====== zformat_CreateGeneric ======

===== Description =====

Create an instance of a file format handler for a particular [[zeolite:mapID|map type]]. This function, or [[zeolite:functions:zformat_Create]], must be called at least once by a file input/output plugin to register a file format before it can be used to save or load map files.

===== Files =====

^ Declaration | ''Zeolite.h'' |
^ Implementation | ''Zeolite.cpp'' |

===== Function prototype =====

<code="C++">
ZFORMAT zformat_CreateGeneric(long MapTypeID, const char* lpLongName, const char* lpFileExt, const char* lpNativeProgramName);
</code>

===== Arguments =====

^  Name  ^  Type  ^ Comment ^
|  //MapTypeID//  |  ''long''  | An integer containing the [[zeolite:mapID|map type identifier]] that can be saved/loaded by this format. |
|  //lpLongName//  |  ''const char*''  | A pointer to a C-style string, containing the full display name of the format (e.g. "L3DT Design map File"). |
|  //lpFileExt//  |  ''const char*''  | A pointer to a C-style string, containing the file extension (e.g. "dmf"). |
|  //lpFileExt//  |  ''const char*''  | A pointer to a C-style string, containing the name of the program to which this format is considered native (e.g. "L3DT"). |

===== Return value =====

Null if an error occurred or the format already existed, and otherwise a valid [[zeolite:types:ZFORMAT]] handle.

===== Comments =====

==== Comparison with zformat_Create ====

The difference between this function and [[zeolite:functions:zformat_Create]] is perhaps best explained by examples of the usage of the ZFORMATs created by these functions:
  * When saving some generic colour map, such as a screen capture, L3DT will use the ZFORMAT created by ''zformat_CreateGeneric'' for the ''MAP_RGB'' type.
  * When saving the map project's light map and texture map, L3DT will use the ZFORMAT created for those maps using ''zformat_Create''. 
Even though the texture and light maps are actually of type ''MAP_RGB'', they have their own format settings (created by ''zformat_Create'') so that the user can set specific formation options for them. 



==== Alpha map formats ====

The [[l3dt:userguide:ops:alpha|Alpha map export]] from L3DT uses the lists of formats created for the ''MAP_BYTE'', ''MAP_RGB'', and ''MAP_RGBA'' types. ''MAP_BYTE'' is used for one layer/image, ''MAP_RGB'' for three, and ''MAP_RGBA'' for four.