Virtual File System
Files of various kinds are loaded from archives into a structure of lumps and namespaces.
Archives are any storage medium used for holding files. There are two types of archive: Wad archives and Resource archives.
The term lump refers to any file object loaded from an archive which has its name truncated to 8 characters and its extension stripped. Each lump is put into a namespace, the structure of which depends on the archive type.
The term file refers to any actual file within a real folder structure.
Wad archives are traditional DOOM WAD files. You can find more about them at the Doom Wiki.
Archives which have real folder structures are referred to in this document as resource archives or resources. Resource archives hold lumps as well as files.
The currently supported resource archive file types include ZIP
(.zip, .pk3, .pkz), 7-Zip (.7z, .pk7), BUILD GRP (.grp),
Quake PAK (.pak), and folders. Blood RFF files are also supported,
but are essentially useless. Single files can also be loaded as
archives, containing only themselves.
In short:
- Lump refers to an object from any archive type with an 8 character filename, extension removed.
- File refers to fully qualified object from a resource archive, which can also be used as a lump through its truncated name if it is in the right namespace.
- Archives are real files or folders which hold lumps and optionally files.
- Wad archives are archives which hold only lumps, and use marker lumps for determining lump namespaces.
- Resource archives are archives with a folder structure for determining lump namespaces, and also store fully qualified paths for files.