BRIDGEMATE II

PLAYER NAMES

As far as players are concerned, they enter a player number into the Bridgemate and this gets translated into their real name. The structure behind this simple operation is probably one of the more complex procedures within the JSS/Bridgemate protocol.

National Database

The Home Unions keep a database of all their registered players. One of the main database functions is to allow master point details to be uploaded and checked (PTP in the case of the EBU), but a further function is optionally to allow players to use their National Registration number as a means of identifying themselves to JSS via the Bridgemates.

JSS allows the national database to be downloaded in its entirety, whereby it can easily be referenced for player details, specifically the National Registration number. (When the EBU database is downloaded, JSS also incorporates the WBU database to facilitate the numerous events in which both countries’ players are participating).

JSS Player Database

For most events, players’ names ideally need to be defined within the JSS player database. This is done by ‘Adding a Player’, entering their details, and then ‘Saving the Player’. When entering details the National Registration number can be entered manually, but it is far preferable and more accurate to access the previously downloaded national database (use ‘Set EBU/WBU Details’). Within this process a player’s forename can be amended to be more user friendly (for example the national database may refer to someone as ‘Susan Jones’ but the player may prefer to be known as ‘Sue Jones’ – the surname must not be amended).

When adding a name to the player database the system also generates another identity – the Player ID. The first available number is used, for example if player IDs 1,2,3,5… already exist the next new player will be given a Player ID of 4. The importance of this number is that it is often used as the ‘local code’ entered into the Bridgemate to identify a player. Within JSS this can be amended (‘Change PID’). A common reason to change the PID is if there are a few clubs within the same locality having a common core of members, players can be allocated a three digit local ID, whereby whichever local club they are playing at, they only need to remember one Player ID i.e. one Bridgemate Member Number. Another reason is superstition – many players wouldn’t like a PID of 13!

Beware – on the Player Management screen there is a facility to re-assign player IDs based on surname sequence. If you do use this most players will have their PID changed. Do not use this unless you understand the consequences.

Event Preparation (Names)

Having defined an event, and selected the movement, the ‘Bridgemate Scoring’ screen is entered. The database is created ‘Create Database’, and ‘BCS launched’. As well as sending the movement details to BCS, JSS also sends the following:

• National Database – in the form of a .mdb file (when using for the first time, check that the location of the database is correctly defined - ‘Bridgemate Scoring’; ‘BCS Admin’; NBO Names File)
  




• JSS Player Database in an abbreviated form. This is a table (Player Name Table) within the .bws file, the actual contents of which depend upon the setting of the PID Check. A PID tick-box can be found on the ‘Player Database’, ‘Player Management’ display. This table contains the players’ names and only one numeric number:
  

  
  

  • If the ‘PID check is enabled’, the transmitted table contains the PID number

  • If the ‘PID check is disabled’, the transmitted table contains the National Registration number field (assumed to contain the actual National Registration number).
    

Since this setting dictates the primary type of number that is entered into the Bridgemate, whether to enable or disable the PID check depends upon the type of club and event that is being run.

• • For a club/event in which most players are ‘local’ (i.e. they would use their ‘local’ (PID) number for Bridgemate input), the PID should be enabled. This does not preclude any player (for example a visitor) from entering their National Registration number (but see below).

  • For a county/national event, reliant upon players using their National Registration number for Bridgemate input, the PID should be disabled.

Bridgemate Entry Of PID (Local) Number, or National Registration Number

Players should be familiar with what type of number normally needs to be entered; the local Member Number (the PID within the BCS table), or the National Registration number (EBU/WBU number within the BCS table). What actually happens within BCS in order to translate the number depends upon the which number type is input, and on the BCS Options setting - Bridgemate 2, ‘Name Source’.

BCS checks the relevant files/tables dependent upon the Name Source setting as follows:

• Name Source = Player Names Table (recommended for most non-affiliated clubs) – BCS only checks the entered number against the Player Name Table within the .bws file
  

  • If the player ID is enabled, it expects the PID/local number to be entered, and if a National Number is entered it will not be able to translate.

  • If the player ID is disabled, it expects the National Number to be entered, and if a PID/local number is entered it will not be able to translate (this combination is historical, and is now superfluous).
    




• Name Source = EBU/WBU Names Table (recommended for county/national events) – BCS only checks the entered number against the national database, i.e. expects the National Registration number to be entered.
  If a PID/local number is entered it will not be able to translate.
  




• Name Source = Player and EBU/WBU Names Table (recommended for most affiliated clubs) – BCS checks the code entered first against the Player Names Table.
  If the player ID is enabled, it will assume the input number needs to be checked firstly against the PID in the table. If no match is found, it will then check against the national database.
  If the player ID is disabled, it will assume the input number is a National Number and will firstly check against the National number within the table. If it can’t find this it will check against the national database (this shouldn’t be necessary, but when originally creating the name in the JSS Player Database, the National number may not have been included).
  




• Name Source = Pre-set or Updated by Program (recommended for pre-entry events) – in BCS no checks are made, since the names will have been pre-entered into JSS against the relevant pair numbers. In this case, for consistency, the BCS Option allowing Member Numbers to be entered into the Bridgemates should be dis-allowed

If BCS manages to translate the Member Number into the correct name, the translated name is then stored within BCS and planted in the shared database table. JSS polls the database every 10 seconds for new Member Number entries and will and then decode the number into a Player Name (using the PID enable/disable rule).

Name Amendments

If a player has entered a wrong number, or the entry in the player database is incorrect, then the Scorer will need to amend the name. This can be done either:

• Within JSS. The names will then need to be sent back to BCS (‘Bridgemate Scoring’; ‘Names’; ‘Write Names To BCS’)

or

• Within BCS. You can enter either names or numbers on the BCS Player Name Tab. The number will then automatically be resent to JSS on the next poll, and it will be de-coded by JSS.

or

• Alternatively players can now amend names directly through the Bridgemate:
  'Names'
  'Correct'
  Use up and down arrows to correct the appropriate name.

AFH