TAP files are used by emulators of ZX Spectrum computer (released in 1982 by Sinclair Research). TAP file stores blocks of data as if they are written to magnetic tape, which was used as primary media for ZX Spectrum. Contents of this file can be viewed as a very simple linear filesystem, storing named files with some basic metainformation prepended as a header.
This page hosts a formal specification of ZX Spectrum tape file using Kaitai Struct. This specification can be automatically translated into a variety of programming languages to get a parsing library.
All parsing code for Python generated by Kaitai Struct depends on the Python runtime library. You have to install it before you can parse data.
The Python runtime library can be installed from PyPI:
python3 -m pip install kaitaistructParse a local file and get structure in memory:
data = ZxSpectrumTap.from_file("path/to/local/file.tap")
Or parse structure from a bytes:
from kaitaistruct import KaitaiStream, BytesIO
raw = b"\x00\x01\x02..."
data = ZxSpectrumTap(KaitaiStream(BytesIO(raw)))
After that, one can get various attributes from the structure by invoking getter methods like:
data.blocks # => get blocks
# This is a generated file! Please edit source .ksy file and use kaitai-struct-compiler to rebuild
import kaitaistruct
from kaitaistruct import KaitaiStruct, KaitaiStream, BytesIO
from enum import Enum
if getattr(kaitaistruct, 'API_VERSION', (0, 9)) < (0, 9):
raise Exception("Incompatible Kaitai Struct Python API: 0.9 or later is required, but you have %s" % (kaitaistruct.__version__))
class ZxSpectrumTap(KaitaiStruct):
"""TAP files are used by emulators of ZX Spectrum computer (released in
1982 by Sinclair Research). TAP file stores blocks of data as if
they are written to magnetic tape, which was used as primary media
for ZX Spectrum. Contents of this file can be viewed as a very
simple linear filesystem, storing named files with some basic
metainformation prepended as a header.
.. seealso::
Source - https://sinclair.wiki.zxnet.co.uk/wiki/TAP_format
"""
class FlagEnum(Enum):
header = 0
data = 255
class HeaderTypeEnum(Enum):
program = 0
num_array = 1
char_array = 2
bytes = 3
def __init__(self, _io, _parent=None, _root=None):
self._io = _io
self._parent = _parent
self._root = _root if _root else self
self._read()
def _read(self):
self.blocks = []
i = 0
while not self._io.is_eof():
self.blocks.append(ZxSpectrumTap.Block(self._io, self, self._root))
i += 1
class Block(KaitaiStruct):
def __init__(self, _io, _parent=None, _root=None):
self._io = _io
self._parent = _parent
self._root = _root if _root else self
self._read()
def _read(self):
self.len_block = self._io.read_u2le()
self.flag = KaitaiStream.resolve_enum(ZxSpectrumTap.FlagEnum, self._io.read_u1())
if ((self.len_block == 19) and (self.flag == ZxSpectrumTap.FlagEnum.header)) :
self.header = ZxSpectrumTap.Header(self._io, self, self._root)
if self.len_block == 19:
self.data = self._io.read_bytes((self.header.len_data + 4))
if self.flag == ZxSpectrumTap.FlagEnum.data:
self.headerless_data = self._io.read_bytes((self.len_block - 1))
class ProgramParams(KaitaiStruct):
def __init__(self, _io, _parent=None, _root=None):
self._io = _io
self._parent = _parent
self._root = _root if _root else self
self._read()
def _read(self):
self.autostart_line = self._io.read_u2le()
self.len_program = self._io.read_u2le()
class BytesParams(KaitaiStruct):
def __init__(self, _io, _parent=None, _root=None):
self._io = _io
self._parent = _parent
self._root = _root if _root else self
self._read()
def _read(self):
self.start_address = self._io.read_u2le()
self.reserved = self._io.read_bytes(2)
class Header(KaitaiStruct):
def __init__(self, _io, _parent=None, _root=None):
self._io = _io
self._parent = _parent
self._root = _root if _root else self
self._read()
def _read(self):
self.header_type = KaitaiStream.resolve_enum(ZxSpectrumTap.HeaderTypeEnum, self._io.read_u1())
self.filename = KaitaiStream.bytes_strip_right(self._io.read_bytes(10), 32)
self.len_data = self._io.read_u2le()
_on = self.header_type
if _on == ZxSpectrumTap.HeaderTypeEnum.program:
self.params = ZxSpectrumTap.ProgramParams(self._io, self, self._root)
elif _on == ZxSpectrumTap.HeaderTypeEnum.num_array:
self.params = ZxSpectrumTap.ArrayParams(self._io, self, self._root)
elif _on == ZxSpectrumTap.HeaderTypeEnum.char_array:
self.params = ZxSpectrumTap.ArrayParams(self._io, self, self._root)
elif _on == ZxSpectrumTap.HeaderTypeEnum.bytes:
self.params = ZxSpectrumTap.BytesParams(self._io, self, self._root)
self.checksum = self._io.read_u1()
class ArrayParams(KaitaiStruct):
def __init__(self, _io, _parent=None, _root=None):
self._io = _io
self._parent = _parent
self._root = _root if _root else self
self._read()
def _read(self):
self.reserved = self._io.read_u1()
self.var_name = self._io.read_u1()
self.reserved1 = self._io.read_bytes(2)
if not self.reserved1 == b"\x00\x80":
raise kaitaistruct.ValidationNotEqualError(b"\x00\x80", self.reserved1, self._io, u"/types/array_params/seq/2")