All menus are accessed by pressing Alt-Z, where Z is the first letter of the menu. For example, the "Area" menu is pulled down by Alt-A. u
In the lower right hand corner, is the current memory available. In the top right hand corner, is the current time. #
Enter ALT+X to exit this program. )
Press ESC to put this help screen away. =
Index of Topics
Area
Player
Maintenance
Utility
Game
Maintenance
Game
Additions
Game
Maintenance
Player
Status
Player
Maintenance
Player
Stats
Player
Additions
Player
Maintenance
Rating
Statistics
Recalculations
Create
Tournament
Pairings
BBS
Area
Maintenance
Game
Maintenance
Player
Maintenance
Player
Stats
Player
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Area Menu
Select this menu Add new Game Areas, modify existing game areas, or adjust data in a game data base. @
Related - Topics
Additions
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Player Menu
Select this menu to adjust player names and associated data.
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Maintenance Menu
Select this menu to re-calculate all ratings. Also all the game area stats are reconstructed.
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Utility Menu
Select this menu to create pairings for tournaments. Also entry of your BBS name that appears on the ChessMAGIC! menu.
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Game Area Maintenance
Displays the current selected Game Area data for modifications. K
Related - Topics
Additions
Browse
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Game Area Additions
This selection permits you to add a new game area. For example you may want to create a tournament area, or an area with different time defaults. >
Related - Topics
Changes
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Game Area Browse
This selection lists all game areas. Use the cursor keys to highlight an area. Press ENTER to edit that area. Pressing the DEL key, will permit you to delete the highlighted area from the data base. Press ESC to remove the browse screen. W
Related - Topics
Additions
Changes
Browse
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Game Maintenance
This selection will permit you to modify or display existing game information. The first screen will be the browse of game areas. Select the area in which the game(s) are to be edited.
Next a browse screen of games will be displayed. Use the cursor keys to highlight the game to be edited, then press ENTER. The DEL, (delete record) is disabled for this data base. Press ESC to remove either of the browse screens.
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Changing a Player's Game Status
This feature permits a global change, in all game areas, of a players game disposition. For example a player may be going on vacation and will be away for awhile. In order to keep the game from defaulting, you can set all of their games to Suspend. Upon their return, all games can then be reset to Active status.
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Player Maintenance
This feature permits you to modify existing player data. The last or current player data will be displayed.
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Player Additions
This feature permits you to add new players to the data base. However this is not necessary as when a new player enters ChessMAGIC!, they are automatically entered into the data base.
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Player's Stats
This selection will permit you to edit a player's game area statistics.
A browse screen of all the areas will be displayed. Use the cursor keys to highlight the appropriate game area, then press ENTER. o
Next a browse screen of players, in that area's stat file, will be displayed. Select the player to be edited. +
Pressing ESC will remove a browse screen.
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Browse Players
This selection lists all players. Use the cursor keys to highlight a player. Press ENTER to edit that player data. Pressing the DEL key, will permit you to delete the highlighted area from the data base. Press ESC to remove the browse screen.
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Player Area Base Additions
This feature will permit you to create a "pre ChessMAGIC!" win/loss/draw data base. This data base will be combined with any completed game stats created from using ChessMAGIC!.
This feature is useful to players that may have been active in a previous BBS chess program before ChessMAGIC!. Instead of losing all of their statistics, they may be retained as a ChessMAGIC! base for stats in a particular game area.
When displaying, in ChessMAGIC!, stats for an area, it will show the combined stats of what they have accomplished prior to ChessMAGIC!, plus their current ChessMAGIC! stats.
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Player Stats Base Maintenance
Select this feature to modify existing, player base (pre ChessMAGIC!) stats.
A browse screen of all the areas will be displayed. Use the cursor keys to highlight the appropriate game area, then press ENTER. o
Next a browse screen of players, in that area's stat file, will be displayed. Select the player to be edited. +
Pressing ESC will remove a browse screen.
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Ratings/Statistic Re-Calculations
Select this feature to re-calculate all players' ratings. Also all game player game statistics are reconstructed. R
Anytime you suspect a data base may be corrupted, it is best to run this option. G
This option should be utilized when no one is online in ChessMAGIC!.
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Create Pairings
Use this feature to automatically create pairings for a game area. Prior to running this, you must create a Text File of all players involved in this event. Name this file "PAIR.TXT". K
Make sure the name spellings are identical to those in the player master. U
Next place the PAIR.TXT file in the directory where the game data base is stored. o
Next run this option. A single round robin pairing will be completed and added to that game area's data base.
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BBS Name
Use this feature to enter/modify the name of your BBS that is displayed on the ChessMAGIC! main menu.
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Area Maintenance Screen
This screen is designed to add new game areas or modify/view existing ones.
[ Area ID ] This is an eight letter identification, also used as a file name, for the game area. ie "rated", "unrated", "tourney" The area game data base will be titled with this id.
[ Area Description ] A long description of the game area. This description is displayed in the area selection in ChessMAGIC!.
[ Area Path ] The path where the game data will be maintained. Always use separate paths for game areas. Never combine game areas in the same path.
* * Maximum Games * * Q
[ In Area ] Maximum games you permitin the area. Up to 999,999 are permitted. >
[ Per Player ] Maximum games a singleplayer can have active.
* * Defaults * * "
[ Moves ] ( Future Enhancement ) J
[ Days ] The number of days before a game defaults from lack of moving.
[ Twit Path ] The path for a twit list. The twit list is a text file containing player's names, who you might want to bar from starting new games in an area. r
[ Bulletin Path ] The path and filename of a bulletin you might want displayed to players entering ChessMAGIC!.
* * Rating Style * * (
[ Rated ] Ratings will be calculated :
[ Unrated ] Casual play without rating calculations. S
[ Tournaments ] Ratings will be calculated and the pairing utility may be used.
* * Suspend Activity * * 0
[ Yes ] The game area is temporarily disabled.
[ No ] Play goes on as usual. $
Computer Play - ( Future Release ) $
Team Play - ( Future Release ) *
Menu - Abort changes and return to menu.
Save - Write the changes.
Next - Go to next area.
Prev - Go to previous area. *
ESC - Abort changes and return to menu.
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Game Maintenance Screen
This screen is designed to modify/view game data ( data base information ). E
[ White Player ] The name of the player, playing white in the game. ;
[ Rating ] White's rating. N/A for non-rated game areas. E
[ Black Player ] The name of the player, playing black in the game. ;
[ Rating ] Black's rating. N/A for non-rated game areas.
* * Disposition * *
This is radio button selection, that signifies the status of the game. Active = game is in progress; Completed = game has concluded; Join = game is awaiting on an opponent; Deleted = game is not recognized and can be used again; Suspend = temporarily suspend this game from play.
* * Who Moves * * ,
This signifies which player's move it is.
* * Game Status * * e
This signifies the status or how the game completed once over. The selections are self explanatory. %
* * Notify White / Notify Black * *
This is utilized only when the game has completed. No = player has not seen completion status of the game. Yes = player has seen the status of the game. Once both players have seen the game and its final status, the Game Status flag will be set to complete.
* * Online Play * *
This field should only be set to online, when a player has selected online play, from ChessMAGIC!'s main menu, and is currently in the game. Otherwise it should always be set to offline.
* * Stats Upd * * j
This flag is set once the game has completed and the area stats and player's ratings have been updated.
* * Short MSG * * T
This signifies if a short message is available and which player is to receive it.
* * Move# * * '
This retains the current move number.
* * Last Move * * "
This retains the last move made.
* * Move Dates * * 9
This retains the date of the last move for each player.
* * Clock * * 7
This retains the complete clock time for each player.
* * Hrs Min Sec * * >
This retains the individual time components for each player. +
Menu - Abort changes and return to menu.
Save - Write the changes.
Next - Go to next area.
Prev - Go to previous area. *
ESC - Abort changes and return to menu.
* * Re-Activating a Game * *
If your activating a completed game, set the following fields: Disposition = Active; Game Status = Active; Notify White = No; Notify Black = No; Stats Upd = No.
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Player Maintenance Screen
This screen is designed to modify/view existing player data.
* * Name * * 1
The name of the player. Same as their BBS Name.
* * Rating * * !
Current rating for rated areas.
* * Base * * '
The player's base or starting rating.
* * Rating Class * *
This signifies their rating class based on the ranges provided. A player completing less than 3 games, is always provisional.
* * Status * * R
This is their online status. When a player is offline, it should always be zero.
* * Door ID * * &
The game area they are in if online.
* * Description * * )
A description of their online activity.
* * Monitor * * D
This determines the graphic setting in ChessMAGIC! for the player.
* * Intensity * * A
This determines the brightness of the playing board and pieces.
* * Tile * * ,
The style of a tile for the board squares.
* * Foreground * * 0
The foreground color for the board and pieces.
* * Background * * 0
The background color for the board and pieces. +
Menu - Abort changes and return to menu.
Save - Write the changes.
Next - Go to next area.
Prev - Go to previous area. *
ESC - Abort changes and return to menu.
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Player's Game Status
This is a feature that "globally" changes all of a player's game status. The primary use is the set a player's game to suspend status, then later back to active. A player then can take a leave of absence, without their games defaulting. m
You may type any player's name for another setting, without returning and selecting from the browse screen.
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Player Base / Area Stats
This screen is used for the player base stats, or modifying area stats.
* * Player Base Stats * *
These are statistics that may have been accumulated in a chess program prior to ChessMAGIC!. This permits them to retain their previous record. This area is untouched by the recalculation utility.
* * Player Area Stats * * l
These stats are created and accumulated per game area. They are recalculated by the recalculation utility.
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]urrent directory once you've selected or typed in a directory name. +
[Revert]
The Revert button goes back to the previous directory, as long as you haven't yet exited the dialog box.
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Help on the Mouse Options dialog box
This dialog box consists of one check box, one slider bar, and the standard buttons OK and Cancel.
Mouse Double Click
Slow Medium Fast
The Mouse Double Click slider bar adjusts the double-click speed of your mouse. ^
[X] Reverse Mouse Buttons
Reverse Mouse Buttons makes the right mouse button take on the normal functions of the left--and vice versa. 6
See also:
Options
Mouse...
command
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Help on the Colors dialog box
The Colors dialog box consists of two list boxes, a text display area, the standard OK, Cancel, and Help buttons, and one of the following:
On color and black-and-white systems, it
also contains two color palettes.
On monochrome systems, it contains a set
of radio buttons instead of the palettes.
This dialog box is where you can change the colors of different parts of this program.
Group
Desktop
Menus
Dialogs/Calc
Puzzle
Calendar
Ascii table
The Group list box contains the names of the different regions of the program that you can customize. L
Item
Color
When you select a group from the Group list, the Item list box displays the names of the different views in that region.
Foreground
Background
On color and black-and-white systems, you use the Foreground and Background palettes to modify colors.
Colors
) Mono low
( ) Mono high
( ) Mono underscore
( ) Mono inverse
On monochrome systems, you use the Colors set of radio buttons systems to modify the character attributes. Q
Text Text Text
Text Text Text
On all systems, the display text (above the Help button) shows the current color or attribute settings. a
Changes do not take effect on the desktop until you close the Colors dialog box by choosing OK.
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