Open a CWR file in the checker and read the viewer

Use this guide to open a file in the CWR checker and see what each part of the screen shows. CWR (Common Works Registration) is the text format publishers use to register works with collecting societies.

Your file is never uploaded. The checker reads it in your browser tab.

Open a file

1. Go to the CWR checker.
2. Drop your file on the box that says "Drop a CWR file here". You can also select "Choose a file".
3. To see how a result looks first, select "Try a sample file". It holds invented works and writers.
4. Wait for the check to finish. The checker accepts CWR 2.1 and 2.2 files with any file name, such as .V21, .V22 or .txt. It does not open CWR 3.0 or 3.1 files.

Read the file bar

When the check ends, a bar above the viewer shows the file name and these facts:

• CWR: the version, read from the group header.
• Works: how many works the file holds.
• Records: how many lines (records) the file holds.
• Size, Encoding and Line endings.

Select "Open another file" to start again with a different file.

Read the viewer

A CWR file is a list of lines. Each line is a record, and each record starts with a short code such as HDR, NWR, SPU or SWR. Every field sits at a fixed position with a fixed width, so there are no commas to show where a value ends.

The viewer splits each record into its fields. You can:

1. Select a field to open its field detail. It shows the record, the field's format, the rule that applies and the value. For a coded field it also shows the lookup table.
2. Collapse or expand a record with the arrow beside its name.
3. Type in "Search in file" to find text. Use "Match case" to make the search case sensitive, and "Previous match" and "Next match" to move between hits.
4. Select a problem in the problems list to jump to the exact characters it is about.

The side panel

On a wide screen the side panel has three tabs: Problems, Work and Tools. On a narrow screen the tabs are File, Problems, Works and Tools. The Works list lets you jump to a work.

• Problems lists what the checker found. See Read your results.
• Work shows the work you have selected.
• Tools holds the tools that fix and export. See the Tools guides.

What to check next

• Read the result with Read your results.
• Open your file in the CWR checker and look at the first problem in the list.