Using Excel and FM Editor to add players and clubs

[Shrew82]

A year or so ago, there was a very useful thread (below) which outlined how you can use Excel to update an XLM file to use with other editor data.  There was also much talk of using script, however i believe the person who was responsible for creating the tool hasn't been able to complete what he started for whatever reason.... we all have periods like that!

Within the thread, although there is plenty of discussion, there are no working examples of how people have achieved this and i was wondering if anyone was willing to share their files on here so others can use the information?

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[magicmastermind124]

Possibly out of date by now but someone did start working on obtaining the UID's needed to add players here.

The XML code layout has very likely changed (most cases very slightly) since this was last worked on but you should have a better idea of what is required.  I cannot see an example of data produced by this template being used in FM however, but this can most likely be used as a starting point.

[wkdsoul]

On 12/09/2022 at 13:13, Shrew82 said:

A year or so ago, there was a very useful thread (below) which outlined how you can use Excel to update an XLM file to use with other editor data.  There was also much talk of using script, however i believe the person who was responsible for creating the tool hasn't been able to complete what he started for whatever reason.... we all have periods like that!

Within the thread, although there is plenty of discussion, there are no working examples of how people have achieved this and i was wondering if anyone was willing to share their files on here so others can use the information?

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I use excel and mail merge for mine (i can talk you through it if you know how to use word/excel for it)

[Wolf_pd]

Interested. I am just too attached to Excel to find a different tool.

[FCUtdWill]

2 hours ago, Wolf_pd said:

Interested. I am just too attached to Excel to find a different tool.

Look for a thread on here from @krlenjushka 

[clubsharp]

I have made a toolkit，it use sqlite db，you may use it to add club,person,comp,award etc.

also,it allow you to edit data from fmdb,and create basic rule.

I will make a small change until nov,they may change db file for fm23.

[Shrew82]

@clubsharpThanks for your response.  Do you have a link to this tool kit?

[Shrew82]

On 24/10/2022 at 16:06, Wolf_pd said:

Interested. I am just too attached to Excel to find a different tool.

@Wolf_pdThanks for your response.  Would you be able to attach an excel file that you use to add players?

 

[Wolf_pd]

3 minutes ago, Shrew82 said:

@Wolf_pdThanks for your response.  Would you be able to attach an excel file that you use to add players?

You should ask @wkdsoulas he is the one with the walkthrough for the XML creation.

[Shrew82]

@wkdsoul in light of the direction that@Wolf_pd has sent me... are you able to assist?

[clubsharp]

4 小时前, Shrew82说:

@clubsharpThanks for your response.  Do you have a link to this tool kit?

I need about two weeks to improve it after fm 23 editor published

[wkdsoul]

11 hours ago, Shrew82 said:

@wkdsoul in light of the direction that@Wolf_pd has sent me... are you able to assist?

do you know how to uise mail merge in Word/Excel? (YT tutorial will be the first step if not)

[Shrew82]

Yep, I'm an advanced word user and know mailmerge well.... it's the XML lines that are confusing me!

[wkdsoul]

ok,  I'll talk you through the basics.

1. Create a new player in the editor with just the basic fields (name, surname dob etc) and   (Make a note of the UNIQUE ID the player is given)
SEE IMAGE ONE

2. export it into an XML. File>Export

3. Open it and cut and paste everything from  <list id="db_changes"> to the next  </list> it into Word (Save as player template).
SEE IMAGE TWO

4. You can ignore most of the code.  You can see where we have <string id="new value" value="Shrew"/> for the first record the field we have changed.  I've used your name here new value will always be the 'field' from the excel sheet we will set up 

5. Open excel, and make the columns the values you want to change starting with Unique ID. Save As.
SEE IMAGE THREE

Some of the values are straight forward text boxes, some you will have to look up clubs IDs, City IDs etc to link the player to that club (we can cover that later) 

6. This will be the database we use for the word doc, open it back up and start the mail merge wizard, use the word doc as the letter, and the excel sheet as the list. SEE IMAGE FOUR

7. You now need to match the fields up in the 'letter' 

                <large id="db_unique_id" value="606306713973603730"/>

will always become 

                                <large id="db_unique_id" value="«Unique_ID»"/>

I've used your name so you can put first name field where Shrew is etc and you should end up with image 5.

8. DONT Run the wizard, go to finish and merge, edit individual documents and it will open a new window with all the info for each unique id and give you this for each 'person' in the excel sheet.  Copy and paste it back into the original xml between the <list id="db_changes"> and </list> as before

9. Save the xml and import in the editor, you should see database changes made.

This is the very basic I can get into the details and show you more when you have it, this isn't easy to really explain. I might do a yt tutorial if i can find some capture gear.   Have a go, DM me issues and questions and then i'll dive into the property codes and other things you might need to do full player information (attributes, hair etc) 

[wkdsoul]

I am aware you may know alot of that and ive written like im talking to an idiot. apologies. I suck at explaining things.

[Wolf_pd]

2 minutes ago, wkdsoul said:

I am aware you may know alot of that and ive written like im talking to an idiot. apologies. I suck at explaining things.

It will help those with less knowledge.

[Wolf_pd]

I am thinking of a different solution but I need to ask a colleague tomorrow.

[nine_iron]

On 01/11/2022 at 20:20, wkdsoul said:

I am aware you may know alot of that and ive written like im talking to an idiot. apologies. I suck at explaining things.

It hit my level spot on

[wkdsoul]

28 minutes ago, nine_iron said:

It hit my level spot on

Thanks, we'll let a few people try it, if i get a couple of messages confirming we're all ok.  I'll move on to the intricate stuff. 

[nine_iron]

11 minutes ago, wkdsoul said:

Thanks, we'll let a few people try it, if i get a couple of messages confirming we're all ok.  I'll move on to the intricate stuff. 

I will take a look in the next week or so, sadly very busy around release time with non-FM stuff so squeezing it in where I can.

[Shrew82]

@wkdsoul You, my friend, are an absolute game changer!  I only discovered your response last night, and have since had a little play and managed to flawlessly import players to not only an empty database but an already populated one using a spreadsheet and a mail merge.  If I get an opportunity, and obviously recognising your help, i will upload my spreadsheet, merge template and xml file so that others can use it.  Obviously, you need to understand what you need to copy over and where to, but genuinely this is the missing piece in my jigsaw puzzle.

Thank you :-)

[wkdsoul]

15 minutes ago, Shrew82 said:

@wkdsoul You, my friend, are an absolute game changer!  I only discovered your response last night, and have since had a little play and managed to flawlessly import players to not only an empty database but an already populated one using a spreadsheet and a mail merge.  If I get an opportunity, and obviously recognising your help, i will upload my spreadsheet, merge template and xml file so that others can use it.  Obviously, you need to understand what you need to copy over and where to, but genuinely this is the missing piece in my jigsaw puzzle.

Thank you :-)

Glad you could follow my waffle.  

Gimme a shout if you need the UIDs etc i have a full list (ish)

[EnigMattic1]

19 hours ago, wkdsoul said:

Glad you could follow my waffle.  

Gimme a shout if you need the UIDs etc i have a full list (ish)

I'm assuming this process would work with non-Microsoft word processors and spreadsheets?

[wkdsoul]

41 minutes ago, EnigMattic1 said:

I'm assuming this process would work with non-Microsoft word processors and spreadsheets?

Assume so, i just used apps i know etc.

[Shrew82]

On 18/11/2022 at 11:47, EnigMattic1 said:

I'm assuming this process would work with non-Microsoft word processors and spreadsheets?

I've used a programme called WPS which is basically the full package of MS Office but made in China and you can't tell the difference.  There is also a premium version which is also excellent with lots of gimmicks that MS don't have!

[LosersSalon]

Hi there. I've been trying the @wkdsoul method in the 2024 editor and running into some issues... When importing the .xml file at the end of the process, the database changes show up as "successful" but none of the information from those changes has applied to the players. The issue may be something in the .xml that is causing the "Created" db change to occur after all the others (I'm thinking maybe this wipes out the other changes), while the last player doesn't get the "Created" change at all. The players do show up in the database, just without any changes, as if I have just clicked on "add player"

I've included my Excel file. xml file (only take 3 of the players from the excel file, just so it's a smaller file, but the same issues are present) and a screenshot of the database change details (you may notice a custom nation is used)

 

If anyone can be of help, it'd be much appreciated!

players.xlsx player_test2.xml

[LosersSalon]

16 hours ago, LosersSalon said:

Hi there. I've been trying the @wkdsoul method in the 2024 editor and running into some issues... When importing the .xml file at the end of the process, the database changes show up as "successful" but none of the information from those changes has applied to the players. The issue may be something in the .xml that is causing the "Created" db change to occur after all the others (I'm thinking maybe this wipes out the other changes), while the last player doesn't get the "Created" change at all. The players do show up in the database, just without any changes, as if I have just clicked on "add player"

I've included my Excel file. xml file (only take 3 of the players from the excel file, just so it's a smaller file, but the same issues are present) and a screenshot of the database change details (you may notice a custom nation is used)

 

If anyone can be of help, it'd be much appreciated!

I've worked out my own issue here actually. It was another version of "Fake UID" problem, with one difference. I took note of what the first UID for new players I should be using but forgot I wasn't importing into a database file that had that UID in use, so when the first UID from my mail merge was the next number along, it shoved every change down one place to account for it.