Big Blue Disk 32/bbd32.zip/LOTTO.TXT

Text File | 1989-04-05 | 19KB | 386 lines

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^Cby
^CRobert L. Joy

^CINTRODUCTION

    Okay, so you are fond of participating in your state's lottery.  Isn't it
 good to know that even if you don't win, your money will do some good close to
 home?  You pick up a newspaper and go directly to your favorite spot, the
 gamesters section.  "Oh no!  What's this?  I've been doing this thing all
 wrong." You've always wanted to make that big score (who hasn't?).  But the
 columnist is telling you that certain types of selections are not random
 enough and too many winners have to share the prize.  The columnist is
 referring to number selections that form a pattern, such as a straight line on
 your ticket.  Later, you find yourself at your town's on-line lottery agency
 pondering a scheme of numbers not fitting a pattern.  Tough, isn't it.  Enter
 LOTTO HELP.


^CWHAT IS LOTTO HELP?

    LOTTO HELP is a random number generator, capable of generating random
 number strings, that supports many government lottery formats.  You may choose
 from the "Pick 4" scenario to any pick-length up to 10 inclusive.  LOTTO HELP
 presents its selections in tabular form, sorted low-to-high.  Each table
 contains 10 of your selected "picks", even though you may not want to play 10
 games.

    But wait, there's more!  Wouldn't it be great if you could actually draw
 numbers based on some kind of intelligence?  LOTTO HELP gives you that
 capability with its data management utility.  You'll draw numbers based on the
 way they have been running.  More on that later.


^CLOTTO HELP MENUS

    The LOTTO HELP program is driven by menus.  There are two, the MAIN menu
 and the DATA menu.  Menu operation is simple.  Just move the menu highlight
 bar up or down with the up/down cursor keys to mark your choice, then press
 ENTER.  Both menus respond appropriately to the HOME and END keys.

    Let's start by taking a look at the Main menu.  This is the "trunk" which
 leads to all of the program's "branches".

^CPick  4 random numbers
^CPick  5 random numbers
^CPick  6 random numbers
^CPick  7 random numbers
^CPick  8 random numbers
^CPick  9 random numbers
^CPick 10 random numbers
^CRandom numbers to  999
^CBingo number generator
^CData  manager  section

    PICK nn RANDOM NUMBERS:  Each of the seven "Pick" selections operates in
 the same general fashion.  After selecting any "Pick" you will be asked to
 furnish a "High" number.  The number must be greater than, or equal to, the
 pick and not greater than 99.  This number will define the upper limit of the
 range of numbers generated with "1" as the low limit.

    After the high number has been defined, the program creates a "card" of
 numbers containing 10 rows of random numbers between 1 and the upper limit you
 defined (inclusive).  You can press "G" to display a new set of numbers or
 press "A" to leave the first card as-is and display a new card.  "A" can be
 exercised twice for a total of 3 cards.  F2 will return you to the Main Menu.

    RANDOM NUMBERS TO 999:  This option allows you to create 12 x 10 random
 number tables for general use.  The "high" pick is automatically set to 999.
 Tables of this sort are most useful to engineers, quality assurance
 technicians and the statistically oriented.  The tables operate in the same
 general way as the lottery options.

    BINGO NUMBER GENERATOR:  Perhaps mentioning this option, in this way, does
 not do it justice.  It is really a full-featured utility for running a Bingo
 game.  Within this option LOTTO HELP displays a calling board, "calls" the
 numbers and keeps track of all numbers that have been called.  If you have a
 printer connected, the program can even make the Bingo cards for you.  And, of
 course, all of the cards are different.  (Anyone in your office care to gather
 around the office PC for a nice friendly game of Bingo, next lunch hour?)

    So...  why include a Bingo utility in a program designed to assist you in
 filling out your lottery ticket?  Why not!  Most of the program code needed to
 do the job already existed in the lottery procedures.  Enjoy!

    DATA MANAGER SECTION:  Choosing this option brings-up LOTTO HELP's other
 menu, the Data Menu.  Using the data manager you can create and maintain a
 database of numbers actually drawn in your local games.  You are able to write
 new records, browse your records and most important, ANALYZE your data!

    All of the data-handling features "do business" from the same I/O window.
 First, the window will prompt you for a "Pick Type".  If you are involved in a
 game which uses 10 numbers, then you would enter "10" for pick-type.  Now
 let's explore some of its features:

^CWrite to the database
^CRead database records
^CGet  data  statistics
^CFind  the hot numbers
^CFind the cold numbers
^CEmpty entire database
^CEmpty a selected file
^CGenerate  sample data
^CChange data directory

    WRITE TO THE DATABASE:  Make this selection to enter numbers and begin
 building your own database.  A cursor (..) will appear in the left column and
 guide you through the input process.  If you notice a mistake before entering
 the last number, press <ESC> and you can begin again.  The date field is
 optional.  If you are not into keeping track of dates, press <ENTER> over the
 empty field, "--none--" will be stored in the file.  Any record you add is
 appended to the end of the file you have chosen.

    READ DATABASE RECORDS:  The read option lets you browse your recorded data
 a page-at-a-time.  You may want to verify your data or just satisfy your
 curiosity.

    GET DATA STATISTICS:  Here, you will be able to gather some useful
 information about the data in your file(s).  The information is gathered "on-
 the-fly" through the I/O window.  A new window pops up giving your data-file's
 name, the lowest and highest numbers hit, the hit range, the average hits per
 number in the range, the total numbers in the file, the number of records and
 the bytes available on the data drive.  If you keep your data on floppies, it
 is a good idea to keep an eye on the bytes-free.

    FIND THE HOT NUMBERS:  Simply put, "hot" numbers are those showing more
 activity than others.  Again, the selected file flies through the I/O window.
 When the EOF is reached, and a key pressed, an interesting looking window asks
 you to adjust the sensitivity of the "hot-number" filter.  The sensitivity
 needs to be flexible to accommodate a wide range in variance and various file
 sizes.

    If you have a statistically significant amount of data in your file, the
 adjustment effect will be obvious.  If there is too little data in the file,
 adjustment will have little effect.  As a general rule, start with the default
 sensitivity, 5, by pressing <ENTER>.  If you determine that you need more (or
 less) numbers, you can repeat the process adjusting the filter as you see fit.

    The end-product of this activity is displayed on the LOTTO HELP SCOREBOARD.
 The scoreboard will show you the number of hits on every number in the current
 file.  The bottom of the display will contain your "hot" numbers in, what
 else, red.

    FIND THE COLD NUMBERS:  The cold numbers are numbers showing considerably
 less activity than others.  The operation of this feature needs little explan-
 ation since it is identical to the operation described above.

    There is one important difference, however.  If cold numbers are defined
 here, first, they are retained for use back at the Main Menu in generating
 selections for your games.

    Here's how it works.  Lets assume you have built a database for a "Pick 10"
 type game and want to avoid betting on the less active numbers in the game you
 are about to play.  Select the data manager and use this option to "filter"
 the cold numbers from your PICK10.DAT file.  Return to the Main Menu and
 proceed with the generation of numbers for your game.  The program will prompt
 you regarding elimination of the cold numbers from the cards it is about to
 produce.  If you don't want LOTTO HELP to include cold numbers in its
 selection, press "Y" at the prompt.  ([Y]es, filter out and eliminate the cold
 numbers).

    EMPTY ENTIRE DATABASE:  NOT for the faint-of-heart!!  This option does just
 what it says, trashes your whole database, all seven files.  Be sure this is
 what you really want to do.  If, however, you stumble into this option with a
 misplaced keystroke, you can take comfort in knowing you will have the
 opportunity to back-out gracefully.  Press <ESC> or "N" after the alarm.

    EMPTY A SELECTED FILE:  This option is not quite as violent but certainly
 destructive to the target file.  Again, know what you are doing and if you
 stumble in you can back out.

    GENERATE SAMPLE DATA:  It takes a considerable amount of time to build a
 useful database.  Maybe your agency runs its game only once or twice a week.
 Meanwhile, you have a lot of capability in LOTTO HELP that you are not able to
 explore.

    With this feature you can create 160 records (games) of sample data to let
 you experiment with the program.  You can load one file or all seven files
 with sample data.  The date field will contain "-sample-" so you won't grab a
 sample file thinking it is an actual data file.

    CHANGE DATA DIRECTORY:  You may want to store your data on a drive other
 than the drive you booted LOTTO HELP from.  Dual-floppy users may prefer
 having data stored on a separate disk or hard disk users may not want data on
 their fixed drive.

    Use this option to specify another drive\directory path for your data.  The
 path can contain up to 11 characters.  The program recognizes standard MS-DOS
 format.  If more information is needed on changing drives or directories,
 consult your DOS manual.


^CA SAMPLE SESSION

    A hefty portion of the program's code is devoted to the user interface.
 You should have no difficulty using the program.  At the Main Menu, decide
 what format you will need for your game.  Simply move the menu's highlight bar
 with the vertical cursor keys and press ENTER.

     Let's assume that your state lottery offers a game where you must pick 6
 numbers between 1 and 54.  You can play 2,4,6,8 or 10 games at $.50 per game.
 You decide to play 8 games.  You have built a pretty extensive database of
 numbers drawn in your state's game and have decided to use LOTTO HELP's
 ability to select numbers based on hit frequency.

    The first thing you must do is query the database to find the numbers that
 have been running "cold".  Select "Data manager section" and press <ENTER>.
 If you are running a two-floppy system and have your data disk in B:  drive,
 you will need to tell the program where to find your data.  Press <END> and
 <ENTER> to select "Change data directory".  Type "B:" in the window and press
 <ENTER>.

    Now, slide the highlight bar up to "Find the cold numbers" and press
 <ENTER>.  Enter a pick-type of "6".  Watch your data fly through the I/O
 window, when it stops, press any key.  You decide to use a filter sensitivity
 of "7", so press the right arrow key twice then press <ENTER>.

    The large Scoreboard window appears on your screen showing you the number
 of hits on each number in your file.  At the bottom of the scoreboard you find
 the cold numbers.  Ex. (4,13,22,25,33,44).  Ponder the scoreboard if you like,
 then press a key to get back to the Data menu.

    Slide the menu bar up to highlight "Pick 6", then press <ENTER>.  LOTTO
 HELP is asking you for the high number for your game.  In our example the high
 number is 54, so type 54 and press <ENTER>.

    NOTE:  The program will validate your input at this point.  Inappropriate
 or irrelevant keystrokes will be rejected.  In addition, there are range
 restrictions for the high pick.  The highest number you can pick is 99.  The
 lowest number must be equal to, or greater than the series length.  The series
 length in our example is 6.  The reason for this is that it would be
 impossible to generate 6 random integers between 1 and 6, without duplication,
 having less than 6 numbers to work with.


    The next thing that happens, a window pops into the lower left corner of
 your screen indicating that "Cold numbers have been detected..." asking you if
 you would like the cold numbers filtered out.  Of course you would!  Press
 "Y".

   LOTTO HELP generated a "card" of numbers which might have looked like this:

^C 8 15 19 24 35 54
^C 5 23 29 31 32 49
^C 1  3 10 34 39 41
^C 1  2  5  8 15 43
^C 9 26 31 35 40 46
^C14 23 24 39 47 52
^C 7 11 17 20 42 46
^C 6 10 12 18 19 52
^C 8  9 14 29 45 47
^C13 16 18 20 27 42
^CDupes:  13       ^0

 You can use the numbers from any 8 of the rows for your 8 games.  10 rows of
 numbers are always generated.


^CSO WHAT'S IN THE CARDS?

    You do not need to be concerned about "Dupes:  13".  The program
 encountered 13 duplicate numbers, including cold numbers which were rejected,
 as it created the card and zapped them on-the-spot.  There are no duplicate
 numbers in the horizontal game rows.  The "Dupes:  n" feature is a holdover
 from the debugging phase of the program.  It was left in place as a "toy" for
 you folks who appreciate computer speed.  (Try a "Pick 6" with a high also
 equal to 6!  The beeps you will hear are duplicates screaming for mercy as
 your computer "does them in".)

    Back to the example.  LOTTO HELP is waiting for a decision, G, A, or Q.
 Suppose you did not like the numbers displayed on the card.  Press the "G" key
 to tell the program to go get a new set of numbers for the card.  "G" will
 always allow you to call a new set of numbers for the current card.  Press
 "G".  Now, let's assume that you like what you see (lots of hot numbers) but
 you would like to see one more card.  No problem.  Press "A" to accept the
 first card and advance to a new card.  This is particularly helpful to users
 not owning printers.  You can accept and advance twice (3 cards).

    So, you have seen enough and are anxious to visit your town's lottery
 agency to play the 8 games you just made numbers for.  Press "Q" or <ESC> to
 quit LOTTO HELP and hit-the-road.  (At this point "Q" and <ESC> perform the
 same function.) Oh, don't forget to bring four bucks!


^CFunction Keys

   First, the program displays a bar at the bottom of the screen to let you
 know the current status of each feature.  A feature will disappear from the
 status bar when it is not available.  The "toggle" features, F3 and F5, also
 change on the status bar depending on their present state.  Six function keys
 used by the program are:

      F1  The context-sensitive Help utility.

      F2  Restart at the Main menu.  Current activity is halted
          and program control is returned to the opening menu.  The
          program "remembers" where you were and highlights that option.

      F3  Toggles sound.  Initially, sound is turned "On", so the
          initial F3 function is "Sound Off".  F3 has no effect on the
          low-pitched error beep.

      F5  Toggles copy-print mode.  Initially, copy-print is turned
          "Off", so the initial F4 function is "Print On".

      F9  Draws a single 3-digit number from 000 to 999 inclusive.  This
          key is active from the Main Menu only.

      F10 Draws a single 4-digit number from 0000 to 9999 inclusive.
          This key is active from the Main Menu only.

    o   Lots of help!  Help available from 22 places.
    o   A very capable data management section.
    o   A complete Bingo utility as a bonus.
    o   A line of communication with MS-DOS functions.
    o   A display allowing the entire contents of a data file
        to be viewed on a single screen.


^CSMART FEATURES

    LOTTO HELP incorporates "smart" features.  Smart features are those which
 automatically direct the program in some way to offer the most convenience and
 minimum distraction to the user.  This program features:

          o   Context sensitivity in the F1-Help utility.
          o   Automatic data file creation on any new path.
          o   Automatic restoration of original path at program exit.
          o   Retention of changes to alterable parameters.
          o   Retention of "cold" numbers in memory for later use.
          o   Auto-return to the last menu selection at F2-Restart.
          o   Validation of entry made at the keyboard.
          o   Error checking performed during access to Printer.
          o   Sound and copy-print pre-initialized to fit the likely
              choices.


^CCLOSING COMMENTS

    WHAT LOTTO HELP CAN DO FOR YOU:  If you play the government operated
 lottery games, this program can really add a fun element to the experience.
 The number selection process can be based on some form of intelligence and be
 made a lot easier.
    Over the long-haul, a truly random database should "flat-top".  The
 occurrence of any element in the population should be nearly equal to the
 average of the data.  If some kind of mechanical variability is thrown into
 the number selection process, certain elements in the population are likely to
 appear out-of-line.  Hot and cold elements, if you will.
    If you have a significantly large database, statistically speaking, LOTTO
 HELP will spot the out-of-line numbers for you.  If there is a physical reason
 for the numbers to deviate from the average, the odds can be pushed in your
 favor.

    WHAT LOTTO HELP CAN'T DO FOR YOU:  Simply put, LOTTO HELP can't possibly
 guarantee you'll win.  Can anything?


^CDISCLAIMER

    It is not the intent of LOTTO HELP, its distributors, nor its author, to
 encourage gambling in any form.  The software contained, herewith, was
 designed purely as an instrument to aid those who participate in legal,
 government agency controlled lottery games.  Further, no warranty is expressed
 or implied by LOTTO HELP, its distributors, nor its author in regard to the
 probability of success in government agency controlled games.  Information on
 the probability of success is available at the lottery agencies.

    The distributors of LOTTO HELP and its author assume no responsibility for
 loss incurred through use of this software.  This product is being distributed
 "as-is" and the end-user accepts responsibility for its use.


    To run this program outside Big Blue Disk, type ^1Lotto^0.

DISK FILES THIS PROGRAM USES:
^FLOTTO.EXE
^FPICK4.DAT
^FPICK5.DAT
^FPICK6.DAT
^FPICK7.DAT
^FPICK8.DAT
^FPICK9.DAT
^FPICK10.DAT