Template talk:Type Code

I guess we ought to have a uniform way to list creator codes, in addition to type codes. We could add a parameter to this template (pretty easy), or add a parameter to the FormatInfo template (harder, at least for me). Or, since the FormatInfo param is basically free-form, we could make no template changes, and just decide on a way to write it that supports creator codes.

Is there a standard way to write the combination of a creator and type code, in the Mac world? Like "CCCC::TTTT", or "c=CCCC/t=TTTT"? How should we deal with the presumably common situation where an article covers formats with a single creator code, but multiple type codes that go with it? Jsummers (talk) 15:57, 9 May 2019 (UTC)

Type codes should be interchangeable with the way extensions are displayed. Creator codes are a different beast, a file format might have been created with different programs, with just an extension we are not sure which program created them, but if we still have the creator code we will. This article explains it better: CultofMac.

As far as writing them together, I have always seen them referred to as "Type/Creator". Maybe we could only include the different "Types" in the FormatInfo and then keep a separate list of Creator codes which link to format pages? I think the benefit would be greatest by having all these codes in one place so when someone comes across a file with no extension but can see the Type/Creator codes, they can identify them through a search. --Thorsted (talk) 18:06, 9 May 2019 (UTC)

"The Type/Creator name is 8 ASCII characters: the first 4 are the type, the second 4 the creator. " The Programmers Apple Mac Sourcebook page 80 notes --Thorsted (talk) 18:11, 9 May 2019 (UTC)

It would be nice if type codes always corresponded to file types, and yes it should have been that way. But, for example, the type code for BinHex format is TEXT, which is useless, because TEXT is the type code for plain text. If you want to know what type of file it is, you unfortunately have to take the creator code BNHQ into account. Writing something like "Type code: TEXTBNHQ" seems fine to me, but I don't know whether it makes sense to Mac users. Jsummers (talk) 18:44, 9 May 2019 (UTC)