JSON Files

JSON stands for JavaScript Object Notation. It's a text-based system for interchange of data which is relatively easy to manage with different types of software (not just JavaScript), and allows for a file specification to be expanded to allow additional information. WinTD version 5 replaces the existing files (which are coded fixed length record "binary" files) with this more flexible format. JSON itself is a bit "wordy", so to keep sizes down, all the files are kept in zipped form. Each file is a zip with a single internal file, always called "Json", which is the actual JSON data.

We wouldn't recommend trying to write any of the files with other software, but with the proper tools you can read them. The "schema" for the various files can be found by following the links.

Master Team File (ptlz extension)

The team files take the form of a single array of information (with just a handful of extra fields for description and dates). To transform an old format (ptl) file to the new format, open the old file, and do File>Save As... choosing the new format in the file type box.

Master Player File (pplz extension)

The master player files take the form of a single array of information (with some additional fields for description, dates, features, and definitions for the ratings and ID's). Each player's record is broken up into quite a few separate records, many of which depend upon which features you include. (For instance, if you don't include the "FIDE" feature, the FIDE record won't be included). To transform an old format (ppl) file to the new format, open the old file, and do File>Save As... choosing the new format in the file type box. Note that the old format does not have any of the "features" so you will probably want to close the old file and re-open the new one, and do Master Player>Edit Setup... to set the additional information.

Tournament File (ptoz extension)

A short description of a WinTD tournament is that a tournament has sections, sections have players, players have games. The bulk of the tournament file consists of separate arrays of sections, players and games. A section is identified internally by its zero-based subscript in the "sections" array. Players are identified by their zero-based subscripts into the "players" array and games are identified by their zero-based subscripts into the "games" array.

There are a number of ways to take an old format (pto) file to the new format. It's important to note that the new format includes the "features" which are absent in the old format, and tie breaks are handled differently. You can either open the pto file and do File>Save As... or File>Copy Tournament To... choosing the new format in the file type box. You will then want to open the new file and do File>Edit Information to correct or add information. Alternatively, you can create the tournament in the new format (with File>New Tournament...) set up the way you would like, then do File>Include Sections From... selecting the old format file there.

Note that the new format handles teams (in team v team sections) quite differently (and much more simply) than the old—the "tnmt" object in the player record for the team has a "members" array which is simply a list of player numbers for the members in board order. Matches (either team v team matches or multi-game matches) are also handled in a simpler method—within a "game" object is a "match" object which has a list of the individual game numbers as well as overall match scores, etc.