9001/copyparty

Add RomVault ".dat" index format support

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#1399 opened on Mar 29, 2026

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 (1 comment) (0 reactions) (1 assignee)Python (43,524 stars) (1,773 forks)batch import
enhancementhelp wanted

Description

is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

Multiple projects like No-Intro, Myrient, Redump, MAME, TOSEC, ... use the ".dat"-file format from RomVault and DATVault for checksumming and integrity testing. This also allows people to build their collection with files from different sources while ensuring they've the same file.

List of indexing projects that use this format: https://wiki.romvault.com/doku.php?id=supported_dats

Describe the idea / solution you'd like

Would it be possible to implement support for these dat files in a way that allows:

  • others to basically get a copy of the index (in this dat format) as if it was a regular file (e.g. in a /dats folder).
  • to import/upload dat files to serve as index (manage the DATRoot) for files that should be there but aren't yet, e.g. if they're uploaded they will automatically appear under this file tree (aka be automatically sorted).
  • to automatically update dat files in the background (when given via URL similar to how they're put into RomVault)
  • to have the copyparty index stored in and/or synced to dat files.

Here is the link to the documentation for how RomVault does the scanning, and "fixing" (checking and moving files around): https://wiki.romvault.com/doku.php?id=scanning_fixing_levels

Edit: May help resolve #1395 as the dat format would allow to uniquely identify files and thereby make uploads deterministic (kinda).

Contributor guide

Tech stack
python
Domain
backenddata
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
blocked
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Python programmingcopyparty internalsRomVault .dat format
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
50
Research direction
Examine copyparty's index handling, likely in the main server file or a dedicated module. Understand how files are currently indexed and stored. Review the RomVault .dat format specification for parsing and generation. Check related issue #1395 for context. Implement a .dat parser and generator, then integrate into the index management system.