[WT-support] Why no BARTG RTTY Support

[AC0W]

While I consider Win-Test the best contest logger software out there, I 
found that it is very difficult to become proficient at it when a person 
must use different logging software for different contests. This year I 
decided to focus on using one of the inferior products that I can use in 
all the contests I operate in an attempt to see if I can become more 
proficient at it, translating into more Q's into the log. I'm finding 
this strategy is work for me. Hopefully some day Win-Test will come up 
with a way to allow the non-supported contests to be added easily.

I understand the challenges but at the same time I struggle to 
understand with the power of today's computers and software how was it 
possible that two DOS based contest logging software were able to 
implement a system where the user could define their own contest and 
supply their own multiplier list fairly easily.

At some point something will need to be done in order to retain a user 
base.

Bill
AC0W

On Tue, Jan 15, 2013 at 4:13 PM, Bob Wilson, N6TV wrote:

  On Tue, Jan 15, 2013 at 6:42 AM, James Balls < makidoja at hotmail.co.uk 
<javascript:parent.wgMail.openComposeWindow('makidoja at hotmail.co.uk')> > 
wrote:
Why not let interested 3rd parties write the template files for Wintest 
if the author does not have the time. 
<javascript:parent.wgMail.openComposeWindow('makidoja at hotmail.co.uk')>

At present, Win-Test runs off of hard-coded contest logic in C or C++ 
code.  There are no template files.  At one time, I believe the 
developers thought about trying to support such a concept, to allow for 
a "user-defined contest," perhaps via LUA script calls.  But it's much 
harder to do that you might think, and would probably require major 
portions of the code to be rewritten.
  <javascript:parent.wgMail.openComposeWindow('makidoja at hotmail.co.uk')>
One would have to think of every possible parameter for every possible 
contest, and it's pretty difficult to come up with a complete list. 
 Contests also have subtle rules, unique exchanges, strange multiplier 
lists, special Cabrillo requirements, and other scoring and duplicate 
rules oddities.  It's very hard to "generalize" all variations to a 
simple template that can support every possible contest rule that anyone 
could ever conceive of.
  <javascript:parent.wgMail.openComposeWindow('makidoja at hotmail.co.uk')>
Win-Test is a lot simpler than other loggers  because it is limited to 
major contests only (plus some minor contests that are very similar to 
major ones, allowing for a quick implementation). 
<javascript:parent.wgMail.openComposeWindow('makidoja at hotmail.co.uk')>

  <javascript:parent.wgMail.openComposeWindow('makidoja at hotmail.co.uk')>
RTTY support was added somewhat late in the development of Win-Test 
mainly to please the more casual RTTY operators, not super serious RTTY 
competitors running multiple decoders against the same audio. 
<javascript:parent.wgMail.openComposeWindow('makidoja at hotmail.co.uk')>

  <javascript:parent.wgMail.openComposeWindow('makidoja at hotmail.co.uk')>
As for new contest support, it would be nice if priority could be given 
based on which contest has the most participants.  I see that about 768 
logs were submitted for the 2012 BARTG RTTY contest, vs. 985 for the 
2011 California QSO Party. 
<javascript:parent.wgMail.openComposeWindow('makidoja at hotmail.co.uk')>

  <javascript:parent.wgMail.openComposeWindow('makidoja at hotmail.co.uk')>
:-) 
<javascript:parent.wgMail.openComposeWindow('makidoja at hotmail.co.uk')>

  <javascript:parent.wgMail.openComposeWindow('makidoja at hotmail.co.uk')>
73, Bob, N6TV 
<javascript:parent.wgMail.openComposeWindow('makidoja at hotmail.co.uk')>

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