Database Overview

Supported Database Formats

SwissSys supports databases in three formats: Excel and Access (pre-2007 versions only), and dBase.

This overview introduces you to the ways you can use a database and points you to the help topics for each of these ways.

Official Player Databases

The USCF, the CFC, and FIDE all maintain lists of players, with ratings, expiration dates, and state/province/federation for all its players.

This list is available from them in a regularly updated downloadable format.

If you have this list on your computer it is a simple matter to allow SwissSys to import players from it.

You can then load a player’s ID number, current rating, and expiration date with just a few strokes of the keyboard.

To learn how to setup the USCF, CFC, or FIDE database, see Database wizard. To learn more about searching for players in the USCF database, see USCF database file.

Custom Databases

SwissSys also supports custom databases. If you can save your player information in any of the three supported database formats, then you can do the same player importing described above for owners of the USCF database.

Creating Your Own Database

You can even create and maintain your own database directly with SwissSys, saving any or all of the information that you type in when registering players for a tournament. This database can also be in any of the three supported formats.

To learn how to setup a custom database, see Database setup. If you are having trouble getting a custom database to work for you, see Database troubleshooting. To learn about automatically adding to a database as you register players, see Network mode.

Database Configuration

Whatever database you use, SwissSys needs to be told what format the database is in and where to find it on your hard drive. The database wizard takes care of this for you if you are using a standard database from the USCF, the CFC, or FIDE.

Otherwise, go to the Database setup dialog.

Sometimes this becomes a chicken-and-egg situation: If you are using a pre-existing database you just tell SwissSys where it is, but if you are creating your own database from a tournament you have run with SwissSys, you must tell the program where you want to keep it and what you want to call it, even though it does not physically exist yet.

Note: Although you can use only one database at a time, you can easily switch between different primary and secondary databases.

You can even access multiple databases by saving and retrieving separate setups using the “Load setup” and “Save setup” buttons of the database setup dialog.

Alternatively, you can use profile files to save and retrieve a complete set of SwissSys options, including database settings.