Create MAME dummy/empty files for use with RetroArch a

.gitignore

._*

create_dummy_mame_clone_files.py

from pathlib import Path
import xmltodict

print('Starting')
folder_to_put_clone_files = Path('/path_to/mame_empty_clone_files/')
# https://www.progettosnaps.net/dats/MAME/
# https://github.com/libretro/FBNeo/tree/master/dats
# dat_file = Path('/path_to/MAME 0.236 (Arcade).dat') #Path to the MAME dat file
dat_file = Path('/path_to/ARCADE 0.236.dat') #Path to the MAME dat file

print('Parsing DAT file')
with open(dat_file,'rb') as fn:
    games = [x.get('@name') for x in xmltodict.parse(fn).get('datafile').get('machine') if x.get('@name') and x.get('@cloneof')] #MAME DAT
    #games = [x.get('@name') for x in xmltodict.parse(fn).get('datafile').get('game') if x.get('@name') and x.get('@cloneof')] #FBNeo DAT
    
for gg in games:
  folder_to_put_clone_files.joinpath(gg+'.zip').write_text('') #Write dummy file

print('Done!')

fbneo_empty_clone_files_100003.zip

mame_empty_clone_files_242.zip