Volume 2 Issue 1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Plus V Enhanced Version 1.1.00 is now available from the ftp site. The patch file is named P5V10005.ZIP. When you unzip this file, in addition to the patch, a text file called P5PATCH.TXT is produced. This text file will list the files that need to be patched. This information may be useful for those few of you experiencing problems installing our patches. A full 1.1.00 installable version of the program is in PLUS5.ZIP. If you experience problems installing the patch, download this file. Neither ZIP requires a password. This fix corrects several problems, and includes a few enhancements, including the addition of PARs to several reports. This patch required reorganizing the temporary MLCARD.DB5 database, as well as the STARTER.DB5 database. If you download the full PLUS5.ZIP, be sure to run the README program immediately after installing the patch. If you download the patch ZIP, a text version of README.COM is included in the patch. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ADVANCED TOOLS Compatibility releases of Advanced Tools are now available. As usual, these upgrades will be priced at $15 + $1 S/H, per program. If you are new to Missing Link, you may be asking: What is a "compatibility release" ? These are versions of existing tools, modified to work with the new database format(s). In general, no new added features are included, although sometimes we manage to sneak in a new feature or two. However, they will permit you to continue working with your updated databases. (Typically, we will then offer "feature" upgrades several months after the initial release, which will incorporate any new handicapping features. ) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- New FREEBIE available Those of you who may be "closet" Sartin/Brohamer-ites might be interested in downloading p5pace.zip from the ftp site. P5Pace allows you to select races from your current download, pick a paceline from all TEN pacelines available, and generate all of the feet-per-second figures that are highlighted in, for example, Tom Brohamer's "Modern Pace Handicapping." In addition to allowing you to select pacelines from all 10 available PP's, P5Pace allows you to edit the times and beaten lengths of the paceline selected, so you can construct your own paceline. Unlike the "paceline handicapper" in MLSpread, P5Pace uses traditional DRF info, rather than BRIS pace and speed figures. While P5Pace is, in no way, intended to compete with any pace-oriented program available, we hope that a few will find it educational, or even useful. NEW: P5PACE is compatible with Plus V 1.1.00. Now includes an "Auto-pick Last Paceline" option. Enjoy! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The CAPSHEET Connection NOTE: While Capsheet is NOT a Missing Link product, we recognize that many PlusX users also use Jim Cody's fine programs. In future issues, this space will be devoted to any announcements that Mr. Cody may wish to include. For specific information on CapSheet, please contact Jim directly. Mr. Cody has been working diligently on a Plus V-compatible version of CapSheet. Although we have not yet seen the final result, we predict that current PlusV/CapSheet users will be pleasantly surprised... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Q. I often find several strange files left in my PLUS5 subdirectory. They have unusual names like "ABCDEEF", and are usually 6144 bytes long. Is it safe to delete them? A. Like many programs, the database engine that Plus V uses often creates temporary files. Temp files are usually created with strange-looking names in order to minimize the chance that they will conflict with a file that an actual human being would create. Temp files are usually deleted automatically when they are no longer needed, but if you experience an error, they could be left behind. If you have a "TEMP=" environment variable, these files will be created in that subdirectory. (See your DOS Manual for details.) Generally, if you do NOT have a TEMP envar set, the temp files will be created in the subdirectory from which the program was run. Since ANY program can leave behind temporary files, the best way to manage this is: a) create a TEMP environment variable in your AUTOEXEC.BAT, so that ALL temp files are created in the same subdir; b) at the END of your AUTOEXEC.BAT, add a CHDIR to your TEMP subdir, then add a DIR. That way, every time you reboot, you'll see what was left behind by whatever programs you were running last time. The last person I told this tip to was not even a handicapper, but had accumulated over 40 MB of useless temp files... From a DOS prompt, it is usually safe to delete ANY temp files (Windows users take note). As long as Plus V is not running, it is always safe to delete its temp files. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Best regards, The Missing Link