Shareware 1 2 the Maxx/sw_1.zip/sw_1/DBASE/LGMGR10.ZIP/LGMGR.DOC

Text File | 1992-05-23 | 25KB | 516 lines

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1.0 Introduction

     1.1 League Manager Overview

        League Manager facilitates the management of a league of teams by
     providing an easy to use interface for the input, modification, and
     display of league data and game scores.  Specifically it provides the
     following functionality:

        1. Defines a set of teams and stores information about the teams.
        2. Organizes the teams into conferences and divisions.
        3. Establishes a schedule, collects game scores, and updates
           standings.

        League Manager also produces various output reports either on the
     screen, directly to a printer, or to a text file that can either be
     printed or imported into a word processor.  The following reports are
     available:

        1. League standings of all divisions
        2. Schedule of games
        3. List of games with results for played games
        4. Scores of all games played on a specific date
        5. Team list showing team information for all teams
        6. Game results for a specified team

     1.2 Getting Started

        To install League Manager onto a hard disk, copy the files from the
     distribution floppy disk into a directory on the hard disk and execute
     the program from that directory.  The league files will also be created
     in that directory.  To install League Manager, execute the following DOS
     commands:

           >c:
           >cd c:\
           >md league
           >cd league
           >copy a:*.*

     Once League Manager has been installed, the following commands will run
     it:

           >c:
           >cd c:\league
           >lgmgr

        The League Manager distribution disk includes an example league,
     EXAMPLE.LGE.  Run League Manager and select 'open' from the file menu and
     type EXAMPLE when asked for the file name.  By experimenting with the
     menu items, which are described in Section 4, the full set of
     capabilities of League Manager can be exercised.
        To start a new league, run League Manager and select 'new' from the
     file menu.  At that point team data, game schedule, and league structure
     can be defined.  Don't forget to save the file before exiting the
     program.

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     1.3 Hardware Requirements

        League Manager runs on IBM compatible PC's with either a color or
     monochrome monitor and supports mouse input if a mouse is available.
     When executing, League Manager occupies approximately 235,000 bytes of
     memory.  In addition to the memory used by the program, memory for league
     data, screen displays, etc. is allocated on an as needed basis.  The
     total amount of remaining memory is displayed on the status line in the
     lower right corner of the screen and under normal conditions, there
     should be plenty of memory available.  If this number drops below 20,000
     while running League Manager, any unnecessary display windows should be
     closed to free memory for use.  If this is a frequent problem, check to
     see if TSR's or other running programs can be deleted.

     1.4 Registration

        League Manager is a shareware program and is made available for
     evaluation through bulletin boards, on-line services, and shareware
     distributors.  Shareware software is not free - if after evaluation, you
     decide to use the program, you are expected to register with the author.
     To encourage users to register, the shareware version of League Manager
     limits the schedule to twenty games.  Registered users receive:

        1. A fully capable version of the program.
        2. Automatic, free copy of the next release of League Manager.
        3. Notification of subsequent releases at cost (ie. postage and disk
           cost).
        4. Technical support.
        5. Consideration of customization requests.

     The registration fee for League Manager is $20 which may be sent to:

           Bill Wright
           3643 Sherbrooke Drive
           Cincinnati, OH 45241

     For technical support and/or questions contact the author at:

           [phone]   (6-11pm Mon-Fri, 10am-11pm Sat-Sun  Eastern Time)

     1.5 Future Enhancements

        If there is sufficient response to the initial release of League
     Manager, an enhanced release, based on user requests and feedback, may be
     issued.  Some examples of possible enhancements are:

        1. Additional data fields in team or game information.
        2. User definable field lengths (eg. setting the maximum number of
           characters in the team name).
        3. User customizable displays (eg. adding or deleting specific columns
           in the reports).
        4. Changing the screen colors for the user interface.
        5. User selectable tie break criteria.
        6. On-line, context sensitive help.

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2.0 League Management

     2.1 League Files

        The data for a league is stored on a file which has the DOS extension
     'LGE'.  When entering the file name for a league through the file menu
     dialog box, this extension should not be included.  Only one league can
     be open at a time and the name of the currently open league appears on
     the right end of the upper menu bar.  When there is no open league, all
     of the menu items which manipulate league data are disabled.  Changes
     made to the league data are stored in memory and are not reflected in the
     file until the 'save' command is issued.
        Three types of information constitute a league:

        1. Division information (defines which teams are in each division)
        2. Schedule (list of games)
        3. Team information

     Since divisions, games, and teams all reference teams by team numbers,
     the league data may be entered in any order (ie. the schedule may be
     defined before the team information or the division information is
     defined).

     2.2 League Structure

        A league consists of a collection of teams which may be subdivided
     into divisions.  Each division has a conference name and a division name
     which creates a structure which is similar to the National Football
     League.  Each league, conference, and division is given a name.  If a
     less complex league structure is desired, these names may be left blank,
     however a league must have at least one division so that the team numbers
     of the teams that make up the league can be defined.  Each division
     includes the following information:

        1. Conference name (may be blank if there is only one division in the
           league)
        2. Division name (may be blank)
        3. Team numbers in the division.

     2.3 Teams

        Each team has a unique number which is used for defining games and
     divisions.  Associated with each team is the following information:

        1. Team number
        2. Team name
        3. Coach's name
        4. Coach's phone number
        5. Comment (may be used for additional information, such as uniform
           colors)

     The team information need not be defined before the team numbers are used
     to define games or divisions.


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     2.4 Games

        The schedule for the league is established by defining the individual
     games.  For each game the following information is stored:

        1. Date and time of the game
        2. Home and visiting team numbers
        3. Score (once the game has been played)
        4. Location (eg. field number)
        5. Comment (may be used to report status, such as postponed or
           rescheduled)

     As games are played, the scores are entered and added to the league
     data.  The output displays, such as standings, are automatically updated
     to reflect the current scores.

     2.5 Output Displays

        League Manager currently produces six different reports which are
     listed in Section 1.1 and can be output to a display window.  These
     display windows will remain on the screen until closed even if the
     current league file is saved and another file is opened.  The data in the
     display window reflects the status of the league data at the time the
     window was opened.  If the league data is subsequently changed after the
     window is opened, those changes will not be reflected in the window and
     the window will need to be closed and redisplayed to pick up the changes.

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3.0 Graphical User Interface

     3.1 Overview

        User interaction with League Manager is through a Graphical User
     Interface (GUI).  The GUI can be operated either using a mouse or the
     keyboard or a combination of both.  In general, there are several ways to
     perform any function and how a function is executed is determined by the
     preference of the user.  In the sections that follow, all possible
     activation methods will be given.  In the following discussions a
     keyboard key is represented by <key>.
        The mouse can be used for selecting menu items, pushing push buttons,
     activating scroll bars, and moving the cursor to a desired text input
     box.  The mouse controls the position of the square cursor and the left
     mouse button is pushed or 'clicked' when the cursor is on the desired
     item.  The left button is always used, the right button is inactive.  The
     button can be either pushed to select an item, such as a push button, or
     dragged, holding the button down, to move through the items on a menu or
     selection list.
        A 'hot key' is a short-cut that consists of a single keystroke that
     can be used to make a selection, regardless of the position of the
     cursor.  A hot key can be either a function key (designated <F1> through
     <F10>) or the Control or Alt key held down while a letter is depressed
     (designated <Ctl/A> or <Alt/A>).  The most commonly used hot keys are
     displayed in the status line at the bottom of the screen.  The currently
     assigned hot keys are:

        <F2>    Save the current league data to disk.
        <F3>    Close (ie. delete) the active window.
        <F4>    Transfer control to DOS.
        <F5>    Zoom (ie. enlarge) the active window to full screen.
        <F6>    Make the next window active (ie. cycle through windows).
        <Alt/X> Exit League Manager and return to DOS.

        There are four distinct GUI elements:

        1. Menus - Used for selection of League Manager functions.
        2. Dialog Boxes - Used for obtaining user input.
        3. Message Boxes - Used to issue error, warning, and information
           messages.
        4. Display Windows - Used for screen display of reports.

     The use of each of these will be discussed in detail in the following
     sections.

     3.2 Menus

        Selection of all League Manager functions is via menus.  The top level
     menu appears in the menu bar displayed at the top of the screen.  Each
     item on this menu represents a pull-down menu of options that further
     define the functions that can be performed.  A complete description of
     each menu item and its associated pull-down menu can be found in Section
     4.

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        A menu item on the main menu bar can be selected as follows:

        1. Pushing <F10>, moving left and right using the arrow keys, and
           pushing <enter> to make a selection.
        2. Pushing the key of the highlighted letter while holding down <Alt>
           (eg. <Alt/F> to access the File menu).
        3. Moving the mouse cursor to the desired item and clicking the left
           mouse button.

     Once a menu bar item has been selected, pressing <enter> will display its
     pull-down menu.  An item from the pull-down menu may be selected by
     moving up and down the list with the arrows and pressing <enter> when the
     desired menu item is highlighted or by pressing the highlighted letter
     associated with the item (eg. <S> for Save File).  Alternatively, the
     mouse cursor can be dragged up an down the list with the left button
     depressed.  When the desired item is highlighted, the button is released
     to select it.
        Some of the menu items have associated 'hot keys' - keys that can be
     pressed at any time to activate the selection without traversing the menu
     list.  The associated hot key is shown to the right of the text label for
     the menu item.  For example, to save the currently opened league file,
     press <F2>.

     3.3 Dialog Boxes

        Dialog boxes are special purpose windows that are used to obtain input
     from the user.  Many of the menu items have associated dialog boxes.
     Once a dialog box is opened, it must be completed and closed or cancelled
     before any further menu selections can be made.  The dialog box is
     completed and the data entered is accepted by either pressing <enter>
     while in a text input box or by selecting the desired push button with
     the mouse.
        The dialog box can be cancelled at any time by clicking the mouse on
     the small square in the upper left corner of the window border; pressing
     <escape>; or selecting the 'cancel' push button.  If the dialog box is
     cancelled, the menu function that had initiated the dialog box is not
     executed.
        A dialog box contains input items which may be any of several
     different types.  At any one time, one of these items is the current or
     'focused' item accepting input.  The focus is cycled from item to item
     using the <tab> key.  When an item becomes the focused item, it is
     highlighted.  The possible input items are:

        1. Text input boxes.
        2. Radio buttons.
        3. Check boxes.
        4. Selection lists.
        5. Push buttons.


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        Text input boxes are used to obtain text input, such as team name,
     from the user.  Entering data into a text input box is similar to using a
     word processor or text editor.  The cursor can be positioned at the
     beginning of the text by the <home> key and at the end of the text by the
     <end> key or to any position in between by using either the left/right
     arrow keys or by clicking the mouse at the desired position.  Characters
     in the box can be deleted with either the <backspace> key (deletes the
     character to the left of the cursor) or the <delete> key (deletes the
     character under the cursor).  The <insert> key toggles the insertion mode
     from insert before current character to overwrite.  A block cursor
     indicates overwrite mode and a line cursor indicates insert mode.
        Once the text has been typed in, the focus can be transferred to the
     next input item by pressing <tab>.  If <enter> is pressed while in a text
     box, the dialog box is closed and the input that has been entered up to
     that point is used.
        Radio buttons, such as are used to input am/pm for time, consist of a
     list of choices of which only one may be chosen.  Once the radio button
     list is selected, an item can be chosen either by moving up and down the
     list with the arrows or by picking an item with the mouse.
        Check boxes also contain a list of items but more than one item can be
     chosen.  A check box list item can be selected or deselected by moving to
     that item with the arrows and changing the value with the <space> bar.
     Check box items can also be toggled on and off by clicking the mouse on
     the box for that item.
        Selection lists are used to display a list of choices.  The choice is
     made by moving the highlight bar to the desired item and selecting the
     appropriate push button.  The highlight bar can be moved to the desired
     item either by the arrow keys or by picking the item with the mouse.  If
     there are more items than will fit into the selection list subwindow, a
     scroll bar allows movement through the entire list.  <Page Up> and <Page
     Down> and the arrow keys can be used for scrolling from the keyboard, or
     the mouse can be clicked on the scroll bar arrows.
        Push buttons terminate the dialog window by executing the command on
     the button.  The 'cancel' button always terminates the window without
     taking any action, while the other buttons perform the specified action.
     The left button is always the default button and will be executed when
     <enter> is pressed while a non-push button is in focus.  Otherwise, a
     push button is selected by clicking on it with the mouse or moving to it
     via the <tab> key and pressing <enter>.

     3.4 Message Boxes

        Message boxes are used to display messages that require no user
     input.  They are similar to dialog boxes, except that they have no input
     other than push button selection.  Message boxes are used to display
     information which requires no action (such as the introductory version
     box) or to display error or warnings which may require a user choice.
     The default selection may be made by pressing enter and the box may be
     cancelled by pressing <escape> or clicking on the square in the upper
     left corner of the border.


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     3.5 Display Windows

        Display windows are used to display league information such as
     standings, team lists, etc.  Multiple display windows can be on the
     screen at the same time.  The 'active' window, which will be affected by
     the window delete and resize commands, has the border highlighted.  The
     active window can be changed either by clicking the mouse on another
     window or by pressing the <F6> key.  These windows can be manipulated
     from the keyboard, with the mouse, and from the 'Window' menu.
        Using the mouse, a display window can be resized by holding the left
     button down when the cursor is positioned on the lower right corner and
     dragging the corner to make the window a new size.  Similarly, a display
     window can be moved by holding the mouse button down while the cursor is
     on the top border and moving the window to the desired location.  The
     arrow icon in the upper right corner of the window causes the size of the
     window to toggle between full screen size and original size and, as with
     dialog boxes, the square in the upper left corner of the window causes
     the window to be deleted.  The text within the window can be scrolled
     using the mouse on the horizontal and vertical scroll bars or via the
     arrow keys and <Page Up> and <Page Down>.
        Windows can also be manipulated via the keyboard.  <F3> deletes the
     active window, <F5> zooms (ie. makes full screen) the active window, and
     <F6> cycles the active window to the next window.
        If there is more than one display window on the screen, the 'Window'
     menu allows the display windows to be cascaded (ie., all labels showing)
     or tiled (ie., all windows visible at once).


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4.0 Menu Description

     4.1 File Menu

        New             Opens a file to begin a new league.  If another league
                        is currently open, a dialog box will be displayed to
                        ask if the open league data should be saved to the
                        file.  The new league cannot have the same name as a
                        previously created league.

        Open            Opens a previously saved league.  If another league is
                        currently open, a dialog box will be displayed to ask
                        if the open league data should be saved to the file.

        Save            Saves the data for the currently open league to the
                        file.  The league is still active and can be modified
                        further.  Even though changes are made to the league
                        data, the changes are only in the computer memory and
                        not added to the file until a save is issued.

        Save As         Saves the data for the currently open league to a new
                        file.  The original league file remains unchanged and
                        the new league file reflects changes made, if any.

        DOS Shell       Temporarily exits to DOS.  Typing 'exit' at the DOS
                        prompt returns to League Manager.  League Manager will
                        be in the same state that existed before the DOS exit.

        Quit            Terminates League Manager and returns to DOS.  If the
                        currently open league has been modified, a dialog box
                        will provide the opportunity to save the data.

     4.2 League Menu

        Name            Initiates a dialog box to define the league name.

        Add Division    Initiates a dialog box to input the data to define a
                        new division.  The input consists of Conference Name,
                        Division Name, and team numbers of teams in the
                        division.  The dialog box will continue to ask for new
                        divisions until the 'done' button is selected.

        Delete Division Deletes a division from the league.

        Modify Division Modifies the data for the division.

     4.3 Team Menu

        Add Team        Initiates a dialog box to input team information.  The
                        dialog box will continue to ask for new teams until
                        the 'done' button is selected.

        Delete Team     Deletes a team.

        Modify Team     Modifies the data for the team.

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     4.4 Game Menu

        Add Game        Initiates a dialog box to add a game to the schedule.
                        The dialog box will continue to ask for new games
                        until the 'done' button is selected.

        Delete Game     Deletes a game from the schedule.

        Modify Game     Modifies the data for a game.

        Set Score       A selection list of unplayed games is displayed and
                        the score is set for the game selected.  The selection
                        list will repeatedly be displayed until the 'done'
                        button is selected.

        Remove Score    Deletes the score for the game.

        Change Score    Changes the score for the game.

     4.5 Display Menu

        Screen          Displays a submenu to select the report to be
                        displayed to the screen.

        Print           Displays a submenu to select the report to be sent to
                        the printer.  The submenu also allows the output of a
                        line feed or form feed to the printer.

        File            Displays a submenu to select the report to be written
                        to a file.  A dialog box prompts for the file name.
                        The DOS extension 'TXT' will be added to the file
                        name.

        Version         Displays the introductory dialog box which shows the
                        version of League Manager.

     4.6 Window Menu

        Close           Closes the currently active display window.

        Zoom            Makes the currently active display window full screen
                        size.

        Next            Toggles to the next display window if more than one
                        display window is open.

        Tile            Makes all display windows visible by making them into
                        smaller 'tiles' on the screen.

        Cascade         Rearranges all display windows so that the title bars
                        are all visible