Avoid Duplicates When Importing Non-Arcade MAME Content

📋Summary

Improve the MAME import process to detect and avoid duplicate entries across all supported systems, not just Arcade. As MAME now supports handhelds, gambling machines, plug-and-play systems, and more, users often split these into their own platforms—but LaunchBox currently re-imports them as duplicates on each new MAME import.

❗Problem

When re-importing MAME content:

• Arcade games are correctly recognized and not duplicated.

• Other categories (like Handhelds, Plug-and-Play, or Devices) are not checked for duplicates and are imported again, even if they already exist elsewhere in the library.

• Deleting and re-importing these platforms removes user-specific customizations (e.g. playlists, media, metadata).

• LaunchBox’s Audit feature only detects duplicates via LaunchBox ID—not helpful when many of these games lack IDs or share them erroneously.

💡Proposal

Implement a ROM-path-based duplicate check for the MAME import wizard to prevent duplicate entries across all platforms. Suggestions:

• During import, skip games whose ROM path is already in the database (as a main or additional app).

• Optionally, add an advanced Audit tool to search for and manage duplicates by ROM path.

• Allow user control over whether to match duplicates by ROM path, LaunchBox ID, or both.

✅Benefits

• Prevents accidental re-import of hundreds of non-Arcade MAME games

• Maintains user customizations across MAME updates

• Supports cleaner, more modular libraries for users separating MAME content by category

• Adds greater flexibility to how duplicates are detected and handled