Matching File Format

The matching file format can be explained easiest with an example:

matchfile
//There are a total of 6 players and 5 matches.
//Match 1, 2, 3: the players are divided into 2 types with each group containing 2 players using the zipper algoirthm.
//Match 4, 5: there is 1 type, with each group randomly containing 3 players each
id 1 2 3 4 5 6
type 1 1 1 2 2 2 
match 1 4, 2 5, 3 6
match 2 6, 3 4, 1 5
match 3 5, 1 6, 2 4
type 1 1 1 1 1 1 
match 1 4 3, 6 2 5
match 3 5 4, 6 2 1

The above contains 6 players, with 5 matches.

For match 1, 2, and 3, the 6 players are divided into 2 types, with players 1, 2, and 3 in type 1 and then players 4, 5, and 6 in type 2. Each group contains 2 players, one from each type. Match 1, 2, and 3 follows the zipper algorithm.

For match 4 and 5, the 6 players are all of the same type, and are grouped in group sizes of 3 randomly twice.

Note that each line has an identifier which gives the kind of information that is being given. The identifiers have the following meaning:

• id: gives each player an id number which is used in the subsequent data (This must be before the type and match identifiers and should be in a matching file only once).

• type: Gives information on individual's group (e.g., 1 = Blue, 2 = Red)

• match: partitions the players into groups for the match, using id numbers previously assigned. The groups are seperated by the commas. So with the example line: [ match 1 4, 2 5, 3 6 ], there are 3 groups with group 1 containing players 1 and 4, group containing players 2 and 5, and group 3 containing players 3 and 6.

A new type line overrides a previous type line if and only if it occurs right after the previous type line. Thus in the example below:

type 1 1 1 1 1 1 
type 1 1 1 2 2 2
match 1 4 3, 6 2 5

The 2nd type [type 1 1 1 2 2 2] will override the 1st type [type 1 1 1 1 1 1] and only the 2nd type will be used. So unless there is match line right below the type line, the type will not be accounted for. This allows for the possibility that we may want to use multiple criteria to restrict the matching.