TXT — In-Game Text and UI Layout (.TXT)¶

FA_2.LIB contains 8 .TXT files. The extension covers three distinct uses of the same directive engine: campaign selection descriptions, interactive UI screen templates, and plain-text content (credits). All are plain ASCII, CRLF.

Tools¶

fx¶

fx txt info <file.TXT>     # kind + directive structure + round-trip check

The parser is line-preserving — txt_read/txt_write round-trip any input byte-identically while exposing the directive structure — and is written for reuse by the .MT briefing codec (#108), which shares the directive engine.

File Layout¶

Plain text; no binary fields.

Directive Engine¶

.TXT and .MT share one directive engine — the text interpreter at 0x47E1B0. There are no "UI-specific additions": .button and .picture are in the same vocabulary as .header, and a briefing could use them. What differs is which files use which.

The vocabulary is a fact read out of the executable; the interpreter compares each token against exactly this set, lowercased, and renders anything else as text. The complete table is in MT.md. The UI templates lean on:

Directive	Description
`.button <label> ..button`	Interactive button; the label is between the open/close tags
`.dbutton <label> ..dbutton`	The same, disabled
`.picture <name>`	Image — the engine renders the current context image (e.g. nose art)
`.page`	Page break — advance to the next screen without starting a new section

Because an unknown .-token is just text, a parser must match the vocabulary, not assume any .-token is a directive: a real briefing writes "get the .ell out" as prose (~K30.MT), and fx used to report that as a directive (#491).

Campaign Description (6 files)¶

Two-section structure. Section 2 contains only END — a sentinel the engine uses to detect end-of-file.

.section 1
.header
<Campaign title>
.body
<One-paragraph description>
.section 2
END

Example — BALTIC.TXT:

.section 1
.header
The Baltics 2009
.body
Fly missions over Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, defending them from aggression.
.section 2
END

UI Layout Template (SHWPILOT.TXT)¶

Defines the Pilot Service Record screen. Uses .page to separate tabs, .button for navigation controls, and .picture as the image render target for nose/tail art. Button content between .button and ..button is the button label; an empty .button ..button pair defines an editable input field.

.center
.header PILOT SERVICE RECORD .body

.left

NAME: .button  ..button

CALLSIGN: .button  ..button
.page
.center
.header NOSE ART .body

.picture

.button Previous Picture ..button    .button Next Picture ..button

Plain Text (CREDITS.TXT)¶

No directives. Raw ASCII credits block rendered verbatim.

File Inventory¶

File	Size	Type
BALTIC.TXT	147 B	Campaign description
EGYPT.TXT	136 B	Campaign description
KURILE.TXT	171 B	Campaign description
UKRAINE.TXT	151 B	Campaign description
VIETNAM.TXT	154 B	Campaign description
VLAD.TXT	149 B	Campaign description
SHWPILOT.TXT	947 B	UI layout template (Pilot Service Record screen)
CREDITS.TXT	1036 B	Plain text (no directives)

All 8 live in FA_2.LIB.

Formats: CAM — campaign definitions paired with campaign description .TXT files; MNU — the campaign selection menu that renders these descriptions; MT — mission briefing text through the same interpreter, and the complete directive table; P — pilot save data displayed by SHWPILOT.TXT.