Updating the Master List

This page describes how to use Flashpoint's database file to export and update the Game Master List and Animation Master List.

First, download the latest Flashpoint database file if you don't have it already.

Exporting CSV Files

Follow these steps to export the entire game/animation database as a CSV file:

1. Download, install and open DB Browser for SQLite.
2. Open the flashpoint.sqlite file (File -> Open Database...)
3. Click File -> Export -> Table(s) to CSV file...
4. Select the game table and leave all other options at their default values. Save the file.

Next, follow these steps to create separate game and animation CSV files:

1. Download and run CSVFileView.
2. Open the CSV file that you exported.
3. In the Options menu, change the "Unicode/Ascii Default Open Mode" to UTF-8. Then change the "Unicode/Ascii Save Mode" to "Always UTF-8."
4. In the Options menu, check "Add header line to CSV/Tab-Delimited File." Then check the "Allow MultiLine Fields" option.
5. Click the Refresh button to reload the file.
6. Click View -> Edit Display Filter. Check "Use the following display filter", then type one of the following:
   • library = 'arcade' for the Game Master List
   • library = 'theatre' for the Animation Master List
7. Click View -> Choose Columns and check only these columns: id, title, series, developer, publisher, platform.
8. Click File -> Save All Items. Save as the CSV file type.

Alternatively, use the following batch script to export the game and animation CSV files automatically:

@ECHO off
SET cols="id,title,series,developer,publisher,platform"
SET baseopts=/AsciiUnicodeMode 3 /AsciiUnicodeOpenMode 3 /AddExportHeaderLine 1 /AllowMultiLineFields 1 /UseLoadFilter 1

CSVFileView /Columns %cols% %baseopts% /LoadFilterStr "library = 'arcade'" /aload %1 /scomma arcade.csv
CSVFileView /Columns %cols% %baseopts% /LoadFilterStr "library = 'theatre'" /aload %1 /scomma theatre.csv

To run the script, place it in the same folder as CSVFileView, then run exportMasterLists.bat sourceCSVPath from the command line.

Adding a Platform to the Game Request Form

The first step to adding a platform to the Game Request Form is, of course, to add the option to the relevant question on the form. But there are a few more necessary steps:

1. Open the Platforms tab of the Game Master List spreadsheet.
2. Scroll down to the first empty row.
3. Add the Platform name to column A, exactly as it appears in the arcade.csv file.
4. Add the corresponding Platform name from the Game Request Form to column B, exactly as it appears on the Game Request Form.

Important Notes:

• These steps are only necessary if the option name on the Game Request Form corresponding to this Platform differs from the actual Platform name in Flashpoint. For example, the option name for the "Flash" platform is "Flash Player", so "Flash" goes in column A and "Flash Player" goes in column B.
• These steps must be performed before updating the Master List sheets!
• The steps for updating the Animation Request Form are the same, except that you need to use the Animation Master List spreadsheet instead.

Updating the Google Sheets

Updating the Game Master List Sheet

To update the Game Master List sheet:

1. Select the entire header bar (first row of the sheet). Click Ctrl-C to copy it.
2. Click File => Import.
3. Click the Upload tab and select the arcade.csv file.
4. Click the "Import location" dropdown and select "Replace current sheet". Uncheck "Convert text to numbers, dates, and formulas".
   • Do not select "Replace spreadsheet"! That will delete all the other tabs of the spreadsheet! Double-check that you've selected the correct option before you continue!
5. Click "Import data" and wait a bit for the new data to appear.
6. Delete the Series column by selecting it and clicking Edit => Delete => Column.
7. Select the header bar and paste in the headings that you copied in Step 1. The formatting of the header bar should now be restored.
8. Delete any empty columns on the right and any empty rows at the bottom. Resize columns to your liking.

Once that is done, click the "Game & Platform Only" tab of the spreadsheet. It will be mostly empty, with two #REF! errors near the top. To fix these errors:

1. Click one of the errors to get more information. The error message will indicate how many rows need to be added to the sheet. Copy that number.
2. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the sheet. Paste the number into the "Add more rows at the bottom" box.
3. Click the "Add" button. Wait a few moments, and the sheet will be fixed!

Updating the Game Requests Sheet

Now that the main master list sheet has been updated, those changes need to be copied to the game requests spreadsheet. We will do this by exporting the data as CSV, then importing it into the other sheet:

1. On the "Game & Platform Only" tab of the Game Master List sheet, click File => Download => Comma Separated Values (.csv).
2. Open the Game Master List tab of the Flashpoint Game Requests spreadsheet.
3. Click File => Import.
4. Click the Upload tab and select the downloaded CSV file.
5. Click the "Import location" dropdown and select "Replace current sheet". Uncheck "Convert text to numbers, dates, and formulas".
   • Do not select "Replace spreadsheet"! That will delete all the other tabs of the spreadsheet! Double-check that you've selected the correct option before you continue!
6. Click "Import data" and wait a bit for the new data to appear.
7. Delete the header row at the top of the sheet: right-click the top-left cell, then click "Delete row".
8. Scroll down to the bottom of the sheet and delete any empty rows. Delete any empty columns on the right.

Updating the Animations spreadsheets

The steps for updating the Animation Master List and Animation Requests sheets are the same as their respective Games sheets. Refer to the instructions above.