Technical Reference - File format

This is a description of the MyAlbum album files (.alb) version 1.20

Album header

Offset	Size	Description
0	Char x 4	File signature ("MALB" string)
4	Long	File version
8	String	Album name
	String	Album comment
n	Date	Date the album was last saved
n+4	Date	Date the album was created
n+8	Long	Thumbnail size in pixel
n+12	Long	Slide size in pixel
n+16	Long	Margin size in pixel (slide spacing)
n+20	Long	Display mode
n+24	Long	Slideshow delay tenths of second
n+28	Font	Thumbnail font
	Font	Full-screen display comment font
	Font	Font used for the keywords-tabs
	Color	Color used for the background in full-screen mode
	Color	Color used for the comment background
	Color	Color used for the comment text
	Color	Color used for the full comment background
	Color	Color used for the full comment text
	Boolean	Comment flags Is the comment font transparent (no background)
	String	Display string for the thumbnail text
	String	Display string for the full-screen comment
	String	Display string for the full-screen full-comment
	String	Last folder used for adding pictures to the album
	String	Display string for the picture Quick Info
	String	Album copyright or information text
	String	Reserved
	Long	Crop mode
	Long	Reserved
	Long	Reserved
	String	Play command for the album
	String	Display string for the tool tip
	String	reserved
	Long	Number of keywords
		Keyword block:
	String	Keyword name
	Short	Keyword internal id
	Long	Keyword status (see the KWS_xxx constants)
	String	Keyword comment
	String	Keyword dynamical expression
	Long	Keyword color (reserved)
	Short	Parent keyword id (0: top-level keyword)
	.....	next keywords
	Long	Number of custom fields
		Custom Field block:
	String	Custom field name
	Short	Custom field internal id
	Short	Custom field type (0:string, 1:date, 2:time, 6:list)
	Long	Custom field (see the KWS_xxx constants)
	String	Custom field comment
	String	Custom field dynamical expression (reserved)
	Long	Custom field color (reserved)
	Short	Number of items in the list (used only if type=6, 0 otherwise)
	String	If type=6, strings of the list items (x count in the previous field)
	....	next custom fields
	Long	Number of pictures
	....	picture blocks
	Long	Number of columns in the List View And for each of the columns:
	Long	Width of the column (unused)
	String	Header of the column
	String	Display String of the column
	String	Write Display String of the column
	Long	Status of the column
	String	Export: output folder
	Long	Export: number of sub-folder to take into account
	Long	Export: page size in thumbnails (width)
	Long	Export: page size in thumbnails (height)
	Long	Export: page spacing
	Long	Export: file type of the exported thumbnails (use TYPE_xxx constants)
	Long	Export: prefix or suffix the name of the exported thumbnails (use TYPE_xxx constants)
	String	Export: string to add to the name of the exported thumbnails
	Color	Export: background color
	Color	Export: text color
	String	Export: Display String of the page title
	String	Export: Display String of the page subtitle
	String	Export: Display String of the picture filename
	String	Export: Display String of the picture comment
	String	Export: Display String of the picture tooltip
	String	Export: Display String of the page footer
	Long	Export: flags for using or not the above Display Strings
	String	Convert & resize: output folder

Picture block

Offset	Size	Description
0	Long	Picture status
4	String	Full pathname of the picture
	Long	Position in the above string of the base filename
	Long	Size of the file containing the picture in bytes
	Date	Date the picture was last modified
	String	Full comment of the picture
	String	URL associated to the picture
	String	Play command for background music
	Long	Width of the picture in pixel
	Long	Height of the picture in pixel
	Long	Color depth of the picture (number of bits per pixel)
	Long	Reserved
	Long	Reserved
	Long	Size in bytes of the thumbnail image
	Long	Size in bytes of the compressed thumbnail image (for compressed album)
	Byte x n	Thumbnail image (n is either the uncompressed or the compressed size).
	Long	Number of keywords attached to the picture
	Short x n	List of the id of the attached keywords
	Long	Number of custom fields defined for this picture
	Short	Custom field id
	Short	Custom field type
	String	If type is string, value of the custom field
	Date	If type is date or time, date or time value of the custom field
	....	next custom field value
	Rectangle	Cropping rectangle
	Long	Rotation (reserved for future use)

Data type used

Simple types

Char: A single byte

Short: A double byte value

Long: A four byte value

String: String prefixed by its length (if length <255, length is coded with a single byte, if < 0xfffe, length is 3 byte long: a 0xff byte followed by the length itself coded as a short; otherwise, length is 7 byte long, 3 0xff bytes followed by the length itself coded as a long).

Struct type

Font

Offset	Size	Description
0	Long	Height of the font
4	Long	Font weight (400 is normal, 700 is bold)
8	Char	Specifies an italic font if set to TRUE
9	Char	Specifies an underlined font if set to TRUE
10	Char	Specifies a strikeout font if set to TRUE
11	String	Typeface name of the font

Color

Offset	Size	Description
0	Char	Intensity value for the red component
1	Char	Intensity value for the green component
2	Char	Intensity value for the blue component
3	Char	Reserved (0)