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 Ruby generated by Kaitai Struct depends on the Ruby runtime library. You have to install it before you can parse data.
The Ruby runtime library can be installed from RubyGems:
gem install kaitai-struct
Parse a local file and get structure in memory:
data = ZxSpectrumTap.from_file("path/to/local/file.tap")
Or parse structure from a string of bytes:
bytes = "\x00\x01\x02..."
data = ZxSpectrumTap.new(Kaitai::Struct::Stream.new(bytes))
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
require 'kaitai/struct/struct'
unless Gem::Version.new(Kaitai::Struct::VERSION) >= Gem::Version.new('0.9')
raise "Incompatible Kaitai Struct Ruby API: 0.9 or later is required, but you have #{Kaitai::Struct::VERSION}"
end
##
# 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.
# @see https://sinclair.wiki.zxnet.co.uk/wiki/TAP_format Source
class ZxSpectrumTap < Kaitai::Struct::Struct
FLAG_ENUM = {
0 => :flag_enum_header,
255 => :flag_enum_data,
}
I__FLAG_ENUM = FLAG_ENUM.invert
HEADER_TYPE_ENUM = {
0 => :header_type_enum_program,
1 => :header_type_enum_num_array,
2 => :header_type_enum_char_array,
3 => :header_type_enum_bytes,
}
I__HEADER_TYPE_ENUM = HEADER_TYPE_ENUM.invert
def initialize(_io, _parent = nil, _root = self)
super(_io, _parent, _root)
_read
end
def _read
@blocks = []
i = 0
while not @_io.eof?
@blocks << Block.new(@_io, self, @_root)
i += 1
end
self
end
class Block < Kaitai::Struct::Struct
def initialize(_io, _parent = nil, _root = self)
super(_io, _parent, _root)
_read
end
def _read
@len_block = @_io.read_u2le
@flag = Kaitai::Struct::Stream::resolve_enum(ZxSpectrumTap::FLAG_ENUM, @_io.read_u1)
if ((len_block == 19) && (flag == :flag_enum_header))
@header = Header.new(@_io, self, @_root)
end
if len_block == 19
@data = @_io.read_bytes((header.len_data + 4))
end
if flag == :flag_enum_data
@headerless_data = @_io.read_bytes((len_block - 1))
end
self
end
attr_reader :len_block
attr_reader :flag
attr_reader :header
attr_reader :data
attr_reader :headerless_data
end
class ProgramParams < Kaitai::Struct::Struct
def initialize(_io, _parent = nil, _root = self)
super(_io, _parent, _root)
_read
end
def _read
@autostart_line = @_io.read_u2le
@len_program = @_io.read_u2le
self
end
attr_reader :autostart_line
attr_reader :len_program
end
class BytesParams < Kaitai::Struct::Struct
def initialize(_io, _parent = nil, _root = self)
super(_io, _parent, _root)
_read
end
def _read
@start_address = @_io.read_u2le
@reserved = @_io.read_bytes(2)
self
end
attr_reader :start_address
attr_reader :reserved
end
class Header < Kaitai::Struct::Struct
def initialize(_io, _parent = nil, _root = self)
super(_io, _parent, _root)
_read
end
def _read
@header_type = Kaitai::Struct::Stream::resolve_enum(ZxSpectrumTap::HEADER_TYPE_ENUM, @_io.read_u1)
@filename = Kaitai::Struct::Stream::bytes_strip_right(@_io.read_bytes(10), 32)
@len_data = @_io.read_u2le
case header_type
when :header_type_enum_program
@params = ProgramParams.new(@_io, self, @_root)
when :header_type_enum_num_array
@params = ArrayParams.new(@_io, self, @_root)
when :header_type_enum_char_array
@params = ArrayParams.new(@_io, self, @_root)
when :header_type_enum_bytes
@params = BytesParams.new(@_io, self, @_root)
end
@checksum = @_io.read_u1
self
end
attr_reader :header_type
attr_reader :filename
attr_reader :len_data
attr_reader :params
##
# Bitwise XOR of all bytes including the flag byte
attr_reader :checksum
end
class ArrayParams < Kaitai::Struct::Struct
def initialize(_io, _parent = nil, _root = self)
super(_io, _parent, _root)
_read
end
def _read
@reserved = @_io.read_u1
@var_name = @_io.read_u1
@reserved1 = @_io.read_bytes(2)
raise Kaitai::Struct::ValidationNotEqualError.new([0, 128].pack('C*'), reserved1, _io, "/types/array_params/seq/2") if not reserved1 == [0, 128].pack('C*')
self
end
attr_reader :reserved
##
# Variable name (1..26 meaning A$..Z$ +192)
attr_reader :var_name
attr_reader :reserved1
end
attr_reader :blocks
end