file or use the AGI CPC Decryptor. It is recommended that you copy the contents of the game disk(s) to a folder on your hard drive as you should not alter an original game disk by writing to it. This diminishes the archival value of the disk. 

==<br /> Credits ==

* [[Andrew Branscom]]

<blockquote>
===<br /> Acknowledgements ===

<blockquote>
* [[Cold Turkey]]
* [[Jeremiah Nellis]]
* [[HWM]]

The Sierra Version Tool makes use of the original AGIChecker and SCIChecker classes written by Cold Turkey. It uses a database based on HWM's Sierra version list with hashes from the [[ScummVM]] AGI and SCI detection_tables.h. The SCI version detection method adapted from Jeremiah Nellis's DetectSCI class.
</blockquote>
</blockquote>

==<br /> Legal ==

Sierra Version Tool was distributed with the {{GPL2}}

==<br /> References ==

<references /><!-- Do not edit this section. It is autopopulated by <ref></ref> tags -->

==<br /> Also See ==

* [[:Category:Collecting|Collecting Articles]]
* [[:Category:Catalogers|Catalogers]]
* [[:Category:Version Detectors|Version Detectors]]
* [[:Category:Archiving Articles|Archiving Articles]]
* [[:Category:Archiving Utilities|Archiving Utilities]]
* [[:Category:Version Detectors|Version Detectors]]
* [[:Category:Catalogers|Catalogers]]
* [[shp:|sierrahelp.com]]
&nbsp;
[[Category:References]]
[[Category:Technical Info]]
[[Category:Historical Pages]]
[[Category:Interpreter Articles]]
[[Category:Collecting]]
[[Category:Catalogers]]
[[Category:Cataloging]]
[[Category:Archiving]]
[[Category:Interpreter Articles]]
[[Category:Software Suites]]