I guess I will wait for someone other defining the extension and will than implement that to support SEC-based data exchange.
An attempt at a "standard" has been tried before. The resulting extension will probably not be surprising... and will only be a standard in that people use it (i.e. not a published consortium-approved standard, or what have you...)
My current preference
1. Hex data is
served separately. I.E. you don't download it within a SEC file. You ask for a hex's data, and a separate file is sent containing all data for that hex.
This bypasses the "how do I put it in a SEC file" question, and moves on to a RESTful, internet 2.0 solution. How it is stored is up to you; the question today is how to serve it to others in a reasonably friendly way.
2. Each system in a hex is in its own "document" within one file. A "document" boundary is five or more asterisks starting on a line, like so (shown with optional hash and comment):
Code:
***** # end of document / start of new document
3. Each document starts with optional headers. Some of these "headers" are:
Code:
Galaxy: <galaxy name>
Sector: <sector identification>
UWP: <uwp line from a SEC file goes here>
Distance from Primary: <distance in AUs from the primary system.>
4. Next comes a blank line. This terminates the header, and signals the beginning of content for the system. If this is the first document, then this is the primary system.
5. The system data comes next. System data lists one planet or satellite per line. A line of data has four main groupings: location, spaces, world data, and comments. Planetary data (with optional population digit) looks like this:
Here, "Location" is simply the orbit number, and is kept deliberately distance-agnostic.
The world name is 20 characters long, space padded.
The base data is 2 characters long, space padded.
The trade code data is 17 characters long, space padded.
The population digit comes after the trade codes.
If comments were here, they would come after a hash mark (#).
Satellite data, with comments, looks like this:
Code:
3g Pashigamam Y100000-C Ml Na In Po De An Cp # lots of trade codes
Note that the location code here also has a satellite orbit letter, a-z, that is completely distance-agnostic.
I use the spaces after location data to indent the satellite data. It's not required, but it's nice for eye candy. A larger example:
Code:
Sector: A9101-4432X
UWP: Serk 0304 B89A866-C N Wa 723 Vf M4 V
0 Serk B89A866-C N Wa
0b Shabush YS00127-B NS
0d Aglashlanlur YS00265-B
0v Ginamiiduug YS00564-B Co # comment
1 Adnigazursha Y000000-B
2 Esha YB00000-B
2s Uglen YS00000-B
3 Alernishim YC00000-B
3d Uggargasmine H100000-B
3g Pashigamam Y100000-C Ml Na In Po De An Cp 0 # lots of codes
3j Liishkhi Y500000-B
3q Lushigegushe Y740000-C Re
4 Shilegishasha Y000000-B
5 Gakakakhinka YC00000-B
5a Nanikirgale YR00000-B
5b Kugdumgaa YR00000-B
5c Arshimzigam Y300000-B
5f Ungagiginik Y624000-B
5j Arguur Y663116-B
5s Kuukidiikuki Y543145-B
5t Mikagamgir Y100000-C Re
5v Irshashuusade Y300000-B
5z Arla Y450000-B
*******
UWP: <next world...>
<etc>