TP2 files serve as the backbone of WeiDU mods. They hold the component list and several overarching bits of information, in addition to the body of each component (the TP2 action list). With the exception of the component body, this information is almost entirely declarative in nature. Unfortunately, TP2 files are in many ways built around the assumption that mods are interactively installed one by one from a command shell. The idea concerned is a new format for a mod backbone (that is, the part of the TP2 file which is not the TP2 action list), one better suited for the future.
Since, despite all its importance, the backbone constitutes a relatively small and, counter-intuitively, unimportant part of mods, I, personally, feel like there could be a lot of win for a comparatively small amount of work. Naturally, TP2 files of today will remain supported (but this whole thing where you interactively install components one by one from a command shell is still on the chopping block).
This new format would be one accessible to third parties, unlike the TP2 of today, which only accessible to WeiDU itself. The body of the mod would essentially be a TPA file, which is referenced with essentially INCLUDE-like semantics. The rest would be semantically similar to TP2 files: a list of languages, analogues to TP2 flags and a list of components with analogues to component flags. The salient differences would be that many requests I have been getting, as well as several ideas of my own, would be possible, or easier to implement (TP2 is essentially a dead start for some of them).
Aside from the work of porting the mod's backbone to the new format, there would be some amount of work in extracting those TRA lines which are component names or otherwise used by the backbone itself, and putting them in some TRA-file analogue that is similar to the new format. The remaining TRA lines, which are used for PRINTs or written to creature or item files, etc, would/could remain in TRA format, but could need to be loaded by something other that the LANGUAGE statement. WeiDU itself has several facilities for loading TRA files in other ways.
The idea is not fully worked out yet, and if there's no interest, there's no need to push it. But if there is interest, we could proceed.
Comments?