Adding Decks

Cardagain imports decks by scanning its data directory for .csv and .json files on startup.

Where to place files

The data directory is the same folder the binary lives in. On Knulli it’s typically:

/userdata/roms/tools/cardagain/

CSV format (recommended)

The simplest way to add a deck. The filename becomes the deck name.

Example: Spanish.csv

# Lines starting with # are comments
Hello,Hola
Thank you,Gracias
Good morning,Buenos días
How are you?,¿Cómo estás?
Good night,Buenas noches

CSV rules

• Filename = deck name (without .csv)
• One card per line: front,back
• Comments: Lines starting with # are ignored
• Empty lines: Skipped automatically
• Duplicate names: If a deck with the same name already exists, the file is ignored
• Malformed lines: Lines without a comma are skipped

JSON format

You can also place individual deck files exported from the app (or hand-written) as .json files. The format matches the internal Deck structure.

How importing works

1. Start the app
2. It scans the data directory for .csv and .json files
3. New decks are imported and immediately saved to data.json
4. The deck appears in the Deck Select screen

Creating decks on your computer

Use any text editor or spreadsheet app. Save as .csv with UTF-8 encoding (important for non-Latin characters like Japanese or Arabic).

Tips for large decks

• One file per deck keeps things organized
• Use comments to group cards by topic
• Test with a small deck first (10-20 cards)

Example: Multi-topic deck

# Japanese Basics.csv
# Greetings
Hello,こんにちは
Good morning,おはよう
Thank you,ありがとう

# Numbers
One,一
Two,二
Three,三

# Common phrases
Where is the bathroom?,トイレはどこですか
I don't understand,わかりません