Simplifying the DROID signature file from PRONOM reports for the PRONOM hackathon

[ross-spencer]

Hi all,

For the PRONOM hackathon I followed up on some previous work I did using some tips from Matt Palmer about how the DROID signature files could be simplified using standard signature syntax.

The technique makes it easier to produce a DROID compatible signature file from standard PRONOM data. It may be of interest to folks, especially in future efforts moving away from legacy code used to output the signature file.

The result identifies the majority of the skeleton suite and it would just need a little more forensic research to determine the cause of any divergence should the output be considered useful. The result is more a proof of the concept and DROID's capabilities with this syntax.

I've written about the work here: https://exponentialdecay.co.uk/blog/simpledroid-completing-the-circle/

For those interested in looking at the output there's a reference signature file in the simpledroid repository: https://github.com/ffdev-info/simpledroid/blob/5ad408f6d2838165acb73d55d8a93cb8375c6e6e/reference/DROID_SignatureFile_Simple_2024-11-11T12-29-22Z.xml 

Best,

Ross