The format of the files used to import players into SwissManager is similar to that of the files available from the download section of FIDE's website (the ones marked as TXT, not XML). This website provides downloads of ICU player data in this format.
The files can not only be imported into SwissManager but, being plain text, can also be opened in a text editor and searched for information. However, it should be noted that the files are slightly modified forms of FIDE's format in order to accomodate idiosyncrasies of the SwissManager application and to provide extra information for ICU tournament controllers.
To illustrate the modifications, let's take a look at some example records. First we show some records as they would appear if FIDE's format were strictly adhered to.
5 Addidle, Michael 1744 0 1973
507 Graham, Gerry IRL 1582 0 1962
1051 McCormick, Graeme S. 1748 0
3364 Ui Laighleis, Gearoidin wc IRL 1613 0 1964 w
12185 Duffy, Sinead IRL 770 0 1997 w
And now here are the same records as they actually appear in the files made available on this site.
0005 Addidle, Michael 1744 0 1973 U
0507 Graham, Gerry IRL 1582 0 1962 S Sarsfield
1051 McCormick, Graeme S. 1748 0 U Fisheruick
3364 Ui Laighleis, Gearoidin wc IRL 1613 0 1964 wS Aer Lingus
12185 Duffy, Sinead IRL 770 0 1997 wS Uicklou
There are two changes to note.
First, ID numbers less than 1000 are padded on the left with zeros. This is because SwissManager for some reason (perhaps a bug) will not accept ID numbers less than 4 digits.
Secondly, the flag field at the end of the record, normally used to indicate gender and activity (with w for females and i for inactive) is instead used to indicate gender, subscription status and club.
As with FIDE's format, gender is indicated with the letter w for females (and nothing for males).
Subscription status is indicated by one of four possible capital letters the meaning of which are as follows:
- L lifetime subscription
- S subscribed this season
- P subscribed the previous season
- U unsubscribed this season or the last
If the player has a club it is present, however, there's a problem with club names that include the letter w because then the SwissManager program would set the player's gender to female. This is not a bug in SwissManager because the flag field is being used for a purpose it was not intended for (but which is nevertheless useful for ICU tournament controllers). To deal with this, any occurrences of the letter w in club names are replaced with the letter u, so as not to confuse SwissManager (but which needs this explanation for humans).
Currently, the clubs affected are:
- Arklow (Arklou)
- Blanchardstown (Blanchardstoun)
- Carlow (Carlou)
- Fischerwick (Fisheruick)
- Galway (Galuay)
- Galway Juniors (Galuay Juniors)
- Jobstown (Jobstoun)
- N.U.I. Galway (N.U.I. Galuay)
- Portadown (Portadoun)
- Randalstown (Randalstoun)
- Round Towers (Round Touers)
- Round Towers Juniors (Round Touers Juniors)
- Waterford (Uaterford)
- Westport (Uestport)
- Wicklow (Uicklow)
- Wicklow Juniors (Uicklow Juniors)