League Tracker V1.4 ------------------- What is it ? ------------ League Tracker is a Windows program that allows you to track one or more Football league tables through the season. You can track your own tables (local league for example) or the four English tables provided. League Tracker also allows you to predict the results of future matches and analyse their impact on league table positions. How much does it cost ? ----------------------- League Tracker is Freeware. You are free to use it and pass it on to others without charge. Changes for this version ------------------------ There are loads of changes in this version, most have been asked for by the growing number of Ltrack users. Many thanks to all those who took the time to email me with comments on Ltrack. 1. Setup Button The main form now has a setup button. This allows you to change a number of program options, such as the colour scheme. 2. League Table format changes * The table can now optionally be displayed in a shorter format. In this format, home and away statistics are merged. This is useful for those leagues that play all their matches at home. * Goal Difference is now included * A Possible-Points (PP) column can be optionally added. This displays the maximum number of points a team can end up with if it wins all it's remaining matches. Useful near the end of the season. 3. Export changes You can now export planned fixtures and a date range can be specified when exporting Fixtures and/or Results. 4. Predicted scores changes You can now specify the date as well as the score for future matches. Predicted scores are now included in the League Table display by date as for played matches. 5. The Enter Results form has been changed to make input with a mouse easier. 6. You can now print information from the Team Statistics page. 7. A graph button has been added to the Team Stats page. This produces the same display as double-clicking on the points progress graph. Note : This is not new, but maybe you did not know about it ! If you move the mouse pointer over the expanded points-progress graph, a tool-tip is displayed detailing the selected result. Installation ------------ 1. Create a new directory for League Tracker on your hard disk and copy the files contained in LTRACK.ZIP to it. The files provided are: LTRACK.EXE - League Tracker executable DIV0.DIV - Premier Division data file DIV1.DIV - Division 1 data file DIV2.DIV - Division 2 data file DIV3.DIV - Division 3 data file PREM94.DIV - Premier Division for 94/95 season (see note) README.TXT - This file Note: The PREM94 file is provided as a demonstration of LTRACK. While the results and scores are correct, some of the match dates are not. 2. Optionally create a program manager group for League Tracker. a. Select NEW from the program manager file menu b. Select Program Group and click OK c. Enter a description for the group, for example 'League Tracker' and click OK d. Select NEW from the file menu again e. Click OK f. Enter a description for the program, for example 'League Tracker' g. Enter the location of the program in the command line box: for example 'C:\LTRACK\LTRACK.EXE' and click OK note: The path C:\'LTRACK' should match the directory name created in step one. Running League Tracker ---------------------- League Tracker is a fairly small, easy to use (I hope) program. Below is therefore a brief overview of how to operate the program. If after using the program you need more assistance, please feel free to contact me at the address below, or via my email address. 1. Getting started When you start Ltrack you are presented with a list of available tables and a number of option buttons: Open : Open the selected table for processing New : Create a new table About : Display Program credits Setup : Change program options Exit : Exit the program You can also open a table by double clicking on its name. 2. Working on a table When you open a table, you are presented with the main LTRACK window initially displaying the League Table view. Six view are available, selected by clicking their respective tab at the bottom of the window: League Table ------------ This view displays information about the selected table in the traditional format. Options on the right of the window allow you to select if predicted results are included or only games that have been played. You can also elect to view only data for Home, Away or both home and away matches. You can display the table as it was on a particular date. You can select a date by clicking the calendar button. You can also move back and forward using the spin button. The current table can be printed by clicking on the print button or exported to an ASCII file by clicking the export button. A cross reference grid of all games can be displayed by selecting the Matches button. Team Statistics --------------- This view displays statistics about a selected team. The team viewed can be changed by choosing a team from the drop-down list at the top of the window. The points progress graph displays the accumulation of points match by match. Double Clicking on this graph will expand the display to allow the selected teams performance to be compared with teams at the top and bottom of the table and to plot league position and points gained match by match. Division Statistics ------------------- This view displays statistics that relate to all teams within the league table. Enter Results ------------- This view is used to enter results (actual not predicted). A panel at the bottom of the window describes the procedure. Results once entered can be corrected from the Table Maintenance view. When this view is first displayed, the current date is selected as the match date. To change the date, click the calendar button. A calendar will be displayed. To select a date, simply click on the required day. Note: Any changes made to table data is not saved until you exit back to the main form. At this time you will be asked if you wish to save any changes made. Predict Results --------------- This view allows you to enter predicted scores for matches that have not yet been played. While you can do this at any time, it might make more sense to do it towards the end of the season, when there are less matches to predict, and the relegation/promotion battle is hotting up. You can also set the date for future matches from this view. Table Maintenance ----------------- This view allows you to make changes to the table data. Four sets of changes can be made by clicking the appropriate tabs at the top of the window. Table : You can change the name of the table and select your own team. If you select your own team, it will be highlighted in some of the other views. Results : You can change or cancel previously entered results. Select the result you wish to change and click the appropriate button: Change Date: Change the date a match was played. Change Score: Change the score Cancel Result: Cancel the result Teams : You can change the names of the teams. Select the team you want to change and click the Edit button. Change the name in the edit box, and click the Update button. Sort Order: Change the rules used to sort the league table Use the appropriate buttons to change the sort rules to match the leagues requirements. You can also use drag-and-drop to move the rules. 3. Backing up the table files LTRACK does not create backup copies of the table DIV files. I strongly recommend that you create backups from time to time by copying all .DIV files as .BAK files. 4. Creating your own tables To create your own table, click the New button on the main form. You will be presented with a 'Wizard' like dialog box taking you step by step through the table creation process. The final step in the process is to name the file used to contain the table. All table files should be saved with an extension of .DIV and should be placed in the same directory as the LTRACK program. History of the program ---------------------- During the last two seasons, my own team has come close, very close, to being relegated. Towards the end of last season, I created a database with Microsoft Access to track the progress of my team, and to predict our final position. A number of friends expressed an interest in this small project, but did not have a copy of Access. I therefore decided to write a program to replace the Access version and allow me to share it with others. For the technically minded, LTRACK was written using Borland's Delphi. Getting in touch with me ------------------------ I can be reached at: Email: Compuserve: 100117,1542 Internet: 100117.1542@compuserve.com Post: Nigel Thomas 39 Redshank Avenue Winsford Cheshire CW7 1SP