cardsalso

Cardsalso is a term used to describe a data interchange format and metadata model for representing playing cards, decks, and related game actions in digital environments. It is designed to enable consistent description of individual cards, collections of cards, and stateful game interactions across different games and platforms.

Conceptually, cardsalso defines four primary entities: Card, Deck, GameState, and Event. A Card includes a unique identifier, suit, rank, and optional metadata such as image asset references and localization labels. A Deck groups cards by reference and may record ordering or shuffling history. GameState captures hands, draws, discards, current turn, and visible information. Event models actions such as draw, play, discard, reveal, and shuffle, each carrying metadata and timestamps.

Encoding and extensibility: Implementations typically use JSON-based schemas or YAML, with versioning to evolve the specification. Fields are designed to be extensible, allowing game-specific metadata without breaking existing tooling. Validation is commonly performed via schema validators or lightweight contract checks.

Example (illustrative): Card: { "id": "c1", "suit": "hearts", "rank": "ace", "asset": "assets/hearts-ace.png" }. Deck: { "deckId": "d1", "cards": ["c1","c2","c3"] }. Event: { "event": "draw", "player": "p1", "card": "c1", "timestamp": 1700000000 }

Adoption and reception: Cardsalso has been explored in indie tools and educational projects as a way to share card-related data. However, there is no single governing body, and implementations vary. Some developers view it as a foundation for interoperability; others prefer game-specific schemas. Limitations include limited mainstream adoption and varying fidelity to the original model.

See also: Digital card games, Card data formats, Game state representation.