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Version: Stable

Glossary

Short definitions of the words used across these docs, with a link to the page that covers each one.

Products​

  • Zaparoo Core: the service that runs on your gaming device. It watches readers, reads tokens, and launches games and media. See Zaparoo Core.
  • Zaparoo App: the free iOS and Android app for connecting to Core, browsing your library, and writing tokens. See Zaparoo App.
  • Zaparoo App Pro (Pro): a one-time in-app purchase that turns your phone into a wireless reader. Included with Warp. See Pro.
  • Web UI: the browser version of the app, built into Core. See Web UI.
  • Terminal UI (TUI): the text menu built into Core for settings, tokens, backups, and logs. It opens when you run Core by hand on platforms that have it. See Terminal UI.
  • Core API: the local JSON-RPC API that Core exposes. The App, Web UI, and third-party tools all talk to Core through it. See the Core API reference.
  • Zaparoo Frontend: a TV and controller-friendly interface for browsing and launching your library on MiSTer. See Zaparoo Frontend.
  • Zaparoo Online: a free, optional account for play history sync, virtual cards and decks, and the User API. See Zaparoo Online.
  • Warp: the paid tier of Zaparoo Online. Automatic off-site backups of your Zaparoo data (plus saves and settings on MiSTer), with App Pro included. See cloud backup.
  • Zaparoo Designer: the web app for designing printable card labels. See Zaparoo Designer.
  • ZapESP32: open-source firmware that turns an ESP32 board into a wireless NFC reader. See ZapESP32.
  • Zaparoo Shop: official readers, cards, and starter kits, tested with Zaparoo. Purchases fund development. See the Zaparoo Shop.
  • Zaparoo Runtime: the permanent Steam shortcut Core adds on SteamOS so emulators run as Steam-owned sessions in Gaming Mode. See SteamOS launchers.
  • Pairing: approving a client such as the App, a browser, or a tool with a six-digit PIN so it can talk to Core over an encrypted connection. See encryption.

Tokens and readers​

  • Token: any physical object Zaparoo can scan: an NFC card, sticker, or toy, a QR code, a barcode, a disc, or a USB stick. Software sources such as the API, MQTT, and the file reader can also act as tokens without any hardware. See tokens.
  • NFC: near-field communication, the short-range wireless standard that phones and readers use to talk to a tag held a few centimeters away. Zaparoo's most common tokens are NFC cards. See NFC cards and tags.
  • RFID: radio-frequency identification, the broader family of contactless ID technologies that NFC belongs to. Readers sold as "RFID" are not all NFC readers, so check the readers pages before buying one.
  • Tag and card: an NFC chip in any form. A card is a tag in credit-card shape. See NFC cards and tags.
  • NTAG and MIFARE Classic: the two common NFC chip families. NTAG215 is the usual choice. See NTAG and MIFARE.
  • NDEF: the standard format for data stored on an NFC tag. Zaparoo writes ZapScript as NDEF text. The "NDEF payload" figures on tag pages are how much of that text fits.
  • UID: the unique ID burned into every NFC chip. Read-only tokens such as toys are matched by UID. See NFC toys.
  • Reader: the hardware that scans tokens, such as a USB NFC reader, a barcode scanner, or an optical drive. See readers.
  • Driver: the piece of Core that talks to a particular reader model. See reader drivers.
  • Zap Link: a short URL that points to ZapScript hosted online, so the script can change without rewriting the tag. Virtual cards in Zaparoo Online use Zap Links. See Zap Links.

What happens on a scan​

  • ZapScript: the small scripting language written to tokens that tells Zaparoo what to do. See ZapScript.
  • Mapping: a rule that assigns ZapScript to a token that cannot be written, such as a toy, a barcode, or a disc. See mappings.
  • Launcher: the part of Core that starts a game or app on a platform, such as a MiSTer core or a Steam shortcut. See launchers.
  • Launchable: anything Core can start, including games, apps, scripts, and media files.
  • Media database: Core's index of everything it can launch. Games only show up in the App, Frontend, and search after a media database update, so run one after installing Core or adding files. See media database and scraping.
  • System: a console, computer, or category Core uses to group media, such as SNES or Arcade. See systems.
  • Scraping: importing artwork and metadata for indexed media from local files. See scraping.
  • Hook: ZapScript that runs automatically at an event such as a scan or a launch. See hooks.
  • Playlist: a list of media or actions that one token steps through on repeated scans. See playlists.
  • Launch guard: a setting that holds a scan for confirmation instead of interrupting the current game. See play controls.
  • Profile: a per-person set of settings, playtime limits, and (on MiSTer) saves. See device profiles.
  • Publisher: an outbound connection that sends Core events to MQTT or other software. See publishers.
  • Tap mode: the default scan mode. You tap a token and take it away, and the media keeps running until you scan something else. See scan mode.
  • Hold mode: the other scan mode. The token has to stay on the reader for as long as the media plays, and removing it stops the media, like real physical media. See scan mode.

Platform terms​

  • Update All: the community updater script for MiSTer. It installs and updates Zaparoo Core alongside cores and other tools. See MiSTer.
  • Gaming Mode and Desktop Mode: the two interfaces on SteamOS and Steam Deck. Gaming Mode is the controller-first Steam interface; Desktop Mode is a normal Linux desktop, and it is where the Core installer runs. See SteamOS.
  • Zap: the home tab of the Zaparoo App, where you scan tokens with your phone and see what is playing. See Zaparoo App.