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Tutorial for using the ICCF Server
For the TD ... how to update results in tables

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Note: this page has been replaced by the new Server Guidelines For Tournament Directors and Organizers. The information below may be incomplete and will not be updated, though it may still be sufficient for most TD functions. It is recommended that you use the Server Guidelines For Tournament Directors and Organizers instead. -- J. Franklin Campbell, 7.05.2006


The server automatically maintains crosstables for server events, with TD involvement only required to specify forfeits and withdrawals or make corrections. With time, additional features will be added to the server to help administer postal and email events. Recently (March 2006) the capability has been added for TDs to enter results into the server for email/postal events. The crosstables have been imported from Eloquery and contain results reported for the rating period ending on 31.12.2005. Presumably, new postal/email events will have crosstables immediately created on the server.

TDs must now update these new postal/email crosstables, filling in any information not imported from Eloquery. Following the instructions below you should be able to add/correct any results for your events. In future you will not be asked to fill out paper forms for the rating list, filling in new results in red. Instead, the ratings commissioner will get reports directly from the server providing the results to be rated. If the results are not properly provided by the TD in the server crosstables, then they will not be rated. You may continue with any current methods you use to publish results for the convenience of the players, but only results properly recorded in the server crosstables will be rated.

Note: you must be logged in to the server in order to update crosstables!

If you aren't currently a registered server user, send an email to the helpdesk and ask for a password. Be sure to provide your ICCF ID# (if you know it) and the email address you wish the server to use for you. You must have an email address to register on the server. After you receive your "starter password" follow the instructions on the login tutorial page to log in using your ICCF ID# and password. The first time you log in you'll be asked to change your password. Choose a password meaningful to you and keep track of it for future logins. Once you are logged in the server will display information specifically for you, such as a list of the events you direct.

If the server fails to list the events you direct, it is possible that the server doesn't have you properly recorded as the tournament director. In this case I recommend you look up the tournament (starting with the "Tables and results" link) and check to see if you are listed as the TD.

After you have logged in look in the left hand links under "Administration" for the "Event list" link.

If you are listed on the server as a TD for any event this link will appear (if you are logged in). Click on "Event list". The follow display shows that I am currently the TD for two events.

In this example I am listed as the TD for two events, one of which is a non-server event. The "North America/Pacific Championship 4" is a postal event which has recently been imported into the server database. Note the Status column lists this event as "Imported". Your name as TD should be listed in the top bar of the crosstable, as my name is listed in this example below.

To view the crosstable and possibly add results, click on the link "Control". This will display the crosstable and allow you to set the withdrawal status for each player (see last column). Right above the crosstable are two links for editing event information and results. Note the column "Status" which shows players that are not registered to use the server (Status = "Offline").

Edit event data

To edit event data click on the link above the crosstable "Edit event data". This will allow you to modify specific information related to this event. See the following sample page for this tournament.

 

Change the information you are allowed to change and click on the "OK" button at the bottom to save your changes. Note the tab bar along the top. The information in the example above is under the "Name" tab. Click on the other tabs "Size", "Dates", "TD" and "Rules" to view and/or change other information. Note the "Help" link at the top right to view on-line help information for these pages. In the above example the information I am not allowed to change is "grayed out". The programmer Martin Bennedik stated, "This is because some things cannot be changed for a running event, for example you cannot change an event from server to postal, once it has begun."

Edit results

To edit results (register wins/losses/draws/etc.) go to the crosstable page for the event and click the "Edit results" link, as shown below.

This will display the "Edit results" page, as shown in the example below.

You can set/modify one result at a time by selecting the player with White and the player with Black from the dropdown lists. In this example I have placed the cursor of the name of the White player dropdown list. Click and the dropdown list will show all the players. Click on the player's name you want selected. In the following example I selected Saunders. Click on the name and repeat for the second player. Note: if you get White/Black reversed it doesn't matter. The server will look up the game and display the correct player for White and for Black. So just select one of the players for White and one for Black and click on the "OK" button. Of course, if this is an event where the players have two games you'll want to be sure to get the White/Black selection correct. At any time you can click the "Cancel" button to cancel the update process.

Update (11.04.2006): If the game was imported or paired manually, such as when a new email or postal event is created using the server, the colors are not assigned by the server and it doesn't know which player is White or Black. Therefore, it is important for these events to enter the White player under "White" and the Black player under "Black". Once you have entered the result the server will know which player had White, and once you has entered a result, the colors cannot be changed.

After entering the two players click the "OK" button and you'll get the following display.

If a result had previously been entered you'll get this display, with a warning message in red and the current result listed. If you wish you may now choose a new result from the dropdown list after the label "Select new result". Select the new result and click on the "OK" button. Note that the correct White/Black assignments are displayed here. It is always worthwhile to compare the assigned colors to the result reported to you. If the report has the colors wrong you should confirm the result with your source to be sure a mistake hasn't been made. If the game hasn't had a result entered before you'll get the following display. I have positioned the cursor over the "Select new result" dropdown and clicked. This will cause the dropdown list to display all the choices available to you. "Ongoing" means the game is still listed as being played (no result yet). Move the cursor down the list to the result you wish to record and click on it. Your choice will now display in the "Select new result" field. Check to see that the choice you wanted is now displayed and then click on the "OK" button. You can change the result selected if you got it wrong. Set the date (see below) and click "OK" to enter the result. After you click "OK" you can confirm the correct result has been listed in the crosstable. You can always go back and change it again if a mistake occurred.

Each time you set a new result the server redisplays the crosstable. To enter another result just click on the "Edit results" link again, and repeat this process till all the new results have been added to the crosstable. If you click "Cancel" no change will be made and the crosstable will redisplay. After you have selected the result from the dropdown list, you may also enter the official date of the result. This will aid ratings calculations to insure the result is recorded for the proper rating period. See the following example showing the date field.

Unlike the example above (where the result had previously been entered and the date field is shown "grayed out") this time the date field can be used. Either type in the date in the specified format, e.g. 3/18/2006 for 18-March-2006, or click "Select" to pop up a calendar window. In the calendar window you can just click on the date you wish to enter and click "OK" on the calendar window. The update page will then redisplay with the date filled in. Now click "OK" to enter the result or "Cancel" to go back to the crosstable without adding a new result.

© 2006 J. Franklin Campbell. All rights reserved.

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