Is there a way to import my collection into Collector(xls or csv files)? I have over 1,600 DVD's in my collection and would like to avoid as much pain as possible.

Thanks

There will be soon...Read the end of this thread:

http://www.coollector.com/viewtopic.php?p=1005#1005

-Toonces

I apologize...

The beta version of the import should already be done. But I've been very busy with my private life those last days, and could hardly work on the program.

But now I'm back in business again !

Thanks for the quick reply. I look forward to getting started.

Also, I can send my csv file if there is still beta testing to be done...I wasn't sure of the email address to send it to from the previous post however.

xDVDSpot

Oh yes, CSV files are very useful for my testings.

Please mail it to me at this address:

beta at coollector dot com

Thanks !

*******
* BETA *
*******

***************************
* FOR TESTING PURPOSES ONLY *
***************************

(you'll have to start over when the final version is available)




Hi DVDSpot refugees !

Here is the first beta of our new import feature -> Coollector_BETA.exe <-


HOW IT WORKS

1) copy Coollector_BETA.exe into the same directory you installed Coollector.

2) launch Coollector_BETA.exe.

3) click the "add" button (the third central button, with a "plus" icon).

4) click "IMPORT VIDEOS ... from a DVDSpot CSV file".

5) locate your CSV file.

6) wait until the import has finished.

7) view the files that couldn't be imported.



RATINGS CONVERSION

This beta translates DVDSpot ratings like this:

5 => excellent
4½ => very good
4 => very good
3½ => good
3 => good
2½ => neutral
2 => bad
1½ => bad
1 => very bad
½ => awful



WHAT REMAINS TO BE DONE

1) fix the bugs you'll find.

2) improve the success rate.

3) user-defined scheme to convert ratings.

4) don't import a video if it's already there.

5) display barcode information of videos (existing & owned).



I'd much appreciate your feedback


For the moment, don't worry too much about the failed imports. What I especially need to know is whether everything that was imported is fine, or not.


Thank you very much for your help !!!



USE WITH CAUTION: to start over, and make new tests with an empty database, I've set up an easy way to erase your database: simply click the "exit" button (last central button, with a "door" icon).

Hi
I have just used your import feature, I have around 1,050 movies of which 765 were imported correctly.
Many Thanks
Red Knight

Thank you very much for testing !

Remember that it's only a beta (you'll have to wait for the final version to really use that function).

Do you see any problem with what's been imported ?

I will refine the algorithm, which will result in much better success rate.

In case you have some music videos or adult videos, you must know that Coollector only manages movies and series.

Hector,

I tried to send my CSV file to you and received the following reply:

"This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification.

THIS IS A WARNING MESSAGE ONLY.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESEND YOUR MESSAGE.

Delivery to the following recipients has been delayed.

beta@collector.com"

I'm not sure what this means but wanted to let you know that you may have a problem receiving email.

I will try using the beta import and provide you feedback.

Regards,

xDVDSpot

it's coollector, not collector

Hector,

You are a coding genius!!! How's this for a success rate: 2222 DVDs in the original .csv file and your Beta-Coollector imported 2061 with zero errors and only failed to find the remaining 161...which are all imports from Australia, the Far East, or Eastern Europe. I think they all have the EAN coding rather than the normal UPC we are used to seeing.

I am going to send you my failed .csv file right now. If you can give me some guidance as to what I need to do to get these into your database, please let me know and I will be happy to help out.

Than you for the fantastic work you've done!

-Toonces

P.S. - Another thank you for not stripping the humor out of Coollector. DVDSpot was, and DVDAF is, completely devoid of it. Please leave in the "Smiley Face" rating system and the other lighter aspects of the program. It all adds a great deal of charm along with the excellent functionality.

Whoops! Belay that part of my post...Many of them are not imports and include stuff like the "Lost" series and other well documented titles. I will look into them one at a time...Going through 161 sure beats the heck out of going through 2222...

-Toonces

Thank you very much for all your kind comments.




The second beta will be significantly better. If a movie is in our database, it will be imported. Of course, if it's not yet in our database, you'll have to request its addition first.

Wait until you try the second beta, and if you find entries that you think the robot could have matched, please let me know, and I'll make the robot even smarter.

423 imported; 116 failed.

The failed titles are mostly out-of-the-mainstream, and video/TV series discs. 2 out of 10 Star Trek movies. Just stuff nobody's added to your database yet.

It's interesting that the bot imports the contents of box sets as individual movies.

The ones that imported seem to be linked up correctly. E.g. Back to the Future Collection.

Bug: unable to save changes: Schoolhouse Rock is in my collection. When I click the Owned Videos link, the one release I have is shown as containing "various episodes." So I click Edit, pull down Episodes and select "all." I click Apply and the Owned box now says "complete series." But then if I click Close, the disc in Owned Videos still says "various episodes." The same thing happens with other titles.

Hi CalebAndCo !

Thank you very much for testing our new import feature !

The bug you describe happens only with the beta version.

I've changed many things in the code, and was perfectly aware that I had broken some parts, but released the beta anyway because it was enough for testing.

The stable versions of Coollector don't/won't have this bug.

The only feedback I expected about this first beta, is whether what's imported is correctly imported.