Introduction

WhatPub.com is the CAMRA central online guide into which the the various pub databases (inc. HOPS) will export their data to finally give a vital resource for pub goers - a CAMRA driven pub guide to rival Pubs Galore, Beer In the Evening etc.

Process to export your data

The process is relatively simple:

Export from HOPS:
1. Select the Export option in the menu on the left
2. Select WhatPub (PDS v1.5) from the drop down list (other export formats will be exported in future)
3. Click the Export button at the top
4. Save the CSV file somewhere
Import into www.whatpub.com:
1. Open and logon to CAMRA Pubs Online Management Interface
2. Browse to your saved CSV file
3. Click the Upload button
4. Click the Commit button - if this is greyed out, your have errors in the data (See below)

It is hoped that in future, this process can be automated.

Errors in your data (unable to commit)

You may encounter errors in your data. This is because the validation checks carried out by www.whatpub.com are more rigid in some areas than HOPS. I'm afraid you will have to correct these in HOPS and then do the export/import again. If you have queries re: the process, please post a message on the HOPS Yahoo group.

WhatPub field matching

Whilst HOPS is able to generate PDS format files for use in WhatPub, there are a few areas where special formatting is needed:

Distances

Include the distance in the notes field wrapped in square brackets, e.g. for Near railway station: Macclesfield [50] means 50m from Macclesfield station. The distance is always measured in metres. Distances can be specified for Near railway station, Camping, On bus route and Near underground or tram station.

Pub data specification (PDS) format

This is CAMRA standard that HOPS exports the data to. It's currently at version 1.5 and the specification can be downloaded here.