When pupils have indicated their preferred time slots (see Offer preferred time slots), Plugin.ch can help you in two ways: by showing the matching groups while you place a pupil, and by suggesting a complete placement that you confirm line by line.

1Guided placement

In the Board view of Manage groups, start dragging a pupil's card: the groups whose day and times fit within their preferences light up in green, the others fade. Drop the card into a green group.

While dragging, matching groups are shown in green.

A group matches when each of its days is covered by one of the pupil's preferences. Consecutive slots count as a single range: “Monday 16:00 - 17:00, Monday 17:00 - 18:00” covers a group from 16:30 to 17:30. A pupil without a readable preference lights up no group.

2Ask for a suggestion

Click Suggest a placement. The Suggested placement panel lists, for each unassigned lesson, the suggested group and the rank of the preference used (Choice #1, Choice #2…).

The suggestion: one line per lesson to place, all ticked at the start.

The rules followed:

• only groups of this lesson that match the preferences;
• there is a place left in the group;
• never two lessons of the same pupil in the same group, nor two overlapping groups for the same person (even in another lesson of the sport-season);
• with equal preference, the group whose average age is closest and where the pupil's sex is most represented, then the least full;
• pupils with the fewest options are placed first.

Below the list, No suggestion groups the pupils without a solution, with the reason: no readable preference, no group within their preferences, or matching groups full or with a time conflict.

3Apply the suggestion

Nothing is saved until you click Apply. Untick the lines you do not want (Select all ticks or unticks everything), then click Apply (n): the pupils are placed as if you had dragged them, and the board reloads. Cancel closes the panel without changing anything.