National FIS Software : Files

Overview

A race is stored on your computer as a file. Whenever you create a new race, it will ask for a name for the file before creating it. Choose the names for your files carefully. Over time you may end up with hundreds of files, so having a naming system can help find the right file when needed.

The race is stored as an XML file. Do not edit the XML file directly with an editor or other product.

Compared to storage capacity of modern computers, race files are tiny. It is very unlikely that a large number of files will cause a problem with available disk space. Large numbers of files may, however, get confusing and difficult to navigate.

Files are automatically saved every few minutes. The default for this is every five minutes, but this may be changed in the edit options screen. The edit options screen also allows the default folder to be changed.

All data for a race is included in one file and may include data for both men and women.

NOTE:

• Although a race file may contain data for both sexes, you may prefer one file for each sex instead. This will allow you to move data files around more freely (possibly working one sex while timing the other, etc.). With experience you'll be able to decide what works best for your situation. You have to decide before you enter data because afterward they can't easily be separated.

Changing Sex

To change sex within a file use the "File|Change Sex" menu option, the shortcut Ctrl-S, or click anywhere on the status bar on the main screen:

When changing sex it's best to wait a few seconds before doing anything else. The process of changing sex is more complicated than it may seem because much of the layout of the software is customized to the event and since the sexes may have different race types, a large number of things are changed in this process.