Advanced Style Guide update and feedback thread

[tripredacus]

Thanks. I put media number as a higher priority than hidden numbers.

[tripredacus]

Updated Formatting section to Description post on ADV Guide to use the description template with examples that has been used internally for some time.

https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,10837.msg178499.html#msg178499

[tripredacus]

Feedback re PS1 [EU] portion

Info for Spain
1. Some releases have a Llévate gratis un juego PlayStation Platinum ver interior label on front. This phrase does not have Google Search results.
https://www.ebay.es/itm/126502760206
https://www.ebay.es/itm/256347612146

2. Proein distributor label
https://www.ebay.es/itm/126520297565

3. Lamee distributor label (not unique to PlayStation)
- Crash Bandicoot 2 example is in the comments of this page near the bottom
https://foro.spinecard.com/t/juegos-y-sus-cajas/1959
- Siphon Filter
https://es.wallapop.com/item/syphon-filter-ps1-pal-esp-1000451203
- Wrecking Crew
https://www.ebay.es/itm/225843960130

[dhaabi]

Feedback re PS1 [EU] portion

Info for Spain

The PlayStation [EU] post has been updated. I had come across the Llévate gratis un juego PlayStation Platinum ver interior label before at some point, but the other two label types are new to me. I wasn't sure how important it is to feature all three different Lamee distribution labels, but I did so anyway. Beyond color differences, the darker blue label formats its text differently too.

[dhaabi]

The Item Number post of the Advanced Style Guide would benefit from added information to the Items with multiple item numbers on the spine section.

Knowing how to properly format the Item Number field when multiple Sony serials are present would be beneficial. Specifically, it is not clear when the multiple serials are positioned on multiple lines.

Sometimes, the two serials are full:
SLUS-00879
SLUS-00900


And other times, only the first serial is full and the second is shortened:
ULES
00645
00869
7063491


Across various entries, I've seen this type of information formatted in the Item Number field in one of two ways:
SLUS-00879, SLUS-00900 or SLUS-00879/SLUS-00900
ULES-00645, 00869 or ULES-00645/00869

[tripredacus]

The item number field should only have 1 item number in it. If there are two, the the first one should be used, and additional ones go into description.

[dhaabi]

The item number field should only have 1 item number in it. If there are two, the the first one should be used, and additional ones go into description.

Does this extend to single-line, multi-number Sony serials then? Or serials which are one full sequence but utilize dividers? Because they seem no different than at least one of the aforementioned examples. For each of these items besides the multi-pack, the Sony serial represents the entire item and only that item. For instance, there is no product with serial SLUS-01251. Instead, there is only SLUS-01251/01295-01297. SLUS-01251 itself represents Disc 1 and not Final Fantasy IX. Keep in mind I am only referring to the Sony serial and not secondary item numbers.

SLUS-01251/01295-01297 to SLUS-01251


SLPS-02000~3 to SLPS-02000


SLUS-00662/00668/90028 to SLUS-00662

[tripredacus]

SLPS-02000~3 is ok but the others should just be the first.

[dhaabi]

The issue here is that what "one" item number is isn't clearly defined while being arbitrarily ruled in this moment. SLPS 02000~3 as one item number is no different than the examples I've presented. Four of five are abbreviated, though the formatting means varies.

SLPS 02000~3 is shortened from SLPS 02000/SLPS 02001/SLPS 02002/SLPS 02003
SLUS-01251/01295-01297 is shortened from SLUS-1251/SLUS-01295/SLUS-01296/SLUS-01297
SLUS-00662/00668/90028 is shortened from SLUS-00662/SLUS-00668/SLUS-90028
ULES 00645 00865 is shortened from ULES 00645/ULES 00865

There is also an argument that
SLUS-00879
SLUS-00900
is one sequence despite being formatted on two separate lines. It appears no different than other items with multi-line formatting styles, as often seen within the Xbox family. In those instances, we treat a line break as a space.

None of the five example items I've presented, by your definition, have "one" item number but are one single item number sequence.

Just like we have a rule that Sony serials must include a hyphen ( - ) when submitted as Item Number field data whether it's present or not, the same sort of guideline can just as easily be enforced with a forward slash ( / ) in these instances of long-chain, multi-part item number sequences specific to the Sony serial itself (therefore not secondary information such as 7063491 from the Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops / Silent Hill: Origins item) while maintaining the original formatting convention. Such a rule would instead allow these inputs:

SLPS-02000~3
SLUS-01251/01295-01297
SLUS-00662/00668/90028
ULES-00645/00865
SLUS-00879/SLUS-00900 or SLUS-00879 SLUS-00900

[tripredacus]

SLPS-02000~3
SLUS-01251/01295-01297
SLUS-00662/00668/90028
ULES-00645/00865
SLUS-00879/SLUS-00900 or SLUS-00879 SLUS-00900[/font]

I shall look at it again. All of the above examples except the one marked in red are valid as item numbers. We don't need to infer what the numbers are supposed to mean, we are only putting a number that is printed somewhere into a field. But the case of the red one, these are two numbers so only one should be used. This is another situation where we make a choice for a field due to a limitation. Ideally we would want the ability to attach multiple item numbers to an object instead of one.