SOME INSTRUCTIONS FOR DATABASE CONVERTER/UPDATER ------------------------------------------------ ** This is BETA! ** ** Remember to backup database files before using! ** Database converting ------------------- Database converter allows to convert databases from any NHL game to any other NHL game. Load destination database (= database you want to convert or update) to editor slot 0 (default, CTRL+1) Load source database to editor slot 1 (CTRL+2) Type database files' location to dialog-box. You can press just RETURN if database files are in current directory or NHLINFO autodetects them by using Windows registry. Set both database's "division" (F5-key) (NHL for NHL teams, National for national teams etc..) NOTE: You can make your destination database very messy if you accidentally select different "division" for source and destination! Converting NHL rosters: Press 'K'-key Select "Update/Convert" NHLINFO tries to load conversion configuration file. File is named sourceTOdestination.TXT (for example: nhl99tonhl2000.txt) After loading and error check NHLINFO shows information about selected config file and asks if you want to continue or abort. Press 'Y' to continue. Conversion process begins. Wait until conversion is complete. Note that player creating and deleting may take some time (Maybe even couple of minutes!) Conversion speed is very dependant on selected NHL games and number of players that need to be created/deleted. After conversion/update NHLINFO transfer players to correct teams. Destination database is now converted. Press CTRL+1 to select destination database. Converting selected (one or more) players or teams: Select one or more players or teams. Press 'K'-key Select "Convert (match)" or "Convert (direct)" "match"=selected player(s) or team(s) are matched (example, if you have selected "Eric Lindros" from source database, NHLINFO searches for "Eric Lindros" in destination database and copies its stats from source to destination) "direct"=selected player(s) or team(s) stats are copied directly to destination overwriting player or team under editing cursor. Database updating ----------------- Database updating allows to update active seasons with new database (roster) files without losing your season and/or season statistics. Load your active season you want to update to editor slot 0 (default, CTRL+1) Load new database files to editor slot 1 (CTRL+2) Remember to type database files' location to dialog-box that appears when you press CTRL+2. If you have already installed updated rosters, select exhibition database as source database. Press 'K'-key Config file is loaded, update config files are named gamenameUPD.TXT (for example: nhl2000upd.txt) Rest is same as with database converting. (see above) Partial updating ---------------- With partial update it is possible to copy specific database entries from source to destination database. You can for example only copy players' and goalies' attributes from another roster to another. See nhl99upd.txt-conversion config file for how to copy attribute and/or statistics. Partial update never creates or deletes players/goalies. Conversion/Update config files ------------------------------ Config-files are simple text-files. You should be able to write your own config-files for other NHL game combinations. Conversion config files' must be named xxtoyy.txt, where xx=source NHL version and yy=destination NHL version. Update config files' names are xxupd.txt, where xx=NHL version. Included is some example conversion/update files, use your favorite text editor to view them. If NHLINFO finds error(s) in config-file, red message(s) appears. Correct error(s) and try again. Conversion/Update notes ----------------------- "Trade players and goalies" uses teams' ID for matching. For example, NHL'97 Calgary ID is "CAL" and NHL'98+ ID is "CGY" If you want conversion to work correctly, remember to rename NHL'97 "CAL" to "CGY" before converting. NHLINFO automatically creates and deletes players in destination database. If destination DLL-module does not support real deletion (NHL'98 and newer) player is transferred to hidden free agents and '*' is added to player's last name. If destination DLL-module can't create new players (for example NHL'98 and newer officially supports only 90/100 created players) then destination database does not have all players that source database had. See message "Still not enough new players (xx required)" where xx is number of players missing. You can add '*' to unneeded players' last name to make NHLINFO use them as "created" players. (example: "Saku Koivu" -> "Saku *Koivu") You can also create new user player "slots" with INSERT+SHIFT+CTRL but it is not recommended. Scandinavian ÄÖÅ-characters are matched with AOA-characters (example, "Teemu Selanne" and "Teemu Selänne" are matched correctly) Roster creators: If you release rosters that are converted with database converter, please remember to credit Toni Wilen. Thanks. Schedule conversion ------------------- Converts source database's schedule to destination database. Deletes games with nonexisting teams. (For example all games with Nashville are deleted when converting from NHL'99 to NHL'98 or older NHL game) Trade players and goalies ------------------------- Transfers players according to source database. Also lines, dress/scratch and additional status are transferred. Players are transferred automatically after conversion or update. This selection is not anymore needed normally. Notes ----- - remember to unzip conversion/update config files from convert.zip - NHL'94-'96 does not automatically create/delete players. (too much work) Just press CTRL+SHIFT+INSERT to create new empty players before converting or updating. After conversion/updating is complete, press CTRL+SHIFT+DELETE to delete all empty players that were not used during convert/update. - NHL'97 only works as conversion/update source. No plans for destination support. I hate NHL'97's illogical and stupid database format! - Mail me new convert/update configuration files. They will be included with next version of NHLINFO. - If you have problems with convert/update configuration files, contact its original author Credits ------- Miika "Mizu" Kemppinen and Ralf Bucke for beta testing