how to convert a pgn file into scid format using the pgnscid

the convert utility pgnscid is in the bin folder of the scid vs pc installation folder. but how to use that? use the dos command promt says the tutorials, but how?

I have a pgn called kasporaov.pgn stored in F:chess.

Now i want to convert it into a scid formatted file namely master.pgn. how can i do this?

I tried this
"c:\scid vs pc 4.16\bin\pgnscid.exe"\F:chess\kasporov.pgn>master.pgn

the system returned an error saying

>the system cannot find the path specified.<

You don't need to do that. You can just directly import the file into SCID. 

[Edit - This paragraph is wrong. See Post #10 for my correction.] Yeah, you can directly import the PGN file into Scid vs. PC, as long as the file contains less than 1,000,000 games. (At least my older version 4.11 has that limit.) However, you'll still need to know how to save it in Scid file format. The short and easy answer is to create a new, empty Scid file, open the "Game List" window, then drag-and-drop the clipbase contents into the new Scid file. Then when you close the Scid file, it will be saved in Scid format.

If you want to convert the PGN file manually using the pgnscid.exe program, I think you'll have to rename the pgn file from kasporov.pgn to master.pgn before you do the conversion. (That is, I don't think you can convert the file AND rename the file in one operation.)

Then, in the command prompt, try this command:

"c:\scid vs pc 4.16\bin\pgnscid.exe" F:\chess\master.pgn

After the conversion is complete, you'll have three Scid files in the F:\chess\ folder:

master.sg4

master.si4

master.sn4

thanks for the suggestion.

Then, in the command prompt, try this command:

"c:\scid vs pc 4.16\bin\pgnscid.exe" F:\chess\master.pgn

 the system gives me this error

""the system cannot find the path specified""

i renamed the kasparov.pgn to master.pgn then

i just copy pasted your cammmand into the dos prompt. the system says it cannot find the path specified.

that i know..the question is raised to know how to convert the pgn into scid format so that i can get all the "benefit" of the programme scid vs pc.

btw ,i am using windows xp

Then one or both of the paths must be incorrect. Check the path to your pgnscid.exe file and the path to your master.pgn file.

But you still get the benefit by creating a new database from within the program. Then using the menu option to import the file into the database.

The benefit I could see of using the command-line tool would be if you had a lot of PGN files and you wanted to make multiple, separate databases from them. In that case you could script a process to do all of them in one go. For one import, it is just more work to do it that way.

Well, you learn something new every day! The first time I tried this, I imported the PGN file first (which placed the imported data into the clipbase file), then I created the new, empty Scid database file. When done in that order, I had to do the drag-and-drop operation.

However, When I first create the new, empty Scid database file (and leave it open), THEN import the PGN file, the drag-and-drop operation is unnecessary; The contents of the PGN file will be directly imported into the new Scid database file, and since the clipbase isn't used, there is no 1,000,000 game size limitation.

As Homer Simpson would say, "Doh!"

@OP - If you're still having problems with the DOS command and path name stuff, this direct import method that Martin mentioned is definitely the way to go.

thanks for the support

i succeeded to bring some files into the scid database as instructed.

first i created a scid database file with no games in it. then using the

switch windows i dragged and droped the games from the pgn file to scid

database.

now i have 549 games. i  made a search on "result" I got 280 games with

result and rest are games which went draw. i want to delete all those

games after game nos 281 to 549.
I went to the game list window and selected the games from 281 to 549

and right click delete. they become greyed but not removed from the

list. again i selected those games and right clicked. Now i got option

to" remove." I clicked remove. now the those games are removed from the

list . now i have only 280 games in the list. i close and exit from

scid.
when i restarted scid to my surprise i found all the 549 games in the

list with games Nos281 to 549 are greyed out.

How can i accomplish the task of removing games Nos 281 to 549 in a go?

when i look at the maintenance window i see that it gives deleted

games=269.
under delete flag options are
delete filter games
undelete filter games

to permanently delete those 269 games which option should i opt?

I am not an expert in dos commands.

how can i find the correct path. fyi i would like to quote the following.

My scid vs pc 4.16 is installed in C:\

the pgnscid is inside the scid vs pc folder in C:\

My kasparov.pgn file is in F:\CHESS\kasparov.pgn

In the Game List window, click on the "Compact" button.

If you're having a hard time with file paths in a DOS environment, I suggest you directly import the PGN file into an open Scid file using the Scid vs. PC GUI, as Martin suggested.

A-210416
thanks EscherehcsE for the response.
Happy learning hours!
Now in my gamelist i have only 280 games with results.
when we quit scid whether the actions we have done so far will

automatically be saved? i could not find a save option under the file

menu. there is a save pgn option. what does it for?

=============================================================

Yes , i have fount it. under the options menu if autosave on quit has been ticked then it will save on exit.

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we can drag and drop the content of a database. if we want to move a few games from it what should we do?I could not find the option to move the games from one directory to other. i have "mygames" database with 300 games. I have sorted it . I got 180 games where white wins. now i want to move these 180 games to another database
"mygameswwin"    which i have created . what to do for moving those files?

Once you compact a database, the compaction is permanent and irreversible.

I think the "Save PGN" option just saves the current game to a PGN file.

EscherehcsE

thanks once again for the quick response.

when we are watching a game by moving the pieces by touching right arrow key and in a certain move we want to input our own move. then it asks variation. yes. then against my move the engine plays. after a few moves i want to revert back to the original game. for this what should i do?

If you want to discard the variation and continue looking at the game moves, just right-click on one of the moves in the variation, then click on "delete variation". On the other hand, if you want to discard the variation and close the database, then click on "File --> Close", and it will ask you if you want to discard the changes.