Create or Update a Custom Database Using SwissSys

Use the command Database | Create/update database… to create a database containing the currently registered players, or to update one that already exists using your registered players.

You can choose to work with either your main database (the one listed in Database setup and the Environments dialog) or with the Network database, as listed in the Environments dialog. If you want to use a custom database you created with some other database software, see Use a Custom Database.

Working with your main database

Usually you will want to work with your main database. The rest of this discussion assumes you are working with your main database. (If you are working with the Network database, the fields are not customizable anyway.)

The Database setup dialog was redesigned. You no longer pick a format from a list of radio buttons: SwissSys infers the format from the file extension you type or browse to (.dbf for dBase, .xls/.xlsx for Excel, .mdb/.mde for Access, .csv/.tsv/.txt for delimited text, and .rbin/.rbin.gz for the optimized binary rating databases). For most files SwissSys can also auto-configure the field mapping for you, so you only open the Expert section when you need to hand-map fields or set index files.

The binary rating databases (.rbin, .rbin.gz) and the read-only text rating lists (such as the USCF joint Rtglist.txt or a FIDE list) cannot be created or written by SwissSys — they are download-only. Use the Database wizard to fetch those. The create/update operation described here applies to the writable formats: dBase, Excel, and Access.

Step-by-step instructions

Here are step-by-step instructions for creating or updating a custom database using SwissSys.

To create a new custom database, start at step 1. To update an already-established custom database with new players or revised player data, skip to step 6.

Step 1

If you want to have more than 1000 players in your custom database (lucky you!), you will need to do this operation in batches of 1000 players or fewer.

Step 2

Select Database | Database setup… to open the Database setup dialog.

Database setup dialog showing the Which database is this radio group, the Database file box with Browse, the Auto-configure field mapping checkbox, the Rating setup panel with preset chips, and the collapsed Expert section

Step 3

In the Database file: box, tell SwissSys where to save the database you are about to create, and give it a name.

Use the Browse… button to navigate to the folder where you want to store the database, then type a name with the proper extension. SwissSys reads the extension to decide the format — there is no separate format selector:

Format	Extension(s)	Notes
dBase	`.dbf`	Requires index files (see step 5). Path must not contain commas; name follows the 8.3 rule.
Excel	`.xls`, `.xlsx`	Written natively via FlexCel — no Microsoft Office or ACE driver required.
Access	`.mdb`, `.mde`	Read and written through ADO; the ACE provider is needed at import time.

Leave Which database is this? set to Primary unless you are configuring your Secondary database, in which case select Secondary. The Swap button exchanges the Primary and Secondary slots.

Step 4

Leave Auto-configure field mapping for this file type checked (its default).

When this box is checked and you browse to an existing file, SwissSys inspects the file and applies the matching field-name defaults automatically (for example, it recognizes a USCF, USCF Golden, or CFC dBase layout and maps the fields for you without prompting). The Detected: line beneath the file box tells you what SwissSys thinks the file is. If you prefer to be asked before defaults are applied, clear this checkbox.

For .rbin/.rbin.gz files (and when the file box is empty), the dialog also shows a Rating setup panel so you can describe the rating profile. One-click chips — USCF, USCF + FIDE, CFC, CFC + FIDE, FIDE — set which federation and rating type map to each slot, and a More options expander lets you fine-tune the ID 1 + Rating and ID 2 + Rating 2 combos by hand. For ordinary dBase/Excel/Access custom databases you can leave the Rating setup area alone; auto-configure handles the mapping.

Step 5

For most files you are done configuring at this point. Only open the Expert section if you need to override the automatic mapping or set up dBase index files.

Check Expert: override individual field mappings / index files to expand the advanced panel. There you can:

Type the exact column name from your database into each player-data field (Name, ID number, Rating, Club, Team, and so on). Give a field name to every field you typically include when registering players.
Click Choose Defaults to apply a named preset (USCF Joint, USCF Golden, USCF TARSFLE, CFC, or FIDE), Display field list… to see the columns SwissSys actually found in the file, Save settings… / Load settings… to store a mapping profile, or Clear all to start over.
For dBase (.dbf) files, fill in the Name index file and I.D. index file names. Provide an index file for any field you plan to search by — usually name and ID number. Index file names must be 19 characters or fewer and use the reserved extension .ndx or .ntx (for example NAMES.NDX).

The Expert panel is hidden for .rbin/.rbin.gz files because binary databases use a fixed schema with no overridable mappings. If you expand Expert over a binary file, SwissSys shows a notice to that effect instead of the editable grid.

Step 6

Click OK - Apply to commit the setup and close the dialog. If you are configuring a dBase file and SwissSys asks whether to create the index files now, you can say no; you will create them as part of the create/update operation.

Step 7

From the main menu, select Database | Create/update database….

Step 8

Follow the prompts SwissSys provides. You are first asked to confirm the database setup you just finished. If everything looks correct, click OK.

Step 9

When prompted, choose a method of saving player ratings. If you are creating a new custom database (rather than updating a pre-existing one) you will normally select “use listed rating.” Otherwise, choose one of the other options, depending on your needs.

Step 10

When prompted, select which fields you want to create index files for. Check the boxes corresponding to the index files you named in step 5 above — usually name and ID.

Step 11

If you have more players to add to the database, start over with a clean slate (File | New | Section), register the next batch of players, and begin again at step 7 above.

Testing your database

You should now be ready to import players from this database at registration time. Test this by going to the registration dialog and typing in the last name of a player who you know is listed in the database (that is, one who is listed in the current roster of players).

If there is a problem, check over the steps above to be sure you did not omit anything, or consult the topic Database troubleshooting.

Further notes

In all updating operations, SwissSys first tries to identify a player in the database by ID number. If there is no ID number, the program attempts to find a match by the player’s exact name.

Either way, if SwissSys finds a match in the database, that player’s database record is updated with any fields that are not blank. If no match is found, the player is added as a new record to the database.

When creating or updating a custom database, be sure you always use the same forced name format (if any) as selected in the Formatting Options dialog (Print and Other Options tab).

Otherwise you may end up with multiple entries of the same player, differing only in the details of name capitalization, particularly if there is no unique ID number for the program to refer to.

Use a Custom Database – Import a database built in another program
Database Troubleshooting – Fix common database issues
Database Setup – Configure database fields and paths