Anderson Utilities - AUAlmanac - Released

[Comedian2004]

Ok, here we are.

This is an early version of the program. However, through my limited testing, it does work. Please read this entire post before you install and run the program.

http://www.planetootp.com/AUAlmanac/default.htm

What it does: It archives your current season, saving box scores, log files, messages, everything possible.

Requirements: IE to run install it. A CSV dump on December 31st. A league report dump done on the same day.

What is copied and where?

When you run the program for the 1st time, you will want to go to configuration and set the ALMANAC folder. This can be on any drive, including a USB removeable drive. I suggest using the folder ALMANAC and STRONGLY suggest that it be in the root of the drive. (For speed and also to avoid any 'too long of a path' names. The program will remember this location the next time you run it. If you have multiple leagues you want to archive, then call it ALMANAC LEAGUENAME.

Once you have your league selected, you MUST hit the LEAGUE INFORMATION button. This will load in information about your league. There is a pull down menu that you can pick items and see different information about your league. This was a tool I used while working on the program, but decided to leave it in. It just displays the information in the window.

Now, you will notice that the ARCHIVE button now says ARCHIVE XXXX, whereas the XXXX is the current year of your league. Also on the screen, there will be some text showing the starting year of the simulation, the current date (at least the date of the dump), and the current year.

NOTE: Before running the program, you should do a CSV dump. This is backed up by my program and WILL be used in other functions later on. You can optionally do the other two dumps, as if you do, they WILL be achived also. You MUST!!!! also create a report. Under game setup in OOTP, you will select create reports. I STRONGLY suggest that you do a COMPLETE report. Include history and everything. Minors are optional, but my programs will access the minors information if it is available. Make sure you set the number of days to save box scores to 0, so that all of them are saved.

Now we are ready to hit the ARCHIVE XXXX button and relax and let it do it's work. In my sample league, which was a 1965 replay with 16 teams, no minors, logos (AULogo of course), photos (AutoPhoto), it took about 15 minutes to do the archive.

Now, I wanted to show you a file by file update, but that would just slow everything down. I could have also just copied over the whole folders and subfolders, but I broke it down a little, so you could see what was happening. It copies it over one sub folder at a time, using a Windows API call for the fastest way I could copy the folders.

Here is what it copies and in this order:

news\html\boxscores
news\html\coaches
news\html\game_logs
news\html\history
news\html\images
news\html\leagues
news\html\players
news\html\reports
news\html\teams
news\txt\leagues
news\txt\players
news\txt\teams
import_export
messages
index.html
styles.css

Where saved? If your almanac folder is C:\ALMANAC, then inside that folder, will be year subfolders. 1965, 1966, 1967, etc. All of the information in these folders are the information that was copied over. You can double click on the index.html file and you are in that years almanac. The links will all work, pictures, box scores, everything. It is a snapshot of the league at that time. Of course, if you did not do a complete dump, like I suggested, you will get URL not found.

Remember, if you are in 1965 and your league started in 1960, the prior years are lost. They will not be archived. This is a one time shot affair. The program is designed to be arn on December 31st, but it does not really care when you run it.
OK, now what? Feel confident to continue your league, knowing that everything is saved. As time passes, I will be adding more stuff to this program to take advantage of the archive. See the next message for details of what I have planned.

BTW, this example league took about 350meg per season.

[Comedian2004]

Some of the stuff I have planed are as follows:

A dynamically created index to show all of the years.
A way to access the almanac from the OOTP program.
Player development reports, year to year. Done for hitters
Cleaning up of the folders used by OOTP to speed the game up. Partly done
Special HTML report files based on the archived information. For example, a list of all the no-hitters, year by year, with links to the box scores and play by plays.

This opens the door for a lot more stuff that I can do. It will allow me to write a cato type program that can use the information in the archive. Like an HTML page listing every game that Tom Seaver ever played in, with links to the box score. From there, I could then give you information like, his team's record when he started.

And as always, your suggestions and requests.

As of right now, the program just does the archiving, which could be done from windows, but a one button solution is always nice.

[Comedian2004]

One other tech note:

If the program acts like it is locked up, it says NOT RESPONDING, but you can still see your hard drive light flashing, let it go. It will finish and be ok. That is a windows CPU issue and it should not happen too often. You should run it and let it go. Do not go and download porn or watch porn while it is working. It gets distracted by that stuff.

If something happens in the middle of an archive, just go and delete the years folder from the almanac and run it again. No harm done, no kittens killed.

Same thing if you get an error while it is achiving, report the error to me and delete the folder and try again. Don't kick the kitten anymore.

[Kyros]

I've gotta say ... you've been one of the most busy and one of the most important parts of this community.

Thank you Comedian2004.

[Comedian2004]

This is the OFFICIAL AUAlmanac thread now.

I added the ability to optionally delete the HTML box scores and game logs from the OOTP working folder. Why? The game does not delete them, or at least delete them properly. They will keep some older files around. I have found 20 year old box scores in that folder. I will be adding it to delete the txt files also, but have to do some checking to make sure that is not a problem.

I also added extensive error checking on the arcing. It will report the message and abort.

Anyhow, I added the first report, but it is not available online to test yet. I still have some more to do before the next build.

[Comedian2004]

I am having some fun now.

Notice the color green when his rating went up and the lighter red color when his rating went down.

[Comedian2004]

This beat sleeping... Let's add his age to the list...

[bp_]

nice! this can be a very, very helpful utility. I'd still love something that was able to track sim to sim player development but year-to-year will do for now. Thx!

[Comedian2004]

Here is a new screen shot showing the regular ratings.

Note how you can hide/show the talent and split (LHP/RHP) fields.

This program will also create HTML files.

Still need to do the pitchers stuff, then the HTML. Once I get the pitchers stuff in there, I will release another build.

[Kyros]

This is real cool man. Thank you very much.

[Comedian2004]

I have updated it.

You no longer have to click on the LOAD CONFIGURAION button.

You can select REPORTS PLAYER RATINGS and it will bring up a list of non-retired hitters and pitchers in two windows. You can then click on a hitters button and bring up his ratings in a grid, year by year. There are 3 buttons that let you view more or less ratings.

Only the hitters work now, as I have not written the pitchers part. It should not be too hard, as I base it on the hitters and just change some things.

I also added the SISA scout ratings (unless they are (-) (-) (-)). Why even bother writing that to the history file? This is listed in the injury window. The idea is so, let's say you notice a large drop in ratings, you can glance up and see if he suffered a major injury. The SISA ratings are displayed so you can see how silly the ratings are by SISA!!

A good example it 1970 Reggie Jackson:

SISA POWER = 45(68)
REAL POWER = 94(136)

SISA CONTACT = 47(52)
REAL CONTACT = 60(55)

SISA EYE = 45(45)
REAL EYE = 90(86)

I am using a 1-100 rating scale, but the numbers are nuts!

Next up is the pitcher's rating, then the HTML pages. I also want to scan the develop files for the jump or decrease in ratings that are posted there and add them.

I think the interface works quite well and the colors are pleasing to the eye.

You won't really be able to appreciate what this program offers until you sim a few years and get a history going. You MUST use the archive function of the program to be able to use the rest of the program.

Want to have some fun and have some time to kill. Create a small historical league, sim one year at a time, do the dumps and reports and archive. Repeat for 4-5 years and then head into the ratings report. It is quite interesting to browse the different players.

On a side note. I need Philadelphia to win tomorrow to stay alive in the King of the Hill (30 left out of 50, $500 prize) and I am in a 3 way tie for the weekly pool. It don't matter who wins tomorrow for that, but I need at least 47 points scored combined. 46 I tie, 45 I lose, over 46 I win the $150!! GO EAGLES!!

[Comedian2004]

Added the pitchers ratings, also have it search through the team dev reports and add 'hitting potential drops' type messages.

The injury report and dev report are two different displays now.

Now HTML report time.

Anyone using this yet?

[Comedian2004]

Added, but not uploaded:

Career all-star game stats for players.

In my 6 year league, 3 for 11 was the best by Rico Carty. This could only be interesting after 20 or more years. Looking at the numbers there, it looks like pitching dominates in the all-star game.

Go Eagles (tonight! Score a total of 47 points and I am a happy man)

[targy]

Problem #1

I checked the delete box score and game log boxes and hit the Archive button and the program is archiving both box scores and game logs am I doing somthing wrong

[targy]

Problem #2

Program got as far as CSV Dump have been archived and then I get the following error

There has been an error with styles or index.html and that is as far as the program gets

[Comedian2004]

You are misunderstanding what that does.

The program copies ALL! Box scores and game logs. The check marks for the delete part means: After copying the files, erase the box scores and game logs from the OOTP folders. The reason for this option is that OOTP does not properly delete those files. You will have files that are several years old in there. It could possibly screw up my programs if there are box scores in the 1965 folder that are from 1957.

Originally Posted by targy

Problem #1

I checked the delete box score and game log boxes and hit the Archive button and the program is archiving both box scores and game logs am I doing somthing wrong

[Comedian2004]

Did you go into OOTP under GAME SETUP and CREATE REPORTS?

You MUST do this. To be a full fuctioning almanac, I would need all of the files for the league. This gives me all of the files.

Originally Posted by targy

Problem #2

Program got as far as CSV Dump have been archived and then I get the following error

There has been an error with styles or index.html and that is as far as the program gets

[targy]

Thank you very much, no problems

[targy]

Great program, what I would love to see in a future version is a way to click on a team instead of individual players or am I doing something wrong. Is the only way to view individual players.

[Comedian2004]

No, I have not added the teams yet, but plan on doing that.

Originally Posted by targy

Great program, what I would love to see in a future version is a way to click on a team instead of individual players or am I doing something wrong. Is the only way to view individual players.