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[Silverionmox]

Problem: when you make changes in the raws, and a new version arrives, you're in a dilemma: transfer your modified raws and keep your changes but risk to lose Toady's changes, or you have to edit every single change you've ever made in the raws back in, manually.

Suggestion: Instead of using raws as a take-it-or-leave-it whole, allow partial raws. The game will then compare them with the base raw set and fill in if nothing is defined (eg. a new creature), or override the basic raws with the mods (e.g. in the creatures file of the mod, a dog creature is defined with six legs instead of two).

Advantages: Smoother updating with new versions, keep your own cumulative changes to the raws, easier switching and combining of mods.

Disadvantage: slightly longer startup.

[irmo]

Problem: when you make changes in the raws, and a new version arrives, you're in a dilemma: transfer your modified raws and keep your changes but risk to lose Toady's changes, or you have to edit every single change you've ever made in the raws back in, manually.

Suggestion: Instead of using raws as a take-it-or-leave-it whole, allow partial raws. The game will then compare them with the base raw set and fill in if nothing is defined (eg. a new creature), or override the basic raws with the mods (e.g. in the creatures file of the mod, a dog creature is defined with six legs instead of two).

Advantages: Smoother updating with new versions, keep your own cumulative changes to the raws, easier switching and combining of mods.

Disadvantage: slightly longer startup.

Disadvantage: you can't remove things, because the game will just fill in the default.

If you really want to preserve your mod across releases, can't you create a patch with diff, and then apply it to the new version? There are some very good tools out there for applying a set of changes to a collection of text files.

[blake77]

Have you tried dwarf fortress mod manager from here http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=74828.0

[Radiant_Phoenix]

Most of my mods involve new raw files, so I don't have much trouble with this.

[NW_Kohaku]

Most of my mods involve new raw files, so I don't have much trouble with this.

Until recently, you couldn't do that for the item_FOO.txt stuff.  It was fortunately changed in the last few updates. 

This is a trend that should continue, but still has a problem when you are doing things to modify existing elements of the game. 

For example, in my Expanded Glazes mod, I have to delete the old glazing reactions in order to put in my updated versions without having a nonsensical overlap.

[Astramancer]

This would also be nice because it would fix the duplicate raws issue (you know, the ones that cause you to have wagon meat and embark as grey slimemen)