As of BOSS v3, the metadata syntax is what BOSS's masterlists and userlists are written in. If you know YAML, good news: the syntax is essentially just YAML 1.2. If you don't know YAML, then its Wikipedia page is a good introduction. All you really need to know is:
+
The metadata syntax is what LOOT's masterlists and userlists are written in. If you know YAML, good news: the syntax is essentially just YAML 1.2. If you don't know YAML, then its Wikipedia page is a good introduction. All you really need to know is:
How lists and associative arrays (key-value maps) are written.
That whitespace is important, and that only normal spaces (ie. no non-breaking spaces or tabs) count as such.
@@ -103,34 +103,34 @@ h3{
That YAML files must be written in a Unicode encoding.
That each key in a key-value map must only appear once per map object.
-
Some important points that are more specific to how BOSS uses YAML:
+
Some important points that are more specific to how LOOT uses YAML:
-
BOSS's support for YAML syntax is incomplete. A list of known limitations can be found here. The only major missing piece is support for merge keys (<<:).
+
LOOT's support for YAML syntax is incomplete. A list of known limitations can be found here. The only major missing piece is support for merge keys (<<:).
Strings are case-sensitive, apart from file paths, regular expressions and checksums.
-
Some properties of file paths as used by BOSS:
+
Some properties of file paths as used by LOOT:
They are evaluated as paths relative to the game's Data folder.
They cannot reference a path outside of the game's folder structure, ie. they cannot contain the substring ../../.
Regular expression file paths must be written in the Perl syntax.
-
Only the filename of a regex file path may contain non-literal regex syntax, ie. if the filename part of the regex file path is removed, the remainder must be an exact folder path (though with the regex syntax special characters escaped). For example, given the regex file path Meshes\\Resources(1|2)\\(upperclass)?table.nif, BOSS will look for a file named table.nif or upperclasstable.nif in the Meshes\Resources(1|2) folder, rather than looking in the Meshes\Resources1 and Meshes\Resources2 folders.
+
Only the filename of a regex file path may contain non-literal regex syntax, ie. if the filename part of the regex file path is removed, the remainder must be an exact folder path (though with the regex syntax special characters escaped). For example, given the regex file path Meshes\\Resources(1|2)\\(upperclass)?table.nif, LOOT will look for a file named table.nif or upperclasstable.nif in the Meshes\Resources(1|2) folder, rather than looking in the Meshes\Resources1 and Meshes\Resources2 folders.
-
Please test any changes you make before uploading them. One way of doing this is to run BOSS, another is to copy/paste what you've changed into here, though it won't catch condition syntax errors and doesn't use the same parser as BOSS so may give different results.
+
Please test any changes you make before uploading them. One way of doing this is to run LOOT, another is to copy/paste what you've changed into here, though it won't catch condition syntax errors and doesn't use the same parser as LOOT so may give different results.
Metadata File Contents
-
The root of a metadata file is a key-value map. BOSS will recognise the following keys, none of which are required:
+
The root of a metadata file is a key-value map. LOOT will recognise the following keys, none of which are required:
Key Name
Value Type
Notes
globals
message list
A list of message data structures for messages that are displayed independently of any plugin.
plugins
plugin list
A list of plugin data structures, holding all the plugin metadata within the file.
-
Other keys may also be present, but are not processed by BOSS. The message and plugin data structures are detailed in the next section.
+
Other keys may also be present, but are not processed by LOOT. The message and plugin data structures are detailed in the next section.
An example metadata file:
globals:
- type: say
- content: 'You are using the latest version of BOSS.'
- condition: 'version("BOSS", "3.0.0.0", ==)'
+ content: 'You are using the latest version of LOOT.'
+ condition: 'version("LOOT", "0.5.0.0", ==)'
plugins:
- name: 'Armamentarium.esm'
tag:
@@ -148,10 +148,10 @@ plugins:
Data Structures
-
BOSS expects metadata to be laid out using a certain set of data structures, described in this section.
+
LOOT expects metadata to be laid out using a certain set of data structures, described in this section.
Tag Data Structure
-
BOSS metadata files can contain suggestions for the addition or removal of Bash Tags, and this is the structure used for them. It has two forms: the first is a simple string, and the second is a key-value map. All values in the map are strings.
+
LOOT metadata files can contain suggestions for the addition or removal of Bash Tags, and this is the structure used for them. It has two forms: the first is a simple string, and the second is a key-value map. All values in the map are strings.
The simple form:
tag
where tag is the Bash Tag, preceded by a minus sign if it is suggested for removal.
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ condition: 'file("Mart''s Monster Mod for OOO.esm") or file("FCOM_Convergence.es
Key Name
Required
Notes
name
✓
An exact (ie. not regex) file path or name.
-
display
✗
A substitute string to be displayed instead of the file path in any generated messages, eg. the name of the mod the file belongs to. Double-quoted URLs will be hyperlinked in the BOSS report. See URL Hyperlinking for details.
+
display
✗
A substitute string to be displayed instead of the file path in any generated messages, eg. the name of the mod the file belongs to. Double-quoted URLs will be hyperlinked in the LOOT report. See URL Hyperlinking for details.
condition
✗
A condition string that is evaluated to determine whether this file data should be used: if it evaluates to true, the data is used, otherwise it is ignored. See Condition Strings for details.
@@ -213,14 +213,14 @@ display: 'OBSE v18+'
Key Name
Required
Notes
-
str
✓
The actual message content string. Double-quoted URLs will be hyperlinked in the BOSS report. See URL Hyperlinking for details.
-
lang
✓
The language that str is written in, given as a POSIX language code. The languages BOSS supports are given in Language Codes.
+
str
✓
The actual message content string. Double-quoted URLs will be hyperlinked in the LOOT report. See URL Hyperlinking for details.
+
lang
✓
The language that str is written in, given as a POSIX language code. The languages LOOT supports are given in Language Codes.
-
BOSS handles messages and languages as follows:
+
LOOT handles messages and languages as follows:
If a message's content value is a string, the message will use the string as its content if displayed.
-
If a message's content value is a list of localised content structures, then the first structure with a language that matches BOSS's current language will be used as the message's content if displayed. If there are no matches, then the first structure in English will be used.
+
If a message's content value is a list of localised content structures, then the first structure with a language that matches LOOT's current language will be used as the message's content if displayed. If there are no matches, then the first structure in English will be used.
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ would be displayed as
Location Data Structure
-
This data structure is used to hold information on where a plugin is hosted online. It is not currently used by BOSS, but it was suggested that since the BOSS team receives a considerable number of plugin URLs, they should be recorded in a standard format, as there is no existing store of such information and it could prove useful in the future.
+
This data structure is used to hold information on where a plugin is hosted online. It is not currently used by LOOT, but it was suggested that since the LOOT team receives a considerable number of plugin URLs, they should be recorded in a standard format, as there is no existing store of such information and it could prove useful in the future.
The data structure has two forms: the first is a simple string, and the second is a key-value map. The first form should be used for a URL without any associated version data, such as when it is not clear which version is found there, or when it is the only known hosting location for the plugin and as such hosts all available versions. The second form should be used when version data can be associated with the URL, such as when the URL only hosts a subset of the available versions of the plugin.
The simple form:
URL
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ ver:
Key Name
Data Type
Required
Notes
-
crc
hexadecimal integer
✓
The CRC checksum of the dirty plugin, before cleaning. BOSS displays the CRCs of installed plugins in its report. The 8-character CRC should be preceded by 0x so that it is correctly interpreted.
+
crc
hexadecimal integer
✓
The CRC checksum of the dirty plugin, before cleaning. LOOT displays the CRCs of installed plugins in its report. The 8-character CRC should be preceded by 0x so that it is correctly interpreted.
util
string
✓
The utility that should be used to clean the plugin. This field supports URL Hyperlinking, and it is recommended that a URL to the game's cleaning guide is supplied.
itm
integer
✗
The number of identical-to-master records reported for the dirty plugin. If the number is unknown, this field should not be supplied. If the number is known and zero, this field should be supplied.
udr
integer
✗
The number of undeleted records reported for the dirty plugin. If the number is unknown, this field should not be supplied. If the number is known and zero, this field should be supplied.
@@ -299,17 +299,17 @@ nav: 0
enabled
boolean
✗
Enables or disables use of the plugin object. Used for user rules, but no reason to use it in the masterlist. If unspecified, defaults to true.
priority
integer
✗
Modifies plugin position relative to others that change one or more of the same records, but which are otherwise unrelated (ie. neither plugin lists the other as a master, requirement, or in its after list). An exception is made for plugins that contain only a header record: these plugins have their priorities compared against all unrelated plugins. A plugin with a higher priority value will load after a plugin with a lower priority value. Value can be anything in the range -2000000000 to 2000000000, and if unspecified defaults to 0.
after
file list
✗
An unordered list of plugins that this plugin must load after, but which are not dependencies. Used for resolving specific compatibility issues and by user rules for specifying custom plugin positions.
-
req
file list
✗
An unordered list of files that this plugin requires to be present. This plugin will load after any plugins listed. If any of these files are missing, an error message will be displayed. Intended for use specifying implicit dependencies, as BOSS will detect a plugin's explicit masters itself.
+
req
file list
✗
An unordered list of files that this plugin requires to be present. This plugin will load after any plugins listed. If any of these files are missing, an error message will be displayed. Intended for use specifying implicit dependencies, as LOOT will detect a plugin's explicit masters itself.
inc
file list
✗
An unordered list of files that this plugin is incompatible with. If any of these files are present, an error message will be displayed.
msg
message list
✗
The messages attached to this plugin. The messages will be displayed in the order that they are listed.
tag
tag list
✗
An unordered list of Bash Tags suggested for this plugin. If a Bash Tag is suggested for both addition and removal, the latter will override the former when the list is evaluated.
-
url
location list
✗
An unordered list of locations for this plugin. If the same version can be found at multiple locations, only one location should be recorded. This metadata is not currently used by BOSS.
+
url
location list
✗
An unordered list of locations for this plugin. If the same version can be found at multiple locations, only one location should be recorded. This metadata is not currently used by LOOT.
dirty
dirty info list
✗
An unordered list of dirty info structures for this plugin.
Example:
name: 'Oscuro''s_Oblivion_Overhaul.esm'
req:
- - 'Oblivion.esm' # Don't do this, Oblivion.esm is a master of Oscuro's_Oblivion_Overhaul.esm, so BOSS already knows it's required.
+ - 'Oblivion.esm' # Don't do this, Oblivion.esm is a master of Oscuro's_Oblivion_Overhaul.esm, so LOOT already knows it's required.
- name: 'example.esp'
display: '[Example Mod](http://www.example.com)'
condition: 'version("Oscuro''s_Oblivion_Overhaul.esm", "15.0", ==)'
@@ -329,8 +329,8 @@ msg:
URL Hyperlinking
-
File display strings and message content strings (including the strings in localised content structures) that contain recognised URLs have them displayed as hyperlinks in the BOSS report.
-
URLs must begin with file:, http: or https:, and be written according to the following subset of Markdown syntax. Note that BOSS does not recognise additional Markdown syntaxes to those given below.
+
File display strings and message content strings (including the strings in localised content structures) that contain recognised URLs have them displayed as hyperlinks in the LOOT report.
+
URLs must begin with file:, http: or https:, and be written according to the following subset of Markdown syntax. Note that LOOT does not recognise additional Markdown syntaxes to those given below.
For labelled URLs, the syntax is [label](url). A single optional space may be included between the closing square bracket and the opening parenthesis, ie. [label] (url).
For unlabelled URLs, the syntax is <url>. The URL shall be used as its own label.
Note that the URLs given as part of a location data structure should not be labelled or enclosed in less-than or greater-than signs, as they consist of raw URL data, rather than text to be displayed in a message.
@@ -344,10 +344,10 @@ both get displayed as
Condition strings can be used to ensure that data is only acted on by BOSS under certain circumstances. They are very similar to boolean conditional expressions in programming languages such as Python, though more limited. Their EBNF grammar is:
+
Condition strings can be used to ensure that data is only acted on by LOOT under certain circumstances. They are very similar to boolean conditional expressions in programming languages such as Python, though more limited. Their EBNF grammar is:
[ negator ], function, { junctor, [ negator ], function } ;
The [ negator ], function grammar is referred to as a condition, and two conditions joined by an operator, ie. condition, operator, condition is referred to as a compound condition.
-
Unlike previous versions of BOSS, BOSS v3 caches the results of condition evaluations, so performance is not really an issue. A regular expression check will still take longer than a file check though, so use the former only when appropriate to do so.
+
LOOT caches the results of condition evaluations, so performance is not really an issue. A regular expression check will still take longer than a file check though, so use the former only when appropriate to do so.
Functions
There are several conditions that can be tested for using the functions detailed in the table below.
@@ -365,10 +365,10 @@ both get displayed as
Variable Type
Description
-
filepath
A Windows file path, or BOSS, which references the BOSS executable being run.
+
filepath
A Windows file path, or LOOT, which references the LOOT executable being run.
regex
A regular expression string to match file paths to.
-
checksum
A string of hexadecimal digits representing an unsigned integer that is the data checksum of a file. BOSS displays the checksums of plugins in its user interface after running.
-
version
A string of characters representing the version of a plugin or executable. BOSS displays the versions of plugins in its user interface after running.
+
checksum
A string of hexadecimal digits representing an unsigned integer that is the data checksum of a file. LOOT displays the checksums of plugins in its user interface after running.
+
version
A string of characters representing the version of a plugin or executable. LOOT displays the versions of plugins in its user interface after running.
comparator
A comparison operator, ie. one of ==, !=, <, >, <= or >=, meaning "is equal to", "is not equal to", "is less than", "is greater than", "is less than or equal to" and "is greater than or equal to" respectively.
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ both get displayed as
You can also explicitly enclose any condition in brackets to override the evaluation order, eg. C and ( C or C ) is evaluated as C and ( C or C ), in contrast to the unbracketed string above.
Language Codes
-
BOSS supports the following languages and language codes:
+
LOOT supports the following languages and language codes:
Language
POSIX Code
@@ -445,6 +445,6 @@ both get displayed as
License
-
This document is part of the BOSS documentation.
+
This document is part of the LOOT documentation.
Copyright (C) 2012—2014 WrinklyNinja
-See the file BOSS ReadMe.html for copying conditions.
+See the file LOOT ReadMe.html for copying conditions.
diff --git a/docs/BOSS Readme.html b/docs/BOSS Readme.html
index 4d668105..d0c48215 100644
--- a/docs/BOSS Readme.html
+++ b/docs/BOSS Readme.html
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-
BOSS is a plugin load order optimiser for TES IV: Oblivion, TES V: Skyrim, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. It is designed to assist mod users in avoiding detrimental conflicts, by automatically calculating a load order that satisfies all plugin dependencies and maximises each plugin's impact on the user's game.
+
LOOT is a plugin load order optimiser for TES IV: Oblivion, TES V: Skyrim, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. It is designed to assist mod users in avoiding detrimental conflicts, by automatically calculating a load order that satisfies all plugin dependencies and maximises each plugin's impact on the user's game.
-
BOSS also provides some load order error checking, including checks for requirements, incompatibilities and cyclic dependencies. In addition, it provides a large number of plugin-specific usage notes, bug warnings and Bash Tag suggestions for Wrye Bash.
+
LOOT also provides some load order error checking, including checks for requirements, incompatibilities and cyclic dependencies. In addition, it provides a large number of plugin-specific usage notes, bug warnings and Bash Tag suggestions for Wrye Bash.
-
While BOSS is able to calculate correct load order positions for the vast majority of plugins using only their content, it cannot do so for all plugins. As such, BOSS provides a mechanism for supplying additional plugin metadata so that it may sort them correctly.
+
While LOOT is able to calculate correct load order positions for the vast majority of plugins using only their content, it cannot do so for all plugins. As such, LOOT provides a mechanism for supplying additional plugin metadata so that it may sort them correctly.
-
BOSS is intended to make using mods easier, and mod users should still possess a working knowledge of mod load ordering. See Introduction To Load Orders for an overview.
+
LOOT is intended to make using mods easier, and mod users should still possess a working knowledge of mod load ordering. See Introduction To Load Orders for an overview.
Installation & Uninstallation
-
Version 3 is incompatible with earlier versions, which should be removed. Any existing user rules must be manually recreated in BOSS's user interface. Some plugins sorted correctly in v2 may be sorted incorrectly by v3 until their metadata has been recorded. Please notify the team if you observe any load order issues.
-
-
BOSS requires Windows Vista, 7 or 8. BOSS can be installed either using its automated installer or manually. To install BOSS manually:
+
LOOT can be installed either using its automated installer or manually. To install LOOT manually:
Extract the downloaded archive to a location of your choice.
-
If BOSS was installed using the installer, then use the uninstaller linked to in the Start Menu to uninstall BOSS. If BOSS was installed manually:
+
If LOOT was installed using the installer, then use the uninstaller linked to in the Start Menu to uninstall LOOT. If LOOT was installed manually:
Delete the files you extracted from the location you chose.
-
Delete the BOSS folder in your local application data folder, which can be accessed by entering %LOCALAPPDATA% into Windows' File Explorer.
+
Delete the LOOT folder in your local application data folder, which can be accessed by entering %LOCALAPPDATA% into Windows' File Explorer.
-
Using BOSS
-
When BOSS is run, it will attempt to detect which of the supported games are installed, and set itself to run for the first game detected, unless a default game has been set, in which case it will set itself to run for that game. Once a game has been set, the main window will be displayed.
+
Using LOOT
+
When LOOT is run, it will attempt to detect which of the supported games are installed, and set itself to run for the first game detected, unless a default game has been set, in which case it will set itself to run for that game. Once a game has been set, the main window will be displayed.
-
- BOSS's main window. The title bar displays which game BOSS is running for.
+
+ LOOT's main window. The title bar displays which game LOOT is running for.
-
Clicking the Edit Metadata button will open BOSS's metadata editor, where you can make changes to the metadata BOSS uses to sort plugins, the messages that get displayed for plugins, and any Bash Tag suggestions BOSS makes.
-
Clicking the Sort Plugins button will begin the plugin sorting process. This will sort your plugins, allow you to make any changes to the load order it produces, then display a report that details the results of BOSS's activity.
-
Clicking the View Last Report button will display the report generated the last time BOSS sorted your plugins for the current game.
-
The File menu provides menu items for sorting plugins, viewing the debug log and the last report BOSS generated, and quitting BOSS. The menu's Redate Plugins option is provided so that Skyrim modders may set the load order for the Creation Kit. It is only enabled for Skyrim, and changes the timestamps of the plugins in its Data folder to match their current load order. A side effect of changing the timestamps is that any Steam Workshop mods installed will be re-downloaded.
-
The Edit menu provides menu items for accessing BOSS's metadata editor and the settings window.
-
The Game menu allows you to change which game BOSS is running for. Games that BOSS cannot find are greyed out, and the the one BOSS is running for is marked with a bullet point. To change the active game, simply select another game in the list.
-
The Help menu provides a link to this readme and an about page that contains the version of BOSS being run, some legal information and a link to the project homepage.
+
Clicking the Edit Metadata button will open LOOT's metadata editor, where you can make changes to the metadata LOOT uses to sort plugins, the messages that get displayed for plugins, and any Bash Tag suggestions LOOT makes.
+
Clicking the Sort Plugins button will begin the plugin sorting process. This will sort your plugins, allow you to make any changes to the load order it produces, then display a report that details the results of LOOT's activity.
+
Clicking the View Last Report button will display the report generated the last time LOOT sorted your plugins for the current game.
+
The File menu provides menu items for sorting plugins, viewing the debug log and the last report LOOT generated, and quitting LOOT. The menu's Redate Plugins option is provided so that Skyrim modders may set the load order for the Creation Kit. It is only enabled for Skyrim, and changes the timestamps of the plugins in its Data folder to match their current load order. A side effect of changing the timestamps is that any Steam Workshop mods installed will be re-downloaded.
+
The Edit menu provides menu items for accessing LOOT's metadata editor and the settings window.
+
The Game menu allows you to change which game LOOT is running for. Games that LOOT cannot find are greyed out, and the the one LOOT is running for is marked with a bullet point. To change the active game, simply select another game in the list.
+
The Help menu provides a link to this readme and an about page that contains the version of LOOT being run, some legal information and a link to the project homepage.
Clicking the Sort Plugins button in the main window will begin the sorting process.
-
First, BOSS downloads and applies any masterlist updates available, if the relevant setting is enabled. If the latest update cannot be parsed (eg. due to typos), then BOSS will roll back until it finds a version that works.
-
BOSS then sorts your plugins according to a combination of data from the plugins themselves, and any masterlist and userlist entries they may have. If a cyclic interaction is detected (eg. A depends on B depends on A), then sorting will fail.
-
If sorting is successful, the calculated load order is then displayed in the dialog shown above. "Dummy" plugins (ie. only contain a header record) are displayed in grey text, and other plugins that load BSAs are displayed in blue text.
+
First, LOOT downloads and applies any masterlist updates available, if the relevant setting is enabled. If the latest update cannot be parsed (eg. due to typos), then LOOT will roll back until it finds a version that works.
+
LOOT then sorts your plugins according to a combination of data from the plugins themselves, and any masterlist and userlist entries they may have. If a cyclic interaction is detected (eg. A depends on B depends on A), then sorting will fail.
+
If sorting is successful, the calculated load order is then displayed in the dialog shown above. "Dummy" plugins (ie. only contain a header record) are displayed in grey text, and other plugins that load BSAs are displayed in blue text.
Clicking on a plugin in the list will display the editing panel, where its load order related metadata can be edited. The Show only conflicting plugins checkbox filters the plugin list so that only plugins which can be validly added to the Load After list and either contain conflicting records or (if the selected plugin loads a BSA) load BSAs that may contain conflicting resources. The checkbox must be ticked before plugins can be added to the Load After list, which is done by drag 'n' dropping them from the plugin list, and it must be unticked to select another plugin for editing. The priority value is explained below.
-
If the Apply button is clicked, BOSS does one of two things: if no edits were made, then it immediately applies the load order; but if edits were made, then it repeats the sorting process with the new edits applied. If the Cancel button is clicked, then the load order and any edits made are discarded.
-
BOSS then generates a report and displays it either in a new window or in your default browser, according to the value of the relevant setting. Any errors encountered during the sorting process will be displayed in this report. See the next section for more information on the report.
-
BOSS is able to sort plugins ghosted by Wrye Bash, and can extract Bash Tags and version numbers from plugin descriptions. Provided that they have the Filter Bash Tag present in their description, BOSS can recognise filter patches and so avoid displaying unnecessary error messages for any of their masters that may be missing.
-
While reading very large plugins, such as the game's main master file, BOSS may appear to stop responding: this is not an issue. The time it takes for BOSS to sort your load order depends primarily on the size of the masterlist being used, the total size of the files in your load order, and the number of plugins in your load order. The first run is likely to be longer than subsequent runs as BOSS needs to download the full masterlist, rather than just the changes made by updates. In testing, it was found that sorting ~90 plugins with a total size of ~350 MB and a 5 MB masterlist takes around 15 seconds, though performance will vary with computer hardware.
+
If the Apply button is clicked, LOOT does one of two things: if no edits were made, then it immediately applies the load order; but if edits were made, then it repeats the sorting process with the new edits applied. If the Cancel button is clicked, then the load order and any edits made are discarded.
+
LOOT then generates a report and displays it either in a new window or in your default browser, according to the value of the relevant setting. Any errors encountered during the sorting process will be displayed in this report. See the next section for more information on the report.
+
LOOT is able to sort plugins ghosted by Wrye Bash, and can extract Bash Tags and version numbers from plugin descriptions. Provided that they have the Filter Bash Tag present in their description, LOOT can recognise filter patches and so avoid displaying unnecessary error messages for any of their masters that may be missing.
+
While reading very large plugins, such as the game's main master file, LOOT may appear to stop responding: this is not an issue. The time it takes for LOOT to sort your load order depends primarily on the size of the masterlist being used, the total size of the files in your load order, and the number of plugins in your load order. The first run is likely to be longer than subsequent runs as LOOT needs to download the full masterlist, rather than just the changes made by updates. In testing, it was found that sorting ~90 plugins with a total size of ~350 MB and a 5 MB masterlist takes around 15 seconds, though performance will vary with computer hardware.
BOSS's results report can be displayed either in BOSS's own report viewer, or in your default web browser, according to the value of the relevant setting.
+
LOOT's results report can be displayed either in LOOT's own report viewer, or in your default web browser, according to the value of the relevant setting.
The report is comprised of two sections:
-
The Summary tab gives information on the versions of BOSS and the masterlist used, whether masterlist updating is enabled, and breaks down the numbers of each message type in the Summary and Details tabs. It also notifies you if there have been no changes in the Details tab since you last ran BOSS for the same game. Finally, the Summary tab is also where any global messages supplied in the masterlist and any errors encountered during sorting are displayed.
-
The Details tab lists the plugins BOSS sorted in their new load order, along with any messages BOSS has provided for them. BOSS will also display the plugin's CRC value and extract its version if found in the plugin's description field. If BOSS suggests any Bash Tags to be added, they will be displayed in green text, while any Bash Tags to be removed will be displayed in red text.
+
The Summary tab gives information on the versions of LOOT and the masterlist used, whether masterlist updating is enabled, and breaks down the numbers of each message type in the Summary and Details tabs. It also notifies you if there have been no changes in the Details tab since you last ran LOOT for the same game. Finally, the Summary tab is also where any global messages supplied in the masterlist and any errors encountered during sorting are displayed.
+
The Details tab lists the plugins LOOT sorted in their new load order, along with any messages LOOT has provided for them. LOOT will also display the plugin's CRC value and extract its version if found in the plugin's description field. If LOOT suggests any Bash Tags to be added, they will be displayed in green text, while any Bash Tags to be removed will be displayed in red text.
In addition, there are a few filters that can be used to selectively hide items in the Details tab. These filters are:
@@ -191,17 +188,17 @@ Clicking on a plugin in the list will display the editing panel, where its load
Hide All Plugin Messages: Hides all plugin messages.
Hide Messageless Plugins: Hides any plugins that have no visible messages.
-
BOSS will display the version numbers of any plugins that provide them in their description fields. If a plugin supplies no version number, it cannot be displayed. The version numbers may not reflect the actual version of the mod installed - this could either be due to the mod author forgetting to update the description, or due to a mistake in BOSS's detection. As version numbers are supplied by mod authors in a wide range of formats and BOSS has to detect as many as possible, it occasionally identifies parts of some descriptions as version numbers incorrectly. When in doubt, check the version number given in a mod's readme.
-
BOSS's plugin messages are a valuable resource, acting as a means of providing users with information that they might otherwise not obtain. It is important for a stable, healthy game that you act on any messages that require action.
-
If you think a message suggests an unnecessary action, report it to an official BOSS thread. If you encounter a message that is non-conditional, ie. it suggests an action but is still displayed on subsequent runs of BOSS after the action has been carried out, also report it to an official BOSS thread, so that it can be made conditional.
+
LOOT will display the version numbers of any plugins that provide them in their description fields. If a plugin supplies no version number, it cannot be displayed. The version numbers may not reflect the actual version of the mod installed - this could either be due to the mod author forgetting to update the description, or due to a mistake in LOOT's detection. As version numbers are supplied by mod authors in a wide range of formats and LOOT has to detect as many as possible, it occasionally identifies parts of some descriptions as version numbers incorrectly. When in doubt, check the version number given in a mod's readme.
+
LOOT's plugin messages are a valuable resource, acting as a means of providing users with information that they might otherwise not obtain. It is important for a stable, healthy game that you act on any messages that require action.
+
If you think a message suggests an unnecessary action, report it to an official LOOT thread. If you encounter a message that is non-conditional, ie. it suggests an action but is still displayed on subsequent runs of LOOT after the action has been carried out, also report it to an official LOOT thread, so that it can be made conditional.
-
BOSS's sorting algorithm uses the contents of plugins to work out where they should load relative to one another. However, this is sometimes not enough for it to produce a correct load order. In such cases, additional metadata can be supplied so that the plugins get sorted correctly. This metadata is supplied to BOSS by two sources: one is the masterlist, which is maintained by the BOSS team, and the other is the userlist, which you can edit as you desire.
+
LOOT's sorting algorithm uses the contents of plugins to work out where they should load relative to one another. However, this is sometimes not enough for it to produce a correct load order. In such cases, additional metadata can be supplied so that the plugins get sorted correctly. This metadata is supplied to LOOT by two sources: one is the masterlist, which is maintained by the LOOT team, and the other is the userlist, which you can edit as you desire.
The metadata editor allows you to manage the metadata stored in your userlist. When opened, it lists all the plugins you have installed, and any that are missing but have existing user-added metadata, in alphabetical order. Plugins that load BSAs are displayed in blue text, and plugins with user-added metadata are displayed in bold text. Selecting a plugin then opens its metadata for editing, and displays any existing metadata in the fields to the right of the plugin list. Right-clicking a plugin displays a context menu containing a few commands. The editor fields and context menu commands are explained in the tables below.
The Add …, Edit … and Remove … buttons are used to edit the contents of the list currently visible. The Edit … and Remove … buttons are greyed out if no row is selected or if the selected row is not user-added metadata, but comes from the masterlist or the plugin itself. Metadata that comes from the masterlist or the plugin itself cannot be edited or removed, only added to. This is to prevent users from accidently overriding important metadata.
The Save Changes button will save any user-added metadata to your userlist, including any changes made, then exit the metadata editor. The Cancel button will exit the editor without saving any changes.
@@ -209,30 +206,30 @@ Clicking on a plugin in the list will display the editing panel, where its load
Field
Description
-
Enable User Changes
If this is checked, BOSS will use the metadata you supplied when sorting the current plugin. Otherwise, your metadata will be ignored.
+
Enable User Changes
If this is checked, LOOT will use the metadata you supplied when sorting the current plugin. Otherwise, your metadata will be ignored.
Priority
This is a rough control for how far up or down the load order a plugin should go. Plugins with equal priority will be compared as normal by the sorting algorithm, but plugins with a larger priority value will load later in the load order than plugins with a smaller priority value. Priority comparisons are only used for plugins that are not masters, requirements or otherwise told to load after one another, and only between plugins that conflict, except if a plugin is empty, in which case conflict status doesn't matter. Plugins have a default priority of 0.
-
Requirements
This is a list of files that are required by the current plugin for it to function correctly. BOSS will display an error message if any of the listed files are missing.
+
Requirements
This is a list of files that are required by the current plugin for it to function correctly. LOOT will display an error message if any of the listed files are missing.
Any file, not just plugins, can be listed here, and each file has three sub-fields:
The filename is the path, relative to the game's Data folder, of the file to be checked for. This sub-field is required.
The display name is optional, and if specified will be used instead of the filename in any error messages that are displayed if a problem is encountered relating to the file.
-
The condition is the optional condition string that is used to determine if the file should be checked for. If left blank, the file will always be checked for. Condition strings are a relatively advanced part of BOSS's functionality, and their syntax is covered in the Metadata Syntax documentation.
+
The condition is the optional condition string that is used to determine if the file should be checked for. If left blank, the file will always be checked for. Condition strings are a relatively advanced part of LOOT's functionality, and their syntax is covered in the Metadata Syntax documentation.
-
Note that listing a plugin's masters as requirements is pointless, as BOSS already checks them.
-
Incompatibilities
This is a list of files that are incompatible with the plugin. BOSS will display an error message if any of the listed files are found.
+
Note that listing a plugin's masters as requirements is pointless, as LOOT already checks them.
+
Incompatibilities
This is a list of files that are incompatible with the plugin. LOOT will display an error message if any of the listed files are found.
Any file, not just plugins, can be listed here, and each file has the same three sub-fields as for the requirements field.
Load After
This is a list of plugins which, if present, the current plugin must load after, but which are not required. This field can be used for resolving specific compatibility issues.
-
Messages
A list of messages that are to be displayed for the plugin in BOSS's report. These have no bearing on a plugin's position in the load order.
+
Messages
A list of messages that are to be displayed for the plugin in LOOT's report. These have no bearing on a plugin's position in the load order.
Each message has four sub-fields:
-
The type is fairly self-explanatory, and is used to provide messages of varying severity with appropriate emphasis in BOSS's report.
+
The type is fairly self-explanatory, and is used to provide messages of varying severity with appropriate emphasis in LOOT's report.
The content is the actual message text.
The condition is, like for the corresponding file sub-field, used to determine if the message should be displayed. If left blank, the message is displayed.
-
The language is the language BOSS runs in that the message will be displayed for. For example, if the message language is set to English and BOSS is running in German, then the message will not be displayed. If left unspecified, the message will be shown no matter what language BOSS is running in.
+
The language is the language LOOT runs in that the message will be displayed for. For example, if the message language is set to English and LOOT is running in German, then the message will not be displayed. If left unspecified, the message will be shown no matter what language LOOT is running in.
-
If a message's condition determines that it should not be displayed, then it will not be displayed, no matter the language. However, if a message's condition determines that it should be displayed, but the language is specified and doesn't match the language BOSS is running in, the message will not be displayed.
-
Bash Tags
A list of Bash Tags. These are used by Wrye Bash when generating a Bashed Patch. BOSS's metadata includes Bash Tag addition and removal suggestions, and any Bash Tags that came with the plugin are also displayed.
-
As BOSS can suggest Bash Tags be added or removed, it is possible for the same Tag to appear twice, being suggested for addition and removal. In such cases, removal overrides addition.
+
If a message's condition determines that it should not be displayed, then it will not be displayed, no matter the language. However, if a message's condition determines that it should be displayed, but the language is specified and doesn't match the language LOOT is running in, the message will not be displayed.
+
Bash Tags
A list of Bash Tags. These are used by Wrye Bash when generating a Bashed Patch. LOOT's metadata includes Bash Tag addition and removal suggestions, and any Bash Tags that came with the plugin are also displayed.
+
As LOOT can suggest Bash Tags be added or removed, it is possible for the same Tag to appear twice, being suggested for addition and removal. In such cases, removal overrides addition.
Each Bash Tag has three sub-fields:
The state determines whether the Tag is to be suggested for addition or removal.
@@ -246,104 +243,104 @@ Clicking on a plugin in the list will display the editing panel, where its load
Context Menu Command
Description
Copy Name
Copies the selected plugin's filename to the clipboard.
-
Copy Metadata As Text
Copies the selected plugin's current metadata, as it appears in the userlist, to the clipboard. This makes it easier to share your metadata changes with the BOSS team, as they can then paste this text directly into the masterlist, and also avoids any typos being introduced. If posting the text in an online forum that supports BBCode (as most forums do), be sure to wrap it in [code] tags, eg. [code]copied text[/code], so that the spaces are not removed by the forum software.
+
Copy Metadata As Text
Copies the selected plugin's current metadata, as it appears in the userlist, to the clipboard. This makes it easier to share your metadata changes with the LOOT team, as they can then paste this text directly into the masterlist, and also avoids any typos being introduced. If posting the text in an online forum that supports BBCode (as most forums do), be sure to wrap it in [code] tags, eg. [code]copied text[/code], so that the spaces are not removed by the forum software.
Remove All User-Added Metadata
This removes all saved user-added metadata from the selected plugin, and any unsaved data added to the plugin since the Metadata Editor window was opened.
-
+
BOSS's settings window may be accessed by clicking Edit→Settings in the main window's menu bar. BOSS's settings are detailed in the table below.
+
LOOT's settings window may be accessed by clicking Edit→Settings in the main window's menu bar. LOOT's settings are detailed in the table below.
Setting
Description
-
Default Game
If set to something other than Autodetect, this overrides game autodetection. If the game specified is not detected, BOSS falls back to autodetection.
-
Language
Controls the language BOSS uses in its interfaces. Debug messages are always displayed in English, and any plugin messages that do not have translations in the selected language will be displayed in English instead.
-
Debug Verbosity
Controls the verbosity of the debug output, which is written to %LOCALAPPDATA%\BOSS\BOSSDebugLog.txt.
-
Update masterlist before sorting
If checked, BOSS will update its masterlist, should an update be available, before sorting plugins.
-
View reports externally in default browser.
If checked, BOSS will display its report using your default web browser instead of opening its own window.
+
Default Game
If set to something other than Autodetect, this overrides game autodetection. If the game specified is not detected, LOOT falls back to autodetection.
+
Language
Controls the language LOOT uses in its interfaces. Debug messages are always displayed in English, and any plugin messages that do not have translations in the selected language will be displayed in English instead.
+
Debug Verbosity
Controls the verbosity of the debug output, which is written to %LOCALAPPDATA%\LOOT\LOOTDebugLog.txt.
+
Update masterlist before sorting
If checked, LOOT will update its masterlist, should an update be available, before sorting plugins.
+
View reports externally in default browser.
If checked, LOOT will display its report using your default web browser instead of opening its own window.
-
The games list allows the customisation of which games BOSS offers support for, trivialising support for multiple copies of a game and Total Conversions. The games listed here will be displayed in the main window's Game menu when BOSS is next run. The Add Game, Edit Game and Remove Game buttons are used to edit the list. Each game has several columns, which are explained below.
+
The games list allows the customisation of which games LOOT offers support for, trivialising support for multiple copies of a game and Total Conversions. The games listed here will be displayed in the main window's Game menu when LOOT is next run. The Add Game, Edit Game and Remove Game buttons are used to edit the list. Each game has several columns, which are explained below.
Column
Description
Name
The name of the game, or another identifying string, that is displayed in menus and the main window's title bar.
-
Base Game Type
Every game BOSS runs for must use the plugin file format and load order system of one of the following games:
+
Base Game Type
Every game LOOT runs for must use the plugin file format and load order system of one of the following games:
TES IV: Oblivion
TES V: Skyrim
Fallout 3
Fallout: New Vegas
-
BOSS Folder Name
The sub-folder which BOSS uses to store the game's files in. Each game must be given a unique sub-folder.
+
LOOT Folder Name
The sub-folder which LOOT uses to store the game's files in. Each game must be given a unique sub-folder.
Master File
The game's main master file. This is specified as it must load before all other plugins. Note that Skyrim-based games will always load Skyrim.esm first, so this column must always be set to Skyrim.esm for such games.
-
Masterlist Repository URL
The URL of the repository that BOSS uses to update its local copy of the masterlist. If set to an empty string, masterlist updating will be skipped.
+
Masterlist Repository URL
The URL of the repository that LOOT uses to update its local copy of the masterlist. If set to an empty string, masterlist updating will be skipped.
- Masterlist repositories are Git repositories that are configured to allow unauthenticated read access and contain a masterlist file named masterlist.yaml in their root directory. The BOSS team maintains a set of official repositories for the games that BOSS supports by default.
-
Masterlist Repository Branch
The branch of the masterlist repository that BOSS should get masterlist updates from.
+ Masterlist repositories are Git repositories that are configured to allow unauthenticated read access and contain a masterlist file named masterlist.yaml in their root directory. The LOOT team maintains a set of official repositories for the games that LOOT supports by default.
+
Masterlist Repository Branch
The branch of the masterlist repository that LOOT should get masterlist updates from.
Install Path
The path to the game's folder, in which the Data folder lies. Either this or a registry key must be supplied.
-
Install Path Registry Key
The registry key, in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, that contains the install path of the game. This is used to obtain the install path if BOSS has no previous record of the game's install path, or BOSS's stored install path is invalid. Either this or an install path must be supplied.
+
Install Path Registry Key
The registry key, in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, that contains the install path of the game. This is used to obtain the install path if LOOT has no previous record of the game's install path, or LOOT's stored install path is invalid. Either this or an install path must be supplied.
Note that for Skyrim, multiple copies or Total Conversions will all edit the same plugins.txt file, and so they lack the level of independence that is achievable for other games.
Troubleshooting
-
If BOSS encounters a problem at any point, it should provide an error message, either in a dialog (as is generally the case) or in its report (as for errors encountered during the sorting process). If BOSS unexpectedly crashes, or you experience a problem for which no error message is given, please report the crash or problem to an official BOSS thread (see Contributing To BOSS), so that it can be fixed.
-
If the information below does not help you to solve any problems you are experiencing, please seek further support in one of the official BOSS threads.
-
There are a few general reasons why BOSS may fail to function correctly. Check if any of the symptoms listed below fit your issue.
+
If LOOT encounters a problem at any point, it should provide an error message, either in a dialog (as is generally the case) or in its report (as for errors encountered during the sorting process). If LOOT unexpectedly crashes, or you experience a problem for which no error message is given, please report the crash or problem to an official LOOT thread (see Contributing To LOOT), so that it can be fixed.
+
If the information below does not help you to solve any problems you are experiencing, please seek further support in one of the official LOOT threads.
+
There are a few general reasons why LOOT may fail to function correctly. Check if any of the symptoms listed below fit your issue.
No change in load order.
Make sure that you aren't using another utility to lock your load order.
-
Some plugins have the wrong or no version number given in the BOSS Log.
+
Some plugins have the wrong or no version number given in LOOT's report.
No solution.
You get an error message of the form There is a problem sending the command to the program.
Windows sometimes does this when it tries to open files in their default application. If you're sure that you have a default program for HTML files set, restarting your computer generally fixes the issue.
-
A game is installed, but BOSS cannot detect it.
+
A game is installed, but LOOT cannot detect it.
The game's Registry entry is missing. This happens to a lot of people, because Steam likes to remove it whenever the game is updated or its game cache is verified. Run the game's launcher to add the Registry entry back again.
-
Contributing To BOSS
-
User contribution of additions and corrections to BOSS's masterlists are vital to the upkeep of BOSS. Please let us know what you know!
+
Contributing To LOOT
+
User contribution of additions and corrections to LOOT's masterlists are vital to the upkeep of LOOT. Please let us know what you know!
-
General discussion and the submission of questions, suggestions and metadata takes place in BOSS's official threads for Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. These are linked to at the bottom of BOSS's homepage.
+
General discussion and the submission of questions, suggestions and metadata takes place in LOOT's official threads for Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. These are linked to at the bottom of LOOT's homepage.
Information on dirty plugins is very welcome, but for such information to be useful we require at least the filename and the CRC of the dirty plugin. The CRC may be calculated using Wrye Bash or 7-zip, with other sources being unverified as correct. In the case of 7-zip, the CRC checksum for data is the one required. In addition to the CRC, the number of records removed (the ITM count) and/or undeleted (the UDR count) are also welcome.
-
If you wish to submit metadata, the easiest way to do so is to add the metadata to your own BOSS install (either during sorting or in the Metadata Editor), and use the Copy Metadata As Text feature to easily get it in a form that you can then post in the official forum threads.
+
If you wish to submit metadata, the easiest way to do so is to add the metadata to your own LOOT install (either during sorting or in the Metadata Editor), and use the Copy Metadata As Text feature to easily get it in a form that you can then post in the official forum threads.
-
Translating BOSS
-
BOSS supports translation into other languages, with the following limitations:
+
Translating LOOT
+
LOOT supports translation into other languages, with the following limitations:
-
Debug log messages and error messages generated by the libraries BOSS uses cannot be translated.
+
Debug log messages and error messages generated by the libraries LOOT uses cannot be translated.
Masterlist messages can be translated, but translations must be submitted to the masterlist maintainers for addition.
-
The languages BOSS supports is hardcoded, so BOSS must be updated to include new translations.
+
The languages LOOT supports is hardcoded, so LOOT must be updated to include new translations.
Open the downloaded installer script in a text editor of your choice.
The English strings are located in the section with the heading English Strings. Copy and paste this section into a new text file, and translate the quoted strings, replacing the English text. For the lines beginning VIAddVersionKey, only translate the second quoted string.
Save the text file containing your translated strings.
-To translate the BOSS application:
+To translate the LOOT application:
Download and install the latest version of Poedit.
-
Open Poedit and select File->Preferences, then in the Editor tab ensure that the checkbox for the Automatically compile .mo file on save setting is checked. Click OK to close the preferences window.
If you are starting a new translation, select File->New catalogue from POT file... and choose the template file you downloaded. In the Catalog properties dialog, just click OK without changing anything.
@@ -353,38 +350,36 @@ To translate the BOSS application:
Some strings to be translated may contain special characters. Different types of special character that may be encountered are:
Backslashes \. Backslashes must be escaped using another backslash, so if you wanted to display a single backslash \, you would put \\ in your translated string.
-
Double-quotation marks ". Double-quotation marks must be preceded by a backslash, ie. \", or BOSS will crash when it tries to display the string.
+
Double-quotation marks ". Double-quotation marks must be preceded by a backslash, ie. \", or LOOT will crash when it tries to display the string.
New line characters \n. Do not change the position of these characters relative to the surrounding text, they are responsible for creating new lines.
Words containing an ampersand &. If a string contains a word that begins with or includes an ampersand, the string is for a menu item and the ampersand is a symbol placed before a specific letter and used to show which keyboard key can be used to select that menu item. The ampersand can be moved to be placed before a more appropriate letter in the translated text.
-
Formatting placeholders. Placeholders are used so that BOSS can substitute text or numbers that are generated at runtime into pre-made strings. They appear as a number surrounded by percentage signs, eg. %1%. If formatting placeholders are used in the untranslated string, they must all be present in the translated string, or BOSS will crash when it tries to display the translated string. Placeholders can be moved around so that the sentence makes grammatical sense in the target language.
+
Formatting placeholders. Placeholders are used so that LOOT can substitute text or numbers that are generated at runtime into pre-made strings. They appear as a number surrounded by percentage signs, eg. %1%. If formatting placeholders are used in the untranslated string, they must all be present in the translated string, or LOOT will crash when it tries to display the translated string. Placeholders can be moved around so that the sentence makes grammatical sense in the target language.
-
Save the translation file with the filename boss.po in a location of your choosing. This will also create a boss.mo file in the same location.
+
Save the translation file with the filename loot.po in a location of your choosing. This will also create a loot.mo file in the same location.
Credits
-
Since June 2009, BOSS has been a collaborative project, first on Google Code and now on GitHub. An up-to-date list of team members past and present may be viewed on the project wiki. Unless otherwise noted, project members can be contacted on the Bethesda Softworks Forums or on The Nexus Forums via the private messaging system.
-
As BOSS is very much a community project, credit is due to a very large number of sources and people outside of the BOSS Team. Some people have gone out of their way and provided continuing, expert and detailed help - thank you very much!
-
In addition to the above data-related support, the following are credited with application-related support:
+
LOOT is developed by a team on GitHub. An up-to-date list of team members past and present may be viewed on the project wiki. Unless otherwise noted, project members can be contacted on the Bethesda Softworks Forums or on The Nexus Forums via the private messaging system.
+
LOOT's masterlists were largely converted from BOSS's masterlists, and so credit is due to the very large number of sources and people who have contributed to them.
+
In addition, the following are credited with application-related support:
-
Dark Creations: For hosting BOSS's Bugzilla bug tracker that was used by v2 to collect anonymous unrecognised plugin reports. Particular thanks to its administrators Andalaybay and Xae for offering to host the tracker and helping to work around Firefox and Bugzilla bugs encountered.
-
Surazal: For providing the inspiration for many features through his BOSS Masterlist Manager macro for Microsoft Word.
-
myk002: For code contributions during development of v1.6–2.1.
-
Hickory: For providing the icon BOSS uses.
-
Ysne58: For keeping the thread links on BOSS's Nexus site pages up to date.
-
Łukasz Niemczyk: For the Polish translation of v3.
-
bluesky404: For the Chinese translation of v3.
-
Kaos: For the French translation of v3.
-
For beta testing: Surazal, myk002, Hickory, Ysne58, the Beta Testing & Analysis Guild at TES Alliance, AndalayBay, dAb, dj2005, Dubiousness, hyno111, Invader, matter2003, NightStar, olminator, saebel, Telyn, wiz0floyd, wormheart, Zanderat, zone22 and many more.
+
Polish translation: Łukasz Niemczyk
+
Chinese translation: bluesky404
+
French translation: Kaos
+
Spanish translation: Sharlikran
+
Russian translation: Tokc.D.K.
+
Brazilian Portuguese translation: Kassane
+
Beta testing: Too many to list, thank you all!
-
BOSS is written in C++ and makes use of the Alphanum, Boost, libespm, libgit2, libloadorder, PugiXML, wxWidgets and yaml-cpp libraries. BOSS's reports are written in HTML5/CSS3/Javascript and make use of Polyfill.js to provide Internet Explorer 8 compatibility. Copyright license information for all these may be found here.
+
LOOT is written in C++ and makes use of the Alphanum, Boost, libespm, libgit2, libloadorder, PugiXML, wxWidgets and yaml-cpp libraries. LOOT's reports are written in HTML5/CSS3/Javascript and make use of Polyfill.js to provide Internet Explorer 8 compatibility. Copyright license information for all these may be found here.
While the GPL license allows anyone to make derivative works of BOSS, the BOSS Team encourages those thinking of doing so to first discuss their reasoning for such an endeavour with the Team. It may be that what the derivative work would do differently is already planned for a future version of BOSS or would be happily integrated into BOSS, thus avoiding any extra effort by others.
+
While the GPL license allows anyone to make derivative works of LOOT, the LOOT Team encourages those thinking of doing so to first discuss their reasoning for such an endeavour with the Team. It may be that what the derivative work would do differently is already planned for a future version of LOOT or would be happily integrated into LOOT, thus avoiding any extra effort by others.
-
BOSS has been specifically designed to prevent it being locked into the BOSS Team's official masterlist repositories. Nevertheless, the BOSS Team appeals to the community to avoid the distribution of unofficial masterlists, as this would only hamper the effort to create one set of stores for load order information. Any issues with a masterlist are best brought to the attention of the BOSS Team so that they may be remedied.
+
LOOT has been specifically designed to prevent it being locked into the LOOT Team's official masterlist repositories. Nevertheless, the LOOT Team appeals to the community to avoid the distribution of unofficial masterlists, as this would only hamper the effort to create one set of stores for load order information. Any issues with a masterlist are best brought to the attention of the LOOT Team so that they may be remedied.
GNU Free Documentation License Version 1.3 Notice:
Copyright (C) 2012—2014 WrinklyNinja
@@ -396,11 +391,11 @@ A copy of the license is included in the file named "GNU FDL v1.3.txt".Appendices
Introduction To Load Orders
-
This appendix provides a general overview of load ordering in the games BOSS supports for those who are unfamiliar with the concept. For simplicity, the game will be used when the text refers to any of the games that BOSS supports.
+
This appendix provides a general overview of load ordering in the games LOOT supports for those who are unfamiliar with the concept. For simplicity, the game will be used when the text refers to any of the games that LOOT supports.
Mod plugins for the game are files that end in .esp or .esm. These files are created by the game's official editing tools, or by third-party modders' tools. They contain various data records, which cover almost all aspects of what is in the game – NPCs, items, races, interiors, worlds, quests, etc. – and can either be new or changes to the records added by another plugin.
-
When the game is run, it loads each installed plugin one by one in a certain load order. The load order is important for two reasons:
+
When the game is run, it loads each installed plugin one by one in a certain load order. The load order is important for two reasons:
-
If one plugin changes a record added by another plugin, the former must load after the latter. If it doesn't, the game will crash on launch.
+
If one plugin changes a record added by another plugin, the former must load after the latter. If it doesn't, the game will crash on launch.
The game can only apply one version of a record, so if multiple plugins contain the same record, the last-loaded plugin's version overrides all others. This is known as the rule of one, and it holds true for almost all record types. Some overrides can cause problems in-game, and a good load order is one that arranges plugins to avoid such problems.
There are a few hardcoded rules related to load order:
@@ -415,25 +410,25 @@ A copy of the license is included in the file named "GNU FDL v1.3.txt".Dirty Edits, Mod Cleaning & CRCs
Dirty edits are often a side-effect of mod creation, and are often due to bugs in the utilities Bethesda has provided to create mods, rather than bad practice by mod authors. Dirty edits can cause a wide range of issues, including incorrect game settings, missing content, broken quests and crashing to desktop. The more dirty edits there are in a mod, and the more mods with dirty edits you use, the more likely you are to experience issues.
Thankfully there is a way to remove dirty edits from mods relatively easily, a process known as mod cleaning, using TES4Edit, FO3Edit, FNVEdit or TES5Edit (for Oblivion, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and Skyrim respectively). Detailed instructions and information on mod cleaning are available for Oblivion and Skyrim, with the process being largely the same for the others.
-
The problem of dirty edits is largely a problem of ignorance on the part of mod authors and users alike of the problems dirty mods can cause. As such, there are community efforts to raise awareness of dirty edits and cleaning. BOSS plays a key role in these efforts, as it holds the complete list of all known dirty mods, and it uses this information to provide notification messages to users for any dirty mods they have installed.
-
BOSS identifies and describes unclean plugins using four key pieces of information. They are:
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The problem of dirty edits is largely a problem of ignorance on the part of mod authors and users alike of the problems dirty mods can cause. As such, there are community efforts to raise awareness of dirty edits and cleaning. LOOT plays a key role in these efforts, as it holds the complete list of all known dirty mods (as does BOSS), and it uses this information to provide notification messages to users for any dirty mods they have installed.
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LOOT identifies and describes unclean plugins using four key pieces of information. They are:
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CRC value: CRC values are a highly accurate way of identifying files based on their contents, as if the contents change, so does the CRC value. BOSS identifies an unclean plugin by comparing the installed plugin's CRC value against the CRC values for known unclean versions of that plugin. This identification method has the limitation that it can't detect unclean plugins that aren't already known as such, and won't detect unclean but edited plugins, but it's a lot faster than actually checking for dirty edits in the plugin.
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CRC value: CRC values are a highly accurate way of identifying files based on their contents, as if the contents change, so does the CRC value. LOOT identifies an unclean plugin by comparing the installed plugin's CRC value against the CRC values for known unclean versions of that plugin. This identification method has the limitation that it can't detect unclean plugins that aren't already known as such, and won't detect unclean but edited plugins, but it's a lot faster than actually checking for dirty edits in the plugin.
ITM Count: ITM records are a type of dirty edit where a mod has overwritten something in the game without actually changing anything. If another mod higher up in the load order makes an intentional change to that thing, it will have its effect cancelled out by the ITM record, which can cause problems. The ITM count is the number of ITM records found and corrected in the mod plugin.
UDR Count: Deleting records is a significant cause of crashes and game bugs. UDRs are records that the mod deleted from the game or from another mod that have been corrected safely by undeleting them and disabling them instead, which has the same intended effect without causing issues. The UDR count is the number of deleted reference records found and corrected in the mod plugin.
Deleted Navmesh Count: Like deleting records, deleting navmeshes can cause crashes. However, these cannot be automatically corrected, and require manual cleaning. Navmeshes don't exist in Oblivion, so this information doesn't apply.
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In addition to the above, there is another type of dirty edit known as a wild edit. These are any edit that is unrelated to the purpose of the mod, and so provide unnecessary opportunity for conflicts with other mods that do need to change the same thing. It can be difficult to tell if an edit is a wild edit, and so they cannot be automatically cleaned. BOSS can still notify users of wild edits and link to information on fixing them if the CRCs of plugins with wild edits are reported, along with details on what needs cleaning.
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BOSS and the modding communities rely on user contribution of this information to progress. For information on how to contribute, see Contributing To BOSS. If you find that a mod contains dirty edits, you should also report this to the mod's author so that they can fix it.
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Note: TES4Edit et al. will include a variety of junk records in the ITM count for a plugin, such as new empty cells that are automatically generated and are almost impossible to remove. These junk records are non-harmful, and BOSS may inform users when a mod contains these and no true ITMs to avoid confusion.
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In addition to the above, there is another type of dirty edit known as a wild edit. These are any edit that is unrelated to the purpose of the mod, and so provide unnecessary opportunity for conflicts with other mods that do need to change the same thing. It can be difficult to tell if an edit is a wild edit, and so they cannot be automatically cleaned. LOOT can still notify users of wild edits and link to information on fixing them if the CRCs of plugins with wild edits are reported, along with details on what needs cleaning.
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LOOT and the modding communities rely on user contribution of this information to progress. For information on how to contribute, see Contributing To LOOT. If you find that a mod contains dirty edits, you should also report this to the mod's author so that they can fix it.
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Note: TES4Edit et al. will include a variety of junk records in the ITM count for a plugin, such as new empty cells that are automatically generated and are almost impossible to remove. These junk records are non-harmful, and LOOT may inform users when a mod contains these and no true ITMs to avoid confusion.
File Permissions
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If you are running Windows Vista or a later version of Windows, BOSS (and other modding programs) may be prevented from working correctly by the UAC security feature. There are four common workarounds to this problem:
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If you are running Windows Vista or a later version of Windows, LOOT (and other modding programs) may be prevented from working correctly by the UAC security feature. There are four common workarounds to this problem:
Install the game outside the Program Files (or Program Files (x86) if on 64-bit Windows). UAC prevents unauthorised edits to these folders, so by installing the game outside of them, you remove it from UAC's reach, allowing you to use mods more easily.
Deactivate UAC. This can be done from the Control Panel, and will turn UAC off across the whole of your computer. It is up to you whether you feel that you have adequate security measures in place to do this without risk.
Give yourself Full Control permissions over your game install folder. This will allow you to make any edits you desire while keeping UAC active and on guard for any edits made by programs you do not run, and also means that you do not need to reinstall your game to a new location.
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Run BOSS as an Administrator. Right-click the BOSS executable, or the shortcut if launching from a shortcut, and select Run as administrator.
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Run LOOT as an Administrator. Right-click the LOOT executable, or the shortcut if launching from a shortcut, and select Run as administrator.
For those that wish to take the third option and give themselves Full Control permissions, here is a guide:
@@ -444,65 +439,12 @@ A copy of the license is included in the file named "GNU FDL v1.3.txt".In the Properties window, select OK to exit. You should now have Full Control permissions over your chosen folder.
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Differences between BOSS v2 and v3
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BOSS version 3 is an almost complete redesign and rewrite of v2. As part of its development, many features present in v2 have been changed or removed, and the table below provides an overview of these changes.
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Feature / Component
BOSS v2
BOSS v3
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Plugin sorting mechanism
BOSS scans the game plugin folder for plugins, and arranges those found in the order that they appear in the masterlist. This order is then altered according to any user rules present in the userlist.
BOSS scans the game plugin folder for plugins, reads their contents, and uses this data on their masters and the records they change in conjunction with any additional metadata supplied by the masterlist and userlist to calculate the optimal load order according to its sorting algorithm. The load order produced is generally different to that provided by v2.
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Masterlist updating
BOSS downloads a masterlist and inserts into it version information that is scraped from Google Code.
BOSS uses Git to update masterlists, benefiting from a more robust mechanism with support for differential updates (reducing the amount of data that needs to be downloaded) and rolling back revisions in case of parsing errors.
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Masterlist structure & syntax
Uses a custom file format.
Uses YAML 1.2, with custom condition string syntax modelled after Python's condition expressions.
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Userlist structure & syntax
Uses a custom file format, different from the masterlist format.
Uses the same format and syntax as the masterlist.
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Morrowind support
Technically supports Morrowind, though its masterlist is near-empty.
Does not support Morrowind. Morrowind mod users are advised to use mlox.
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BOSS file locations
All BOSS's files are stored in the BOSS folder first installed.
BOSS stores any files it creates (reports, masterlists, userlists, settings) in the %LOCALAPPDATA%\BOSS folder.
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Game selection on first run.
BOSS asks the user to select a game from a list.
BOSS selects the first game detected.
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File CRC calculation
File CRC calculation is optional.
File CRC calculation is always-on, as it no longer presents any significant additional performance impact.
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BOSS Log / Report format
The BOSS Log can either be generated as plain text or as HTML.
The BOSS Report can only be generated as HTML.
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Perform trial run
BOSS can perform a trial run, in which it displays the load order it would set, but does not set it.
The option to perform a trial run has been removed, as equivalent functionality is provided by cancelling sorting at the confirmation dialog.
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Update masterlist only
BOSS can be run to update a game's masterlist without then sorting any plugins, even if that game is not installed.
BOSS can only update a masterlist as part of the sorting process, and cannot run for games that are not installed. This is because BOSS's updating process no longer inserts version information into the masterlists, and so the exact same masterlists that BOSS uses can now be downloaded from BOSS's online repositories using a web browser, removing the need for BOSS to include this functionality.
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Undo changes
It is possible to run BOSS to undo its changes back one run or two.
It is no longer possible to undo load order changes through BOSS. Instead a confirmation dialog is provided to allow users to make sure that BOSS will set a load order they want, and to give them a last-minute opportunity to backup their existing load order, perhaps using a mod manager of their choice.
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Optionally suppress BOSS Log / Report display
BOSS allows the user to stop the BOSS Log being automatically displayed after sorting.
The BOSS Report is always displayed after sorting, as it is more important for the user to verify that the automated sorting process completed successfully and correctly.
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Nehrim support
BOSS provides first-class support for Nehrim alongside Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas.
BOSS supports Nehrim as an Oblivion-derived game instance, and the Nehrim and Oblivion masterlists have been merged. This is due to v3's generalised support for Total Conversion mods across the games it supports. In practice Nehrim support appears the same.
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User rules
BOSS allows the user to customise its output by providing user rules for specifying relative plugin positions and for adding to or replacing the messages attached to mods.
BOSS allows the user to add to any metadata provided by the masterlist.
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It is no longer possible to precisely set a plugin's load order position. BOSS can be told that a plugin A has to load after another plugin B, but where exactly after B that plugin A is positioned is decided by the sorting algorithm.
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It is no longer possible to specify a plugin A to load before another plugin B, though a similar effect may be produced by loading B after A.
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It is no longer possible to sort or insert into groups, as groups no longer exist.
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It is no longer possible to replace messages provided by the masterlist.
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Knowledge of message syntax is no longer required to add new messages.
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It is now possible to provide conditions for user-added messages.
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Updating BOSS
BOSS includes an update checker and a semi-automated update process.
BOSS no longer includes an update checker or a semi-automated update process. This is because new releases are announced in the masterlists anyway, and the semi-automated update process is not as efficient as using the installer.
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Manual editing of user rules / metadata
BOSS allows the user to open the userlist file for manual editing from the GUI.
BOSS only provides the GUI metadata editor for editing the userlist. Users may still edit the userlist file manually, but it must also be located manually.
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Proxy Support
BOSS includes support for proxies, allowing users to specify the proxy hostname and port number and provide authentication details.
BOSS no longer includes any proxy support, as the proxy support in v2 was reported broken a few times and it was deemed not worth fixing due to very low usage.
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BOSS Log / Report content
The BOSS Log includes the following sections:
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Summary
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User Rules
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Script Extender Plugins
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Recognised Plugins
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Unrecognised Plugins
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The user rules and script extender plugins sections have been removed as user metadata cannot fail to be applied, and the script extender plugins information was deemed irrelevant. The recognised and unrecognised plugins sections have been combined into one Details section, as there is no longer any such thing as an unrecognised plugin.
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BOSS Log / Report Filters
The HTML BOSS Log includes a large number of filters to selectively hide content.
The number of filters has been reduced, as some are no longer applicable:
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BOSS no longer labels active plugins as such, so the active label filter has been removed.
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Requirement and incompatibility messages no longer exist (instead warnings are displayed if the relevant files are missing / present), so their corresponding filters have been removed.
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The hide clean plugins filter has been removed as it was misleading, since the plugins hidden were not necessary clean.
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BOSS Log plugin submission
BOSS allows users to submit unrecognised plugins from the HTML BOSS Log.
As there is no longer any such thing as an unrecognised plugin, the submission system has been removed.
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BOSS Log display customisation
BOSS allows users to customise the colour scheme used by the BOSS Log.
BOSS does not allow customisation of the colour scheme used by the BOSS report. However, the styling is now provided by a static stylesheet instead of being dynamically generated within the report every time BOSS is run, so this static stylesheet can be edited to achieve the same effect.
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Command line interface
BOSS provides a command line interface.
BOSS does not provide a command line interface, as the greater need for user interaction makes it unwieldy.
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Windows XP support
Supports Windows XP.
Does not support Windows XP.
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Version History
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Only the history of version 3 is given, as changes prior to version 3 are irrelevant due to the complete redesign that occurred. The masterlists are updated far too frequently for their changes to be concisely recorded here, but a full history of changes to them may be viewed by browsing the GitHub repositories.
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Only program history is recorded here. The masterlists are updated far too frequently for their changes to be concisely recorded here, but a full history of changes to them may be viewed by browsing the GitHub repositories.
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3.0.0 - Day February 2014
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0.5.0 - Day March 2014
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BOSS completely redesigned from scratch and almost completely rewritten. See Differences between BOSS v2 and v3 for an overview of the changes.
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