Creating a Custom CSV Export Tutorial

In this tutorial we will create a custom CSV format for Splendid City generated schedules to be imported into the LeagueAthletics website. The LA format specification is as follows:

A LeagueAthletics.com Standard Event File consists of any number of lines of data where each line defines an event consisting of data fields separated by commas.  The field order and meaning is as follows:

Unique identifier:  This can be any number or combination of numbers and letters up to 64 characters that make up a unique identifier for the event.  This field is used to match existing records when re-importing data or when importing changed data.  As long as these serial numbers stay unique, data can be re-imported over and over without duplicating existing events.
 

Event Date:  This is the date the event occurs in the format "MM/DD/YYYY" or "MM-DD-YYYY".
 

Start Time:  Time the event starts in the form "HH:MM AM (or PM)" or "HH:MMa (or p)" or use 24 hour format.  Alternately, you can leave this field blank for an undetermined time.
 

Finish time:  The time the event is over.  Use the same format as above.
 

Team Name:  The name of the home team participating in the event.  The name you use here must match either the Alias Name ( up to 64 characters) assigned to a team or the actual name of the team (up to 32 characters).
 

Facility Name:  Enter the name of the facility where the event will occur.  The name you use here must match either the Alias Name (up to 64 characters) assigned to a facility or the actual name of the facility (up to 16 characters).
 

Event Type:  Specify the event type such as "Game" or "Practice" using the same terms you use in your other scheduled events (32 characters maximum).  If a new event type is encountered, it's name will be added to the list found on Event Information forms.
 

Opponent Name (optional): The name of any opponent for the event.  If you specify the name of another team within your organization, it must match exactly with either the team's Alias (64 characters max) or its actual name (32 characters max).  If no match is found, the name will be added to the list of travel opponents (32 characters max). 
 

Note (optional): Enter any extra information for the event here such as comments, notes, etc. up to a maximum of 64 characters.
 

Cancel (optional): This field can be used to delete an existing event with the same Unique ID.  Insert the word "Cancel" in this field to delete an event.

Again, each line of the file contains an event.  The fields that define an event must be listed in the order shown above and must be separated by (but cannot contain) a comma. 

To define a custom CSV format to handle the above specification invoke the Splendid City 'menu --> options/preferences --> Output --> CSV' panel depicted below:

To begin building a new format click the 'New' pushbutton to invoke the following panel

Using the available components, define the record fields to look like the image above. You can use the popup menu available from within the Game Format Specification text field (right-click for Windows & Linux; control-click for Mac) to easily select the choices to populate the field.

Once completed click next to get the following view:

Simply rename the ***Untitled Format*** to read something descriptive, in this case we choose LeagueAthletics. Upon completion, click the Save Format & Close pushbutton. You will now see a screen that looks like the following:

You will see the LeagueAthletics format that we have just created. Simply select the new format and click the 'Make Default' pushbutton.

Finally in your Format publishing choices make sure you have the 'Export Schedule Data in default CSV format' selected to publish CSV schedules in your LeagueAthletics format.

Using the Splendid City publisher (Schedule View --> 'publish this schedule...' toolbar button), select to 'Publish to a local folder' somewhere on your HD. Click publish. In that location, you'll find a folder with the name of the schedule you just published. From within that folder, you will choose to upload the 'schedule.csv' file to LeagueAtheltics website.

Remember, all the schedule objects (ie. teams, locations, etc) must be defined using the LeagueAtheltics interface for the games to be successfully imported. (including BYE teams and (NO GAME) parameters).

Tutorial End