FINALE Fireworks User Guide

20 FINALE CSV Script Format
The File menu lets you save your show in a number of formats. One of the options in the menu is Export
Finale Generic CSV Script, FINALE’s own version of a firing script. The script’s format is explained in the table
below. This information is provided, primarily, for firing system manufacturers who want to support the
FINALE firing script format.
File Layout and Formatting Rules
The first line in the FINALE CSV script lists the names of the script’s columns. The column names, which
are listed in the format table, are provided as a convenience. If you’re writing a program to read the script,
you should ignore this first row. The end of the line is marked with a newline character (\r\n).
Each of the rest of the lines in the file describes a single firework “event” (or shot), where a shot can launch
more than one firework. The format of a single line follows these rules:
• Values are comma-separated with no whitespace surrounding the commas.
• There are 17 columns in the format. Thus, each line will contain 16 commas, even if some of the columns
don’t contain value.
• A value contains a string, a single character, an integer, or a floating-point number (a number with a
fractional part).
• String values are ASCII characters only.
• Whitespace in a string value is replaced with an underbar, and double quotes and commas are removed.
For example, Red Peony 3”, No Tail becomes Red_Peony3NoTail.
• Although whitespace is replaced with underbars in strings, if a row represents a shot that contains more
than one launch, some of the columns will contain whitespace. This will be explained in the format table.
• Unless otherwise noted, floating-point numbers (numbers that have a fractional part) are always given to
two decimal places: 1.05, 3.40, 6.00.
• The end of a line is marked with a newline character (\r\n).
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