Generate diplomas automatically

[nickkolok]

It would be extremely useful to generate diplomas automatically with given template. Now organising commitees of some tournaments are already doing this by programs, but that programs are self-written and inconsitent.

For example, while organizing Voroneh Local IYPT, we made a *.fodt (LibreOffice unpacked XML) template, a plaintext file with participants' data and then filled the tmplate with a self-written program. It seems to be more useful than filling every diploma manually, but less useful than having such a system as a part of ipt_connect. Note that (at least in Russian) there is a slight difference in diplomas given to males and females (in verbs and adjectives).

Moreover, it should be great to create diplomas for best reporter/opponent/reviewer automatically.

If we spend 10 hours now and therefore save 1 hour between the last fight and the closing ceremony, it's worth of the time.

[mhrz]

I already do it automatically in InDesign, via the CSV export of the participants (see 'export_all' etc.) :)

[nickkolok]

@mhrz, thank you for your advice, but, firstly, InDesign is not a open source software, and, secondly, it doesn't provide the desired extent of automatization =/

[mhrz]

I guess it depends on each LOC, but for IPT 2016 and IPT 2017 it did the job :) I don't understand what you mean by "it doesn't provide the desired extent of automatization". Could you please explicit? InDesign provides the ability to input a csv file and fill a set of document with the infos. Basically, I generate all the diplomas with a single click in InDesign. Is it not what you mean?

But why not adding the functionnality in IPT Connect and let the LOC decides what they wish to do?

[nickkolok]

@mhrz, first of all, you should:
a) have a PC with InDesign installed
b) export a .csv file (is there a GUI or it should be done from console, i.e. from the server on which the ipt_connect runs?)
c) do that "magic" one click.

Moreover, for example, in Russian language verbs in past tense differ for genus. For example, in English:
Teresa participated in the Tournament. (for a girl)
Simon participated in the Tournament. (for a boy)

The name are the only difference between two sentences.
But in Russia we have a trap!

Тереза приняла участие в турнире (for a girl)
Саймон принял участие в турнире (for a boy)

I don't know whether there are the same issues in French or not, but at least in Ukranian they should occur =/
To overcome this, you need to export two different csv files using a filter. So, it would be useful to have a GUI with a filter (which is adjusted in advance!) and several templates for the diploma.

The 'desired extent of automatiation' is:
a) setting all the preferences in advance
b) when the results are ready, pressing a Big Red Button A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A MAKE ME THE DIPLOMAS IMMEDIATELY!!!1

[mhrz]

Sure, do it if you want and the LOC will decide what's better. I think there are more important priorities to work on right now since we make the diplomas with success and easily every year for the moment, but feel free to do it if you wish :) Just note the csv export is done in real time by just accessing the URLs/views "export_all", "export_participants", etc. (or smth like that, I don't remember exactly how I named it).

[vbonvin]

Templates will vary from year to year, and from tournament to tournament so I don't really see the point of having templates already in the software. What can be useful though is a more flexible export function that gives the gender, rank, team, number of points, etc... that you post-process with an external design tool.

Anyway @nickkolok, feel free to experiment !

[Sebastian-Fava]

Again not a strong opinion on this. This being said I see no harm in implementing this feature (except for the time that requires doing so), and the LOC can decides afterwards if use it or not, as Maxime and Vivien suggest.

[david2457]

As Sebastian's comment.
As mentioned above, the design changes on year, so probably want the blanket text to be output and then LOC can edit the remaining design.

[nickkolok]

@vbonvin, @david2457, the main page changes on year too. Should we throw it away from the repo?
@mhrz, thank ypu for info about csv export. It could be useful.

However, I suggest to implement the following mechanism for participants' certificates.

There are three files:

1. heading.fodt (you may use other names/extensions and you probably should).
2. trailer.fodt
3. participant.fodt

When export of the certificates is requested, then:

1. heading.fodt is taken as an initial string.
2. participant.fodt is executed as a django template with participant parameter and concatenated to the current string.
3. trailer.fodt is concatenated to the result.
4. The result is dowloaded by the user.

I mean that participant.fodt an contain smth like this:

{% if participant.gender == 'male' %}
    schoolboy
{% else %}
    schoolgirl
{% endif %}

@ijustbsd, does it sound sane?

[nickkolok]

Some progress can be found here if needed:
https://github.com/nickkolok/ipt_connect/commits/vrn-hotfix-1-reordered