index Back to help overview   home Back to home page

The database switcher

The database switcher provides easy navigation between databases. The active database will be highlighted with a yellow background. All databases not belonging to the chess variant of the active database are disabled (white background).

While keeping the middle mouse button (i.e. the scroll wheel) pressed an information box will be shown.

The functionalities of the database switcher:

Administration

For adminstration of the database a context-sensitive menu is available:

Properties Opens a box displaying various database information.

Export Opens a dialog for database export into other database formats or document formats.
note If this database contains several chess variants (only possible in case of Clipbase or PGN files) only the games of the active chess variant will be exported.

Import PGN files Opens the file selection dialog for the selection of PGN files for import. It is possible to select multiple PGN files simultaneously. The games will be appended at the end of the database.

Import Databases The databases for import will be selected with the file selection dialog. All games will be appended at the end of the database. You may select multiple databases simultaneously.

Maintenance This sub-menu provides functionality for the maintenance of databases (⇒ Maintenance).

Create Archive Create a database archive. The file selection dialog will be opened for the selection of an archive name.

Close The selected database will be closed. If there are changed games in this database, which are not yet saved, a security prompt will be done before closing the database.
note Closing the Clipbase is not possible.

Read only Set this database read-only or writeable. This is possibly only for Scidb and Scid databases (.sci, .si4, .si3), and PGN archives (.pgn, .pgn.gz).
note ChessBase databases and Zip archives (.zip) are always read-only.
note The Clipbase cannot be set read-only.

Open Database Open another database.

Open Recent Open a database via the database history.

New Database (Normal Chess) Create a new database. Only Scidb and Scid databases (.sci, .si4, .si3) can be created. If the database should store games of any chess variant please use the next menu item.

New Database Create a new database of any chess variant. Only Scidb databases can be created in this case.

Symbol Size Selection of the symbol size for the database tiles.

Help for Database Switcher Open the help dialog about the database switcher.

Empty Clipbase
note This menu entry will be provided only for the Clipbase.

Maintenance

This sub-menu provides functionality for the maintenance of databases.

Change Icon Select an icon for this database. A selection dialog will be opened which allows also the selection of image files (Scidb databases only). The image files must be PNG files in the resolutions of 16x16, 24x24, 32x32, and 48x48.
note This is not possible for the Clipbase.

Edit Description Create or change the description for this database.
note This is not possible for the Clipbase.

Strip Move Information Remove a selection of move information (for example "Elapsed Move Time") from database. This is useful, for example, to remove subsequently unwanted information (here "Elapsed Milliseconds") after import of FICS games.

Strip PGN Tags This feature scans the database for extra PGN tags (such as "WhiteTeam"). Then, one may strip some of these extra tags from the database. Removing unwanted tags will accalerate position search, but not before a compaction (⇒ Compact) of the database is done.

Compact Compact this database, this means that all games marked for deletion wil be deleted physically. Furthermore the gaps will disappear caused by some actions. You cannot revert this action. This menu item is disabled if the database does not contain any gaps, and also no game has a deletion marker.

annotation The compaction of a database is a safe operation: if the compaction unexpectedly fails or will be interrupted, the original database will not be changed.

Drag & Drop

Database can be opened with the drop of an URI list. If an URI list (list of files) – or a single file – will be dragged over the database switcher, a colored background will indicate that a drop of this item is possible. In this way you may open databases with the help of an external file manager.

The list of files may also be dropped over a database field. In this case the games will be copied into the destination database.

To copy all games of one database to another (optional for only one chess variant), drag the games while holding the left mouse button and drop the games into the destination field. It is required that the destination database is writeable and not disabled. This is an important way to manage and copy games within databases.