I need a bit of help to get started with a programming project that requires reading and writing .esp files for Oblivion.

I've seen the format specifications on UESP but they are just descriptions. What I'd like to find is something I can either use right away or learn from by looking at it. In other words, I'm looking for

- libraries
- open source projects
- non-open projects with leaders who'd be likely to share their know-how and/or provide code samples
- instructions with code samples
- advice!

Thanks.

Your best bet would probably be http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11536, but it's not open source afaik and I don't know whether ElminsterAU is still active.

Look at http://sourceforge.net/projects/oblivionworks/ (Python implementation) and https://sourceforge.net/projects/cbash/ (C++ implementation). CBash's source is still very rough in places, and it has some extra junk in there specific to Bash's patch routines, but CBash is more complete than Bash in terms of record definitions. If you're more conversant with C++, it wouldn't be too hard to convert CBash from a dll to a proper exe...just gut all the api, and access the data structures directly. On the other hand, you can use the existing api and do your coding in python. There's a test.py file that should be able to get you started.

Thanks, guys.

Yes, TES4Edit was my first idea as well, but it's like... a product, there's no word anywhere about the source or sharing the source.

Waruddar, a C/C++ dll is exactly what I was looking for, so that's great! Didn't think I'd find something so quickly...

Try TES4Dump. That's open source. TES4Edit cannot be made open source as Elminster used some software or code or whatever for which he has bought a licence, thus he can use it in TES4Edit but cannot share it.

Right, thanks! It seems he included the sources for the beta only, in the download for 2.2.21 there's nothing but the .exe. Not that I'm complaining.

Feels strange, reading pascal after so many years, I had a course in it in college but that was... well, ahem.