Export a MAME favorites or filtered game list on Android without copying ROMs
If the Android port exposes MAME's current selection UI, mark the machines you need, apply the Favorites or another filter, then use Export List and save the text or XML inventory to a user-controlled location. The export describes machine entries; it is not a ROM backup and grants no content rights. If a port hides Export List, do not claim it supports the feature—use the exact build's documented command output in a trusted companion environment.
Do this in order
- 01
Record the Android port, upstream MAME revision, active filter, and whether the selection UI exposes Add/Remove Favorite and Export List.
- 02
Add two authorized test machines to Favorites and confirm the filter shows only the intended short names before exporting.
- 03
Choose Export List, select a metadata format the port actually offers, and save it to a user-controlled document location without moving any ROM, BIOS, CHD, artwork, or music file.
- 04
Open the export as text and verify the exact revision, short names, descriptions, and filter scope; remove private filesystem paths if the port included them.
- 05
If Export List is absent, use that exact build's documented `-listfull` or `-listxml` output only where the port provides a trusted command or companion workflow.
- 06
Keep the inventory beside separate rights receipts and local compatibility results, then import or compare it only as metadata.
Decision and diagnostic table
| Artifact | What it proves | What it does not contain |
|---|---|---|
| Favorites view | Current UI selection | Portable backup by itself |
| Exported text/XML | Machine names and metadata | ROM, BIOS, CHD, artwork, or music |
| Compatibility note | Local result for one build | Permission to distribute content |
| Rights receipt | Source and permission scope | Technical compatibility |
Export the view, not the files
MAME's selection UI can export a displayed list. Treat that output as a catalog receipt and keep it independent of the media paths used to run a machine.
The Android port owns the writable destination
A current upstream menu does not guarantee that every wrapper exposes the same toolbar, key binding, command line, or document provider. Record what the installed port actually offers.
Short names make comparisons durable
Descriptions can be localized or renamed, while the build-specific short name is the stable key for comparing an inventory with audits and compatibility notes.
Use only game, firmware, artwork, and configuration files you created, dumped lawfully, or received under permission covering your use. Emulator compatibility never grants content rights; do not use unauthorized ROM, BIOS, CHD, artwork, or music mirrors.