Step 2 Import the athletes

The goal

One record per athlete in the FINISH database: last name, first name, date of birth, gender, transponder(s), colours (for the screens and lapping) and, if they have one, their lap target (min and max). Step 4 turns them into the training session.

Before you start

• A file of your athletes: Excel (.xlsx), CSV or JSON, one row per athlete, with a header row.
• At least the columns Last name, First name, Date of birth and Gender: that is the athlete's identity (same name, first name and birth date = same athlete).
• For training: a Transponder column (its number); useful: colour columns, Min lap and Max lap.
• To try it out: the sample file athletes.xlsx (80 invented athletes) is recognised automatically.

What to do, one action at a time

1. Prepare the file

   A header row, then one row per athlete. Example:

   Last name	First name	Date of birth	Gender	Transponder	Background color	Text color	Min lap	Max lap
   SOLBAKKEN	Ingrid	2008-04-17	F	7120012	blue fill	white font	9.5	14
   RONCIÈRE	Thibault	2006-11-02	M	7867930	#FFCC00	#000000	8.5	12.5
   MIZUSHIMA	Haruto	2007-01-23	M	8527554	red	white	9	13

   • Colours: in an .xlsx, simply colour the cell (fill = background, font = text), even if it is empty or holds the name; a single “Colour” column is enough (its fill gives the background, its font the text). Otherwise type the colour: #FFCC00, FFCC00, 255,204,0 or a common name.
   • Min and max: in seconds (8.5) or as m:ss.fff (1:05.250).
   • Dates: YYYY-MM-DD, DD/MM/YYYY or an Excel date; gender: M, F, H, X, Male, Female, Homme, Femme…
   • Usual headers in English, French, Dutch and German are recognised (“Background color”, “Couleur fond”, “Achtergrondkleur”, “Hintergrundfarbe”, “Max lap”…).
2. Open the import

   History › Athletes tab › Import athletes… (also FileImport athletes…).

   The Import athletes window, in four screens: file and mapping, preview, match, import.

3. 1. File and mapping

   Choose the file… → your file. Each column is linked to a field, suggested from its header: check Name, First name, Date of birth, Gender, Transponder no. 1, Background colour (fill), Text colour (font) (or Colour (background and text)), Min lap time, Max lap time. For a column you do not want to import: no field.

   Every column has its field; next time, “Format recognised…”.

4. Athletes already in the database

   Still on screen 1, Records already in the database: fill empty fields, replace, or Skip athletes already in the database (same last name, first name and birth date). The first time, this changes nothing.

5. 2. Preview

   Preview ›: the formatted rows (LAST NAME in capitals, dates YYYY-MM-DD) and each athlete's badge in their colours. Nothing is written yet.

   The badges have the right colours; no red warning.

6. 3. Match

   Match ›: each row is compared with the database (Found, Suggested, New, Skipped, Conflict). The Transponders to note box lists new transponders (added by the import) and those another record already carries.

   The first time: every row is “New”.

7. 4. Import

   Import: everything is written in one go, then the report appears.

What success looks like

• The report: “created”, “updated”, “unchanged”, “skipped”, with no error; Copy the report to keep it.
• In History › Athletes, each athlete has a badge in their colours and their transponders.
• New transponders are also in the Transponders tab.

Common problems and solutions