Author Topic: Suggestion: import from csv with more cells  (Read 2947 times)

Linker_Split

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 115
    • View Profile
Suggestion: import from csv with more cells
« on: October 22, 2013, 10:52:07 PM »
Hello Corey, I think it's not a problem to implement the import from file option.

Now, if I want to import data from a CSV (comma separated), The tournament director allows me only to import a limited set of data, not ALL the data I can export (for example the "Boguht in time" or the "Still in" or the "Add-on cost" and so on are not imported)
Can you implement the complete set of values I can export?
Also, if so, can you make the csv file more easy to write?
I mean than now the CSV data are written in a single cell per row, it would be perfect to have single cell per single data:
first cell for name, second cell for surname, third cell for buy-in time, fourth cell for chipcount and so on...
In this way, we could easly modify the csv files!

Corey Cooper

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6216
    • View Profile
Re: Suggestion: import from csv with more cells
« Reply #1 on: October 23, 2013, 11:01:52 AM »
Hello Corey, I think it's not a problem to implement the import from file option.

Now, if I want to import data from a CSV (comma separated), The tournament director allows me only to import a limited set of data, not ALL the data I can export (for example the "Boguht in time" or the "Still in" or the "Add-on cost" and so on are not imported)
Can you implement the complete set of values I can export?

Importing other data implies a whole new set of conditions (and a rather large set).  For example, "Bought-in time" isn't exactly the same thing as "how many chips the player has".  In fact, it's only one piece of a larger set of data.  "Bought-in time" is the timestamp on a player's buy-in, and you can't import that without importing all of the other data about the buy-in, such as the profile, cost, rake(s), chips, bounty chip, etc.  Importing each of those has even more implications, and a lot of error-checking and data integrity checking that would have to accompany it.  Likewise, "Still in" isn't really even a value that a player is assigned, but rather just the description of the state of the player.  What I mean is there's no field on an internal player object that says whether or not the player is "still in".  The player is "still in" if he/she has a buy-in and doesn't have a corresponding bust-out AND the tournament is still going.  Importing any of these would clearly imply being able to import rebuys and add-ons, which have their own requirements and implications.  This isn't a just tall order, it's a pretty huge one, and I'm not sure how valuable the payoff would be.  What is it you're trying to do?

Also, if so, can you make the csv file more easy to write?
I mean than now the CSV data are written in a single cell per row, it would be perfect to have single cell per single data:
first cell for name, second cell for surname, third cell for buy-in time, fourth cell for chipcount and so on...
In this way, we could easly modify the csv files!

I'm not sure I'm following you.  CSV files, by definition, have multiple columns, each separated by a comma.

Linker_Split

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 115
    • View Profile
Re: Suggestion: import from csv with more cells
« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2013, 01:20:49 PM »


Importing other data implies a whole new set of conditions (and a rather large set).  For example, "Bought-in time" isn't exactly the same thing as "how many chips the player has".  In fact, it's only one piece of a larger set of data.  "Bought-in time" is the timestamp on a player's buy-in, and you can't import that without importing all of the other data about the buy-in, such as the profile, cost, rake(s), chips, bounty chip, etc.  Importing each of those has even more implications, and a lot of error-checking and data integrity checking that would have to accompany it.  Likewise, "Still in" isn't really even a value that a player is assigned, but rather just the description of the state of the player.  What I mean is there's no field on an internal player object that says whether or not the player is "still in".  The player is "still in" if he/she has a buy-in and doesn't have a corresponding bust-out AND the tournament is still going.  Importing any of these would clearly imply being able to import rebuys and add-ons, which have their own requirements and implications.  This isn't a just tall order, it's a pretty huge one, and I'm not sure how valuable the payoff would be.  What is it you're trying to do?
When I export a CSV file, I get all the options and data to export.
It's different when importing.
If for example I export the chipcount so that I can merge two day1 into day2, when importing, I can import the chipcount, but not the "player has bought in": so I have to buy-in players and the chipcount is lost.

I'm not sure I'm following you.  CSV files, by definition, have multiple columns, each separated by a comma.
Yes, but as you said, each columns are separated by a comma, while in an excel file, each columns are separated without any commas
It would be perfect like this because in this way I can import a more easy to write file

Corey Cooper

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6216
    • View Profile
Re: Suggestion: import from csv with more cells
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2013, 01:35:13 PM »
I see.  So really we're still talking about multi-flight tournaments.  These band aids don't seem to be helping much, and only full-fledged support is going to cut it, I guess.

Quote
...so I have to buy-in players and the chipcount is lost.

I honestly hadn't thought of this.  That's unfortunate, but of course makes sense.  I can modify the buy-in procedure to update the chips properly.  Even without the import supporting Chip Count, this was technically broken, because you could manually set the chip count of a player before he/she bought-in.  But the buy-in would reset it, instead of add to it.  It should add to the chip count.

Of course, you can disable the "Automatically update players' chip counts" preference (Preferences tab -> Behavior section).  That will keep the existing chip count when you buy-in players.

Quote
Yes, but as you said, each columns are separated by a comma, while in an excel file, each columns are separated without any commas
It would be perfect like this because in this way I can import a more easy to write file

Ah, you're referring to a .xls file (or .xlsx), the native format of Excel files.  Yeah, it's not likely the TD will support importing directly from those any time soon.  But what is the real issue?  Are you manually modifying a file in Excel and wanting to import from it?  It's easy to just save the file as CSV directly from Excel.