Appendix III - Patching STR# Resources


The STR# resource format used to store many of the strings in EV may seem to be incompatible with the flexible nature of plugin files. For example, a plugin for a new ship would have to replace several of the built-in STR# resources to incorporate its new name into the game. The problem arises when you want to use two plugins that try to modify the same STR# resource.

The solution is not to changes the STR# resources at all, but to use EV’s handy string patching functionality by updating only select strings in a STR# resource by providing EV with a properly-numbered 'STR ' resource. For example, to change the first cargo type from food to something else, you’d simply create a 'STR ' resource with the ID 9000 and type in the name of your new commodity. A chart of 'STR ' resource numbers is provided below:

String Type:	Replacement 'STR ' ID range:
Message buoys	1000-2500
Short outfit names	3000-3127
Lowercase outfit names	3200-3327
Lowercase plural outfit names	3400-3527
Short shipyard names	3600-3663
Long shipyard names	3700-3763
Short ship names for communications dialog	3800-3863
Government abbreviations for target display	4000-4127
Government short names for comm dialog	4200-4327
Hail quotes	5000-5511
Disaster news	6000-6127
Stellar types	7000-7063
jünk abbreviations	8000-8127
Lowercase jünk names	8200-8327
Generic cargo names	9000-9063
Lowercase cargo names	9100-9163
Cargo abbreviations for status display	9200-9263
Base prices of commodities	9300-9305
Commodity abbreviations for status display	9400-9405


(A similar function exists for updating the graphics for the shipyard and outfit menus - see the note at the top of this document for details.)