Database Setup - Database Menu

Use this to tell SwissSys about the database you want to use when registering players.

For the most commonly-used databases from the USCF, the CFC, and FIDE, you can set your database up quicker using the Database wizard.

For a database in any other format, including one that you have customized, use this dialog. Customized databases must be in one of the database formats SwissSys supports: dBase, Access, or Excel (pre-2007 file formats only.) For information about using the specialized Network database, click here.

Database setup via this dialog consists of these steps:

Identifying your database. (Telling Swiss Sys what it’s called and where to look for it.)
Identifying your index files if your database is in dBase format. (Telling SwissSys what fields you want to be able to search on and what the index files will be called.)
Identifying your database fields. Every database has names for the various pieces of data, such as “RATING”. SwissSys needs to know these names so it can properly load the data it finds.

Sometimes the formats do not match the expected database names. To be sure you have the right format, click on the “Field list” button to see what field names your database has.

If they match the ones provided by the defaults button you clicked, then you are in business.

If not, try clicking the other defaults button for the other set of default field names or just use the button on the Field List dialog marked “Guess field names” to have SwissSys fill in the most likely field names for you automatically.

For more details on using the database setup dialog in conjunction with common database tasks, step-by-step instructions are provided. Click here to go to the step-by-step instructions page.

SwissSys lets you set up both a primary and a secondary database. Use the box provided near the top of this dialog to switch back and forth between the two.

If you need to use more than two databases, you can switch back and forth between them easily using the buttons in the Database setup dialog marked Load Settings and Save Settings. This can read and write all the setup information to a file for any database you have set up here.

Technical notes:

FIDE provides player lists in two different formats. SwissSys supports only the text formats.

If you are setting up a database for use with a language other than English, please see the topic Database troubleshooting for a special tip.