Copyright: VES Help Copyright ® 1993-1994  Joe Cocovich


Contents
Introduction

Description

Features

System Requirements

Disclaimer

Procedures

Creating and Editing a League File

Saving a League File

Configuration Options

Creating Reports

Statistics Display

Creating and Editing a Scorebook File

Scoring a Live Game

Reference

Menus

Keyboard

Toolbar

Virtual Electronic Scorebook

Support

Registration


Description

VES is a statistics entry and reporting program for softball.  With VES you can enter batting statistics, fielding statistics, and pitching statistics for individual players.  VES generates reports based on game totals or cumulative statistics over the course of a season.  Report formats display statistics by individual players, teams, or leagues.  VES will also track innings played for those managers that like to balance playing time.  Complete reports can be sent to a graphics printer or abbreviated reports can be sent to an ASCII file to facilitate electronic transfer.

VES boasts a feature that will allow the entry of game stats in real time while a game is being played.  This feature is called the Virtual Electronic Scorebook.  It presents a display that looks like the familiar scorebook page and accepts inputs that reflect the results of the play on the field.


Features

•	Entering and reporting of batting, fielding, and pitching statistics for individual players on a team.

•	Entry of generic game information including Game Date, Innings played, Team's names, Home or Visitor designation, and Final Score.  Entry of individual player game-total statistics include Plate Appearances, Hits, Runs, RBIs, and more.  Defensive statistics include Putouts, Assists, and Errors.  VES even allows entry and reporting of pitching statistics such as batters faced, runs allowed, hits allowed, walks, strikeouts, and more.

•	Optional logical verification of individual player statistics after entry.

•	Screen display of reports.

•	Graphical printing to a printer, and ASCII file generation of reports.

•	Entry of game progress in real-time thru use of the Virtual Electronic Scorebook.

•	Standard Windows type forms, dialog boxes, and mouse/keyboard control.

•	Context-sensitive help from anywhere in VES by pressing F1.


System Requirements

•	386-PC 25 MHz or better

•	2 MB RAM

•	VGA or Super-VGA Display

•	Graphics printer supported by Windows 3.1

•	Windows 3.1 or later (mouse recommended)

•	VBRUN300.DLL (supplied with VES)

•	1.5 MB Hard Disk free


Disclaimer

THIS SOFTWARE IS SOLD "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES AS TO PERFORMANCE OF MERCHANTABILITY OR ANY OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.  BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENTS INTO WHICH THIS PROGRAM MAY BE PUT, NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS OFFERED.  GOOD DATA PROCESSING PROCEDURE DICTATES THAT ANY PROGRAM BE THOROUGHLY TESTED WITH NON-CRITICAL DATA BEFORE RELYING ON IT.  THE USER MUST ASSUME THE ENTIRE RISK OF USING THE PROGRAM.  ANY LIABILITY OF THE SELLER WILL BE LIMITED EXCLUSIVELY TO PRODUCT REPLACEMENT OR REFUND OF REGISTRATION FEE.


Creating a League File

You can create a League File and add information to it to suit your particular purpose.  The minimum requirements for a League File to track and display statistics are teams and the games they have played.  This will allow you to create reports displaying the standings of the teams in the League File.

Open/Create a League File

Close League File

New League File

Add or Edit Team

Select Team

Add New Game

You can add additional statistics for the players in your league including individual batting, fielding, and pitching statistics.  VES will track one or more or all three for you.  You can then create reports displaying individual statistics for all the players on a selected team, combined team statistics for all the teams in the League File, or all players in the League File.  Batting, Fielding, and Pitching statistics reports are generated separately for all three groups.

Add or Edit Roster

Select a Game

Add/Edit Statistics


Open or Create League File

This File Menu selection and associated toolbar button are always enabled.  If either is selected, then you will be presented with the Open/Save Dialog form where you can select the file to open.  You can navigate through the directories of files as in Windows.  The pattern matching default is *.LDF to display all league files.

The path and file name of the opened League File will also appear beside the League File Open label at the bottom of the Main Menu as a reminder of the file that is currently open and a toolbar button labeled "R" will appear to the far right of the toolbar.  The currently open League File is dynamically changing throughout the session so a copy of the selected file is made in a temporary workfile before it is opened so that any changes made during the session can be discarded.  Clicking on Cancel or tabbing to it and pressing ENTER any time returns you to the Main Menu with no action taken.

If No File Open

Click on a file name in the file list to select it and it will be copied into the File Name box or type one of the file names from the list into the File Name box then click on OK or tab to it and press ENTER.  The file will be opened returning you to the Main Menu.  Double-click on a file name in the file list and it will be opened returning you to the Main Menu.

If File Already Open

If there is a currently open League File that has been changed, then you will be prompted for an OK or CANCEL.  Selecting OK will ignore all changes, selecting CANCEL will return you to the Main Menu.  If the currently open League File has not changed or you select OK, then the currently open League File is closed, deleted, and the temporary workfile is renamed to the same name.  The selected League File will then be opened returning you to the Main Menu.

Create New File

To create a new League File, type in a valid file name with either the .LDF extension or if you leave the extension off, the program will insert .LDF for you. Then select OK.  If you type in any other extension, the program will change it to .LDF before continuing.  You will be prompted for a description before the file is created.  This description will appear on all reports generated and in some form titles.  A default description is provided and can be used.  If CANCEL is selected, or OK is selected and the description is blank, then you are returned to the Open/Save dialog form with no open League File.


Close League File

If there is no currently open League File, this File Menu selection will be disabled.  If it is selected, the currently open League File is closed, the temporary workfile is deleted, and the display at the bottom of the Main Menu is cleared.  The toolbar buttons labeled "G", "S", and "R" will disappear if visible.


New League File

If there is no currently open League File, this File Menu selection and the associated toolbar button will be disabled.  If either is selected and the currently open League File has changed, then you will be prompted for an OK or CANCEL. Selecting OK will ignore all changes, selecting CANCEL will return you to the Main Menu.  If the currently open League File has not changed or you select OK, then the currently open League File is closed, deleted, and the temporary workfile is renamed to the same name.  The display at the bottom of the Main Menu is cleared and the toolbar buttons labeled "G", "S", and "R" will disappear if visible.


Add or Edit Team

If there is no currently open League File, this League Menu selection will be disabled.  If it is selected, the Edit dialog form is presented.  The description of the currently open League File appears in the dialog form title. The League Teams list shows all the names of the teams that have supposedly entered their league fees.  You can add a team name, edit a team name, or delete a team name with this dialog form.

To Add a Team Name

Type a name for the new team in the Team Name box and then press ENTER. The cursor will move to the Abbr. box where you can optionally enter a four character abbreviation for that team to be used with player names in League Statistics Reports.  Press ENTER and if the Team Name box is not blank, this will enter the new team name in the League Teams list which will automatically be alphabetized.

To Edit a Team Name

Select a team name from the League Teams list by double-clicking on it or by tabbing to the list and using the arrow keys to highlight the name you want then press ENTER.  The team name will be copied into the Team Name box and highlighted for editing.  The four character team abbreviation will also be copied into the Abbr. box.  Edit the name in the Team Name box and/or the four character team abbreviation in the Abbr. box then click on Change or tab to the Change button then press ENTER.  If the team name is not blank, this will delete the selected team name in the League Teams list and place the edited team name in the list.  Again, the list will be automatically alphabetized.

To Delete a Team Name

Select a team name from the League Teams list by double-clicking on it or by tabbing to the list and using the arrow keys to highlight the name you want then press ENTER.  The team name will be copied into the Team Name box and highlighted for editing.  The four character team abbreviation will also be copied into the Abbr. box.  Select the Delete button by clicking on it or by tabbing to it and pressing ENTER and the team name selected will be deleted from the League Teams list.  When Done is selected after a team has been deleted, the deleted team will no longer appear in the Add/Edit Team list or in the Select a Team list, even though the information really still exists in the League File.

The program does not check the League Teams list for duplicate team names or abbreviations so be careful.  Make sure all the team names and abbreviations you enter are unique or the program might not be able to tell the teams apart when you select or report on statistics.  Select Done and the edits will be written to the currently open League File. Select Cancel or press ESC and if edits were made you will be reminded that you have made edits and will be asked to respond OK or CANCEL.  If you select OK the edits will be discarded and you will be returned to the Main Menu.  If you select CANCEL you will be returned to this dialog form.


Select Team

If there is no currently open League File or no teams exist in the League File, this League Menu selection will be disabled and the associated toolbar listbox will not be visible.  If it is selected, the Select dialog form is presented.  The description of the currently open League File appears in the dialog form title. The League Teams list shows all the names of the teams that currently exist in the League File.  Select a team by clicking on it or use the up and down arrow keys to highlight your selection and then click on Done.  You will be returned to the Main Menu and this team will now be used for entering and displaying game statistics.  The team name will also appear beside the Team Selected label at the bottom of the Main Menu as a reminder of which team is currently selected and a toolbar button labeled "G" will appear on the exteme right of the toolbar.  The button labeled "G" is used to add a new game.  You can also select a team and return to the Main Menu by double-clicking on a team name in the list. Select Cancel or press ESC and you are returned to the Main Menu with no action taken.

Selecting a team can also be done from the toolbar.  Whenever a League File is opened that already has teams entered, a list box will appear on the toolbar just to the right of the file toolbuttons.  Click on the down arrow to display a list of teams currently in the opened League File.  Select a team by clicking on it and the list box will close, with appropriate updating of the Main Menu displays.


Add New Game

This Team Menu selection is always enabled.  If it is selected, the Game Info dialog form will be presented.  At the top of the form, the name of the currently selected team is displayed along with the type of game.  Click on the game type to cycle through the different choices.  Everything on the form is disabled except for the Cancel button and the first entry field.  The cursor starts in the first entry field which is Date Played.

Date Played

Enter the date you wish to be identified with the new game being entered.  Text entry is checked for valid date format when ENTER is pressed.  If an illegal entry is made, the program will tell you and ignore that entry.  If ENTER is pressed while this field is null (blank), the current date will be entered automatically for you.  When the date has been entered, press ENTER and it will be reformatted and displayed and then the Innings Played entry field will be enabled and the cursor will jump to that field automatically.

Innings Played

Enter the number of innings you wish to be identified as the length of the game.  Only integers up to 99 are accepted as input.  If an illegal entry is made, the program will tell you and ignore that entry.  If ENTER is pressed while this field is null (blank), then the program will enter the value provided by the Min Game Length option setting for you automatically.  Enter a zero (0) for Innings Played to indicate to VES that this game is a forfeit.  When the number of innings played has been entered, press ENTER and the Home/Visitor option buttons will be enabled with Home selected as the default.  The name of the currently selected team will also be displayed in the bottom row of the Final Score display, usually reserved for the name of the home team on scoreboards.  This action will also cause the Opponent list to be enabled for selection of the opponent's name.

Location

If the currently selected team is the home team then the opponent name selection will be next.  If not, then click on the Visitor option button and it will be selected while the Home option button will be deselected.  The name of the currently selected team will then switch from the bottom row to the top row of the Final Score display, usually reserved for the name of the visiting team on scoreboards.  The name of the currently selected team will switch from the top row to the bottom row and back as you select the Home and Visitor option buttons.  The up and down arrow keys can also be used to select the option buttons.

Opponent Name Selection

Click on a team in the Opponent list or tab to the list and use the up and down arrow keys to highlight a team in the list and it will appear in the Final Score display with the name of the currently selected team.  Click on another name in the Opponent list and it will replace the name of the previously selected opponent in the Final Score display.  Once an opponent name has been selected by pressing ENTER or double-clicking on it, the visitor's final score entry field will be enabled and the cursor will be positioned there.  If you click on the Location option buttons now, the two team names will alternate appropriately to display the name of the currently selected team to match the Location option buttons.  If you do this you will have to either tab to or click the visitor's score to get the cursor there for entry.

Visitor Score

Enter the total number of runs (up to 99) you wish to be identified as the final score for the visiting team then press ENTER.  If an illegal character is entered, the program will tell you and ignore the input.  If ENTER is pressed when this field is null (blank), the program will enter zero (0) for you automatically.  When ENTER is pressed, the home team's final score entry field will be enabled and the cursor will be positioned there.

Home Score

Enter the total number of runs (up to 99) you wish to be identified as the final score for the home team then press ENTER.  If an illegal character is entered, the program will tell you and ignore the input.  If ENTER is pressed when this field is null (blank), the program will enter zero (0) for you automatically.  When ENTER is pressed, the Done button will be enabled allowing acceptance of the information.  VES will not let you enter non-zero scores for each team for a forfeit.  One or both scores must be zero.  If both scores entered are zero, then VES will assign a loss to each team (double-forfeit).

Edit, Save, or Cancel

After all information has been entered, all entry fields remain enabled for editing.  If after all the effort of entering the data and editing it to make sure it is correct, you decide you really didn't play this game or you change your mind about recording it for posterity, click on the Cancel button or press ESC and the program will give you one more chance before it will forget all about it and return you to the Main Menu.  If you wish to continue, click on the Done button and the new game information will be written to the League File that is currently open and return you to the Main Menu. The Game Selected display at the bottom of the Main Menu will also be updated.

Whenever a team is selected, a toolbar button labeled "G" will become visible on the right side of the toolbar.  Clicking on this toolbar button will open the Add New Game dialog form directly.


Add or Edit Roster

If there is no team selected from the currently open League File, this Team Menu selection will be disabled.  If it is selected, the Edit dialog form is presented.  The name of the currently selected team appears in the dialog form title. The Team Roster list shows all the names of the players that have supposedly signed the waiver and paid their dues.  You can add a player's name, edit a player's name, add a default defensive position assignment to each player, edit the default defensive position assignment for each player, or delete a player's name with this dialog form.

To Add a Player's Name

Type a name for the new player in the Player Name box and then press ENTER. The cursor will move to the POS entry field where you can optionally enter a defensive position by clicking on one of the defensive positions in the list below the Team Roster list or by typing one of the values in directly.  If the value typed in does not match one of the abbreviations in the list, it will be ignored.  This will be used as the default defensive position for this player during game statistics entry.  Press ENTER while in this field and if the Player Name box is not blank, this will enter the new player's name into the Team Roster list which will automatically be alphabetized.

To Edit a Player's Name

Select a player's name from the Team Roster list by double-clicking on it or by tabbing to the list and using the arrow keys to highlight the name you want then press ENTER.  The player's name will be copied into the Player Name box highlighted ready for editing and the player's default defensive position will be copied into the POS box.  Edit the name in the Player Name box and/or the defensive position in the POS box then click on Change or tab to the Change button then press ENTER.  If the name is not blank, this will delete the selected name in the Team Roster list and place the edited player's name and defensive position into the list.  Again, the list will be automatically alphabetized.

To Delete a Player's Name

Select a player's name from the Team Roster list by double-clicking on it or by tabbing to the list and using the arrow keys to highlight the name you want then press ENTER.  The player's name will be copied into the Player Name box and the player's default defensive position will be copied into the POS box.  Select the Delete button by clicking on it or by tabbing to it and pressing ENTER and the player's name selected will be deleted from the Team Roster list.  When Done is selected after a player's name has been deleted, the deleted player's name will no longer appear in the Add/Edit Roster list or in the Team Roster list for game statistics entry, even though the information really still exists in the League File.

The program does not check the Team Roster list for duplicate player names so be careful.  Make sure all the player names you enter are unique or the program might not be able to tell the players apart when you enter or report on statistics.  More than one player can have the same default defensive position assignment of course.  Select Done and the edits will be written to the currently open League File. Select Cancel or press ESC and if edits were made you will be reminded that you have made edits and will be asked to respond OK or CANCEL.  If you select OK the edits will be discarded and you will be returned to the Main Menu.  If you select CANCEL you will be returned to this dialog form.


Select a Game

If there is no team selected from the currently open League File, this Team Menu selection will be disabled and the associated toolbar listbox will not be visible.  If it is selected, the Select dialog form is presented.  The name of the currently selected team is displayed at the top of this form.  The Games played list shows information about all the games stored in the currently open League File for the team selected.  The first field is H if the currently selected team was the home team or V if it was the visiting team.  The next field shows the date that was entered for that game, and the last field shows the name of the opposing team.

Viewing game information

If you select the View button by clicking on it or by tabbing to it and pressing ENTER, the Game Information dialog form will be displayed for the highlighted game with all the entry fields disabled.  This allows a quick view of more details for the highlighted game.  To exit the Game Information dialog form select the Cancel button.  To highlight another game just click on it or use the up and down arrow keys.  If you are just browsing and aren't really interested in looking any further into the details of any game, select Cancel or press ESC and the program will return you to the Main Menu.

Selecting a game

If you click on Done or tab to it and press ENTER, the highlighted game will become the currently selected game.  The information about the selected game will be displayed at the bottom of the Main Menu as a reminder to you what game you have currently selected.

Whenever a team is selected that has games in the League File, a list box will appear on the toolbar to the right of the team list box.  Click on the down arrow and a list of games to select from will appear.  Click on any game and it will be selected, the list box will close, and the Main Menu displays will be updated.

Viewing the details behind a game

You can view all the player statistics for the selected game by choosing Add/Edit Statistics from the Team Menu under the Games menu selection or by selecting the toolbar button labeled "S".  This will open the Game Statistics dialog form.  If there are no players on the roster for the selected team or the selected game was a forfeit, selecting the toolbar button labeled "S" will have no effect.


Game Statistics

Whenever the Add/Edit Statistics selection is made from the Games sub-menu of the Team Menu, additional selections are presented giving you a choice between one of the Game Statistics dialog forms.  Clicking on the toolbar button labeled "S" will open one of the Game Statistics dialog forms directly.  The Game Info for the selected game is displayed at the top of each dialog form.  On the left side, the Team Roster list is displayed in alphabetical order with the topmost player name highlighted.  If the game selected is a new game, the statistics entry fields will all be zero (0).  If the game selected is one from the League File, the appropriate statistics are retrieved from the file and displayed in the statistics entry fields ready for editing.

Selecting a Player

Clicking on a player's name will highlight that player's name in the Team Roster list and the statistics previously entered (or 0 if this is a new game) are displayed in the statistics entry fields.  Press ENTER to select the highlighted player or double-click on a player's name to select that player.  The cursor will be placed in the first entry field and the entry will be selected ready for editing.

Entering and Editing Statistics

Only integer entries up to 99 are allowed.  If an illegal entry is made, the program will tell you and ignore the entry.  When a legal entry is made in a field and ENTER is pressed, the cursor will automatically move to the next field in order and it's entry will be highlighted ready for editing.  Clicking on any of the entry fields will also move the cursor to that field.

When all statistics have been entered for an individual player, another player name can be selected for entry or edit of that player's game statistics or one of the command buttons can be selected.

Batting Statistics

The Batting Statistics that are entered when this Game Statistics dialog form is displayed are as follows:

INN, PA, R, RBI, 1B, 2B, 3B, HR, BB, SAC, OBE, FC, and SO.

Fielding Statistics

The Fielding Statistics that are entered when this Game Statistics dialog form is displayed are as follows:

INN, PO, ASS, E, and POS.

Pitching Statistics

The Pitching Statistics that are entered when this Game Statistics dialog form is displayed are as follows:

IPP, PO, ASS, E, BF, RA, HA, ER, WA, K, W, L, and OUT.

Command Buttons

Restore

Selecting this button will restore the statistics that were displayed when this player name was selected and the cursor will be placed in the first entry field and the entry will be selected ready for editing.  This can be used while editing a player's statistics to cancel any change made during the time this player's statistics are displayed.  Selecting another player, however, commits the changes made for this player.

Clear

Selecting this button will reset all the statistics to zero (0) for the selected player and the cursor will be placed in the first entry field and the entry will be selected ready for editing.

Verify

Selecting this button will perform a logical validation of the statistics entered.  See "Verification" for the rules that apply.  Whenever all players statistics have been verified successfully, the player at the top of the Team Roster list will be highlighted and the statistics for that player will be displayed in the entry fields.  The verify feature is optional but useful.

Display

Selecting this button will display the Statistics Display dialog form with the statistics displayed for the player's in this game.  See Creating Reports for a description.  Selecting Done from the Statistics Display form will return you to this Game Statistics form.

Done

Select this button when you are finished.  This will write all the individual statistics for this game to the League File and return you to the Main Menu.

Cancel

If you select this button or press ESC and you have made changes to any of the statistics, the program will remind you of that fact and ask if you still wish to cancel.  Selecting Yes will ignore all changes and return you to the Main Menu.  Selecting No will return you to the Game Statistics form.


Save League File
Save League File (As)

Save File

If there is no currently open League File, this menu selection and associated toolbar button will be disabled.  If either is selected, you will be presented with the Open/Save Dialog form where you can select the file name for the destination.  The File Name box will already contain the name of the currently open file.  Selecting OK will merely update the temporary workfile with the contents of the currently open League File and return to the Main Menu with the currently open League File still open.  If the currently open League File name is double-clicked in the file list, the same action happens.  If the name of an existing file is double-clicked in the file list or selected from the file list and OK selected, a message will be displayed warning you that this file exists and asks if you want to overwrite it.  Select Cancel to change your mind, or select OK to overwrite it.

Save File As

To save the currently opened League File to a new League File, type in a valid file name with either the .LDF extension or if you leave the extension off, the program will insert .LDF for you.  Then select OK.  If you type in any other extension, the program will change it to .LDF before continuing.  If the file does not exist, a copy of the current file is made with the new name.  The file currently open is closed without updating and a copy of the new file is made in the temporary workfile.  The new file is then opened and becomes the currently opened file and you are returned to the Main Menu. If the file exists, a message will be displayed warning you that this file exists and asks if you want to overwrite it.  Select Cancel to change your mind, or select OK to overwrite it.

Selecting Cancel or pressing ESC any time returns you to the Main Menu with no action taken.


Set_Preferences
Set Preferences

Selecting this Options Menu item will display the Set Preferences dialog form.  There are two groups of options presented on this dialog form.  They are described here.

General Options

These options are grouped into four categories and primarily control statistics entry.  One option can be selected from each category by clicking on the option button next to the description.

Min Game is 7

When this option is selected, the default number of innings for manual entry and the minimum number of innings for a complete game during scorebook entry is 7 innings.  This is the default setting when VES is distributed.

Min Game is 9

When this option is selected, the default number of innings for manual entry and the minimum number of innings for a complete game during scorebook entry is 9 innings.

Slow Pitch

When this option is selected, only those statistics that apply in slow pitch softball are available for entry, tracking, and reporting.  This is the default setting when VES is distributed.

Fast Pitch

When this option is selected, additional statistics that apply in fast pitch softball are also available for entry, tracking, and reporting.  This version of VES does not support this option so it is always disabled.

Default Game Type

The game type options allow you to tag each game by type so that statistics reporting can be presented for each or in any combination.

VES will consider a game marked as a League Game to be included in season standings.  This is the default setting when VES is distributed.

VES will not include games marked as Playoff Games in regular season standings.  Mark games typically played after the regular season ends with this type in order to track statistics separately for them if you so desire.

VES will not consider games marked as Tournament Games in regular season standings.  Mark games played as part of a tournament with this type if you want to track and report statistics for them separately if you so desire.

VES will not consider games marked as Exhibition Games in regular season standings.  Mark games played as practice before, during, or after a regular season with this type if you do not want them included when tracking and reporting statistics.

NOTE:  Only Registered Users can modify game type.

Default Input Type

These options are used with the toolbar button labeled "S" for entry of Game Statistics.  Only one of these options can be selected at a time and will cause the associated Game Statistics dialog form to be displayed when you select this toolbar button.  A different Game Statistics dialog form from the default type can be displayed, of course, by selecting Add/Edit Statistics from the Games sub-menu of the Team Menu and then selecting the desired type.  VES is distributed with the Default Input Type set to Batting.

Statistics Options

These options are grouped into three categories and primarily control statistics reporting.  They can be selected by clicking on one option button next to the description, moving the appropriate scroll bar, and selecting one or more check boxes.

ERA Game is 7

When this option is selected, Earned Runs are normalized to a 7 inning game when calculating a pitcher's ERA.

ERA Game is 9

When this option is selected, Earned Runs are normalized to a 9 inning game when calculating a pitcher's ERA.  This is the default setting when VES is distributed.

Report Sorting

The three scroll bars represent the same functions the one scroll bar does in the Statistics Display Form.  The difference here is you can set each scroll bar separately for (B)atting, (F)ielding, and (P)itching.  Then whenever the associated report type is requested, the column for sorting will automatically be set for you.  You can override the default setting here with the single scroll bar on the Statistics Display Form.  VES is distributed with default settings of AVG for batting, PCT for fielding, and (W/L)PCT for pitching.

Include in Reports

One or more of these check boxes may be selected by clicking on the box next to the descriptions.  Statistics reports will include game types of all games marked with an "X".

If you select the Cancel button at any time, changes to any options will be ignored and the settings for those options will remain as they were before this dialog form was opened and then the dialog form will close returning you to the Main Menu.  If you select the Close button at any time, the selected option settings will be remembered for this program session only and then the dialog form will close returning you to the Main Menu.


Creating Reports

There are two definitions for statistics reports that VES generates. One is what kind of statistic is being reported: Batting, Fielding, Pitching or Standings.  The other involves what records from the League File are included and how they are grouped.  Essentially there are two kinds of statistics records in the League File: individual player statistics and game information.  The game information is used to generate the Standings Reports and the individual player statistics are used to generate all others.  The different report formats include the following:

•	Player Statistics for Selected Team

The individual player statistics for only players on the selected team are included in the report.  The report contains either Batting, Fielding, or Pitching statistics.

•	Team Statistics for entire League.

The individual player statistics for all the players on a team are accumulated and reported as a whole team for each team in the League File.  The report contains either Batting, Fielding, or Pitching statistics.

•	Player Statistics for entire League (League Statistics).

The individual player statistics for all players in the League File are included in the report.  The report contains either Batting, Fielding, or Pitching statistics.

Reports can be requested from the Reports Menu, the toolbar button labeled "R", or the Game Statistics dialog form Display button.

From the Reports Menu

When selecting a report format from the Reports Menu, Player Statistics will be enabled only if a team has been selected and there are individual player statistics for players on that team.  If there are individual player statistics in the currently open League File but no team selected, then only Team Statistics and League Statistics will be enabled.  If there is only game information in the currently open League File but no player statistics, then only League Statistics will be enabled.

Once a report format is selected, you will have a choice of the three types of statistics displays to choose from.  They will be enabled only if those types of statistics are available in the League File to accumulate.

From the Toolbar

When the toolbar button labeled "R" is selected, the report format and type of statistics display will be the same as was last displayed.  If the program cannot accumulate the appropriate statistics, then the selection of this button will be ignored.

From Game Statistics

When the Display button on the Game Statistics dialog form is selected, the Player Statistics for Selected Team report format is presented.  The type of statistics display will be the same as the input type of the Game Statistics dialog form.


Statistics Display

The Statistics Display form will be blank except for the control bar at the bottom. The control bar and it's contents will look different depending upon the method used to request the statistics display, by using 1) the Reports Menu, or 2) the toolbar button labeled "R", or 3) the Display button on the Game Statistics dialog form.  The different control bars and their functionality are explained here.

What?

This group of buttons select how to accumulate statistics.

Season

Click on Season to see the accumulated statistics for the entire season.  If you requested the statistics display by using the Reports Menu, then the Statistics Display will reflect your choice.  If you requested the statistics display by using the toolbar button labeled "R", then the Statistics Display will be the same as was last displayed.  When using the toolbar button, Player Statistics will be displayed for the currently selected team or League Statistics will be displayed if there is no currently selected team.  If you requested the statistics display by using the Display button on the Game Statistics dialog form, then the Statistics Display will be for a single game and this button will not be visible.

Game

The Game button is only enabled if you got here from the Player Statistics Menu. Click on Game and you will be presented with the Game Select form.  You can view the Game Info for each game by selecting it and clicking on View.  Clicking on Cancel returns you to the Statistics Display form.  Selecting a game and clicking on Done or double-clicking on a game will close the Game Select form and return you to the Statistics Display form.  After the display of the statistics for the game selected is complete, a group of buttons called Hard Copy? appears in the Control Bar.

The types of statistics displays

Standings Statistics Display

Batting Statistics Display

Fielding Statistics Display

Pitching Statistics Display

Leaders Display

Hard Copy?

Printer

Click on Printer and a screen image of the statistical display will be printed on your graphics printer.

File

Click on File and another dialog form will pop up asking for you to enter a name for the ASCII file to be generated.  Enter a valid DOS filename without extension, the extension is automatically generated as .TXT.  If nothing is entered then nothing will be done, you will be returned to the Statistics Display form.  After entering a valid file name and selecting OK, an ASCII file with carriage return linefeeds and everything is generated and you are returned to the Statistics Display form.  This feature was provided for ease of distribution of statistics by electronic means.  The width of the records are limited so some statistics had to be omitted.

When you are finished printing and viewing and saving, select Done or press ESC and you will be returned to the Main Menu.


Standings Statistics Display

League Statistics are displayed as Standings sorted by Win/Loss Percentage of each team in the League File.  This display is automatically given to you for this selection and allows for no alteration.

Calculated statistics in this category are Win/Loss Percentage and Games Behind.  If your league allows tie games due to time limitations, then VES calculates Win/Loss Percentage rather uniquely to order the standings.  A tie game is counted as 1/2 of a win so that:

Win/Loss Percentage = (Wins + Ties / 2) / (Wins + Losses + Ties)

The number of games behind in the standings is a rather arbitrary number and is used solely to give an indication as to how far out of first place a team is situated.  The order of the standings is still governed by Win/Loss Percentage and those teams with the same Win/Loss Percentage are merely alphabetized to provide a display.  However, for the sake of argument, VES calculates games behind by first determining a metric from the first placed team called maxwinloss.

MaxWinLoss = Wins - Losses

The number of games behind for each other team then is calculated as follows:

Games Behind = [MaxWinLoss - (wins - losses)] / 2

Sabermetrics is a wonderful science(?) and I hope I have not made a shambles of it by my simplistic creativity.  If you have been totally confused and bewildered and eventually made your way to this help topic, feel free to provide any suggestions for improvement.


Batting Statistics Display

The display entries are ranked in decreasing order by the statistic selected in the Sorting Criteria.  The default can be selected using Set Preferences.  The criteria which determines the order of ranking is selectable by the use of a scrollbar in the center of the control bar.  Move the scroll bar to change the selection to match one of the headings in the statistics display.  The next time you request a statistics display, it will be sorted according to the sorting criteria you selected in descending order always.

Calculated statistics in this category are AB, H, AVG, SA, and OBP.


Fielding Statistics Display

The display entries are ranked in decreasing order by the statistic selected in the Sorting Criteria.  The default can be selected by using Set Preferences.  The criteria which determines the order of ranking is selectable by the use of a scrollbar in the center of the control bar.  Move the scroll bar to change the selection to match one of the headings in the statistics display.  The next time you request a statistics display, it will be sorted according to the sorting criteria you selected in descending order always.

Calculated statistics in this category are PCT.


Pitching Statistics Display

The display entries are ranked in decreasing order by the statistic selected in the Sorting Criteria.  The default can be selected by using Set Preferences.  The criteria which determines the order of ranking is selectable by the use of a scrollbar in the center of the control bar.  Move the scroll bar to change the selection to match one of the headings in the statistics display.  The next time you request a statistics display, it will be sorted according to the sorting criteria you selected in descending order always.  Incidentally, the numbers in the innings pitched column (IP) are represented as whole innings plus thirds of an inning.  After the decimal point, a whole inning will be represented with a "0", 1/3 of an inning will be represented with a "1", 2/3 of an inning will be represented with a "2".

Calculated statistics in this category are IP, W/L PCT, and ERA.


Leaders Display

This feature is not implemented in the current version of VES.


Open or Create Scorebook File

The Open/Save dialog form will be presented whenever this item is selected from the Game Menu.  You can navigate through the directories of files as in Windows.  The pattern matching default is *.DAT to display all scorebook files.  If the toolbar button labeled "G" is visible then clicking on "VES" in the middle of the diamond at the bottom of the Main Menu will take you directly to this dialog form.

NOTE:

The scorebook files are currently unique to the selected team.  VES will not allow you to open an existing

scorebook file unless it was created with the currently selected team.  If you attempt to do so, VES will stop

you and remind you what the name of the selected team was when the file was created.

Open existing Scorebook File

Click on a file name in the file list and it will be copied into the File Name box.  Then select OK by clicking on it or tab to it and press ENTER and the file will be opened.  You can also double-click on a file name in the file list and it will be opened.  You will then be presented with the Virtual Electronic Scorebook display.  The currently opened scorebook is dynamically changing throughout the session so a copy of the selected file is made in a temporary workfile before it is opened so that any changes made during the session can be discarded.

Create a new Scorebook File

To create a new Scorebook File, type in a valid file name with either the .DAT extension or if you leave the extension off, the program will insert .DAT for you. Then select OK.  If you type in any other extension, the program will change it to .DAT before continuing.  You will be prompted for a confirmation before the file is created.  If CANCEL is selected, then you are returned to the Open/Save dialog form with no open Scorebook File. If OK is selected, then a new Scorebook File will be opened and you will be presented with the Virtual Electronic Scorebook display.

Clicking on Cancel or tabbing to it and pressing ENTER any time returns you to the Main Menu with no action taken.


Scoring a Game

Initialization

Starting Lineups

Game Play

Altering Lineup

Ending the Game

Compiling Statistics


Initialization
Scorebook Initialization

A new scorebook file has been created and some information about the game about to be played is required before you can continue.  A date is required and the two opponents must be selected.

Game Date

Entry of the date the game is being played is recorded on the calendar displayed at the top of the scorebook.  Clicking on the left arrow beside the month will make the month go back by one, clicking on the right arrow will advance the month by one.  The same is true for the year.  Select the day by clicking on it.  If a previously saved game is loaded, the calendar will change to display the date played and modification of the date is disabled.

Selecting Opponents

Clicking on the down arrow of the Visiting Team Name list box will cause a list of all the team names in the open League File to be displayed in a drop down list.  Likewise, clicking on the down arrow of the Home Team Name list box will cause the same thing to happen.  You can select a team name from each list by clicking on it.  Once a team name has been selected for both opponents, VES will ensure that you have not selected the same team for both opponents and the Enter Lineup command button will become enabled.  If a previously saved game is loaded, the team names of the opponents will be displayed in the appropriate list box and modification of the opponents selected is disabled.


Starting Lineups

The Lineup Area is used to enter starting lineups and assign defensive positions for each opponent.  Click on an option button beside one of the opponent names at the top of the scorebook to select that team for entry of the starting lineup and defensive positions.

Player No.

The numbers in the column underneath the Player No. Heading are used to select a batter/runner during Game Play and are used to select a batting order position during entry of Starting Lineups.  Clicking on a Player No. selects that player and the Player No. begins to flash.  During Game Play, the Scoring Area changes as well to reflect the status of the selected batter/runner for the inning displayed as indicated by the Inning Heading.

Player's Name

The Player's Names in the column underneath the Player's Name Heading are used to select a baserunner only during Game Play and can also be used to select a batting order position during entry of Starting Lineups if it has already been filled.  Clicking on a Player's Name selects that player and the Player No. begins to flash when entering Starting Lineups.  The Player's Name begins to flash during Game Play to indicate the baserunner separately from the selected batter.  During Game Play, the Scoring Area changes as well to reflect the status of the selected runner for the inning displayed as indicated by the Inning Heading.

Player No. Heading

This heading item is used to bring Player No. 1 to the top of the lineup display both during the entry of Starting Lineups and during Game Play.  Click on this heading item and the batting order position is set to Player No. 1 during entry of Starting Lineups and the batter/runner selected is set to Player No. 1 during Game Play.

Player's Name Heading

Click on this heading item to display the roster for the team selected by the currently darkened option button.  Click on this heading item again to close the display.

Whenever the roster is displayed, the Player No. of the selected batting order position begins flashing.  Clicking on a name on the roster inserts that name into the batting order at the selected position unless that player is already in the lineup somewhere else.  VES will also attempt to assign that player's default defensive position using the same guidelines as described in P/I.  If it cannot assign the defensive position then you will have to assign it manually as described in P/I.  You can place and replace players as many times as you like keeping in mind that VES does a continual check to ensure one player is not inserted into the lineup more than one time.  If you get in a bind, clicking on the same name in the roster as the flashing Player's Name in the lineup will blank the Player's Name in the lineup.  VES will automatically advance the selected batting order position to the next slot in the lineup once it is filled.  You can use the numbers under Player No. Heading to select a batter by clicking on any of them in any order.

P/I

Click on this heading item to display defensive positions for assignment to a player.  Click on this heading item again to close the display.

Whenever the defensive positions are displayed, the Player No. of the selected batting order position begins flashing.  Clicking on a defensive position name on the list assigns that defensive position to the player in the selected batting order position unless another player has already been assigned to that defensive position.  You can assign and re-assign players as many times as you like keeping in mind that VES does a continual check to ensure more than one player is not assigned the same defensive position.  If you get in a bind, clicking on the same defensive position name in the list as the player's defensive position in the lineup inserts an asterisk in the defensive position in the lineup.  VES will automatically advance the selected batting order position once a defensive position is assigned.  You can use the numbers under Player No. Heading to select a batting order position by clicking on any of them in any order.  I is for the inning no. when that player began to play that defensive position.  VES will record the inning automatically for you if you change a player's defensive position assignment at any time during a game (see Changing Defense).  Every player in the lineup must be assigned a defensive position before you can Play Ball.

VES will accept a minimum of 8 players for each team before it will allow a game to be played by enabling the Play Ball command button.  It is up to you to fill in your lineup correctly so that there are no "holes".  VES counts the lineups for both teams for verification every time it determines that roster or defensive position displays have all been closed.  When VES determines the lineups for both teams are complete, the Play Ball command button will be enabled.


Game Play

The Game Date has been entered, the opponents have been selected, and the batting order and defensive assignments have been made.  VES is now ready for Game Play.  Clicking on Play Ball disables the Player's Name Heading and Player Position heading items in the Lineup Area.  It also changes the caption on the Play Ball command button to Board (see Displaying Game Scoreboard).  The VES Scoring Area and Inning heading items are enabled as well.  If this is a new game, the Lineup is reset to display batter no. 1 at the top.  If a previously saved game is being loaded, the Scoring Area is set to the current inning and the Lineup is set to the lead-off batter.  Player No. starts to flash indicating the position of the currently selected batter.  The player's name in this position also starts to flash indicating the position of the currently selected runner or batter/runner.  The starting lineup is also written to the scorebook file, the VES Scoreboard is initialized and also written to the scorebook file.

All you need do now is click on a Player No. to enter the outcome of his time at bat.  When a Player No. is selected, it and the Player's Name flashes and that player is now designated as the batter/runner.  If you select a Player's Name, it flashes and that player is now designated as the runner for which you are updating status.  The batter's Player No. still continues to flash as an indicator of where the batter is.

Entering an Out (Batter)

Entering a safe hit

Entering the putout of a baserunner

Entering the advancement of a baserunner

Scoring a run

Inning End

Displaying Game Scoreboard


Entering an Out by the Batter

The Put Out buttons on the left of the Scoring Area are used, with the defensive position numbers on the playing field, to record the batter's outcome as an out.  The F (Fly out), L (Line drive out), P (Pop-up), and SF (Sacrifice Fly out) require one and only one defensive position associated with it to record an out.  When any of those buttons are clicked, the corresponding encoded text appears in the Play Code box.  All remaining command buttons are disabled except Clear and Enter Play and the Put Out buttons that were enabled prior to the selection.  Click on Clear any time prior to clicking on Enter Play to restore the Scoring Area if you make a mistake. Under some circumstances, clicking on a different Put Out button will change the display in the Play Code box to reflect the new choice.  However, if other changes were made to the Scoring Area, they may not be cleared.  Use the Clear button to erase any mistakes.  To complete the play, select a defensive position number by clicking on it.  The appropriate addition to the encoded text in the Play Code box is made for you and the defensive position number on the playing field turns red to show the putout position.  If SF is selected, 1 RBI is automatically awarded and entered for you by the program.

•	Only one out can be entered for each batter.  If a batter hits into a double play or triple play, each out must be recorded separately presumably in the order they ocurred.  For example, a 6-4-3 double play would be entered first as a putout of the baserunner by 6-4 (see below) and then the batter by 4-3 to keep the out numbers correct.

If the SO button is selected by clicking on it, the play is complete and the appropriate encoded text appears in the Play Code box and the catcher is awarded the putout.  All remaining command buttons are disabled except Clear and Enter Play and the Put Out buttons that were enabled prior to the selection. Click on Clear any time prior to clicking on Enter Play to restore the Scoring Area if you make a mistake.

The remaining kinds of outs that can be entered are ground outs, both assisted and unassisted.  Select any defensive position number by clicking on that number in the playing field.  You will notice that the U Put Out button becomes enabled allowing for the entry of an unassisted putout. RBI entry is also enabled.  Selecting the U Put Out button now by clicking on it will complete the play. All remaining command buttons are disabled except Clear and Enter Play and the Put Out buttons that were enabled prior to the selection.  The appropriate modifications are made to the encoded text in the Play Code box for you, and the defensive position number selected on the playing field turns red to show the putout position. Click on Clear any time prior to clicking on Enter Play to restore the Scoring Area if you make a mistake.

If the outcome was not unassisted, then each defensive position number selected by clicking on it will be given an assist on the play.  Each position can be assigned assists in any order but each position should only be assigned one assist per putout.  The encoded text in the Play Code box will indicate that.  To complete the play, select a defensive position number by double-clicking on it.  The appropriate addition to the encoded text in the Play Code box is made for you and the defensive position number on the playing field turns red to show the putout position.

Batter Count

The ball/strike count on the batter is entered using the B and the S command buttons.  Each time the B command button is selected, a ball will appear above the button.  Whenever the B command button is selected while there are three balls showing, a walk will be awarded to the batter.  Each time the S command button is selected, a ball will appear above the button.  Whenever the S command button is selected while there are two balls showing, a strikeout is charged against the batter.

Once you have entered enough information to complete the play, to record it in the scorebook select Enter Play.  This will write a record in the scorebook file, disable everything in the Scoring Area, and assign the appropriate out and display it in the OUT box.  You can discard the play entry at any time prior to selecting Enter Play by selecting the Clear button or by selecting a different batter or runner.


Entering a safe hit

The On Base buttons on the right side of the Scoring Area are used, with the defensive position numbers on the playing field, to record the batter's outcome if he reaches base safely.  If the 1B (single), 2B (double), 3B (triple), 4B (home run), or BB (walk) button is selected by clicking it, the play is complete.  The appropriate encoded text appears in the Play Code box, the basepaths turn red and begin flashing to reflect the batter's final position, and RBI entry is enabled.  All remaining command buttons are disabled except Clear and Enter Play and the R, FE, and FC buttons.  Enter the number of RBIs, if any, this batter earned at this time at bat.  Just type a number up to 99 and it will appear in the RBI circle at the bottom right of the Scoring Area.  Click on Clear any time prior to clicking on Enter Play to restore the Scoring Area if you make a mistake.  Under some circumstances, clicking on a different On Base button will change the display in the Play Code box to reflect the new choice.  However, if other changes were made to the Scoring Area, they may not be cleared.  Use the Clear button to erase any mistakes.

The FE (Fielder's Error) and FC (Fielder's Choice) require one and only one defensive position associated with it to record the play.  When either of these buttons is clicked, the corresponding encoded text appears in the Play Code box.  The RBI entry is enabled if FC was selected otherwise it remains disabled.  All remaining command buttons are disabled except Clear and Enter Play and the R, FE, and FC buttons.  To complete the play, select a defensive position number by clicking on it.  The appropriate addition to the encoded text in the Play Code box is made for you.  The basepath to first base will turn red and begin to flash to reflect the batter's position. If it is enabled, enter the number of RBIs, if any, this batter earned at this time at bat.  Click on Clear any time prior to clicking on Enter Play to restore the Scoring Area if you make a mistake.

If the batter/baserunner advances beyond the base to which the program assigns him, you must select Enter Play to record the batter's outcome in the scorebook.  Next, select any other batter and then re-select this batter. See "Entering the advancement of a baserunner" for further instructions.  VES only supports single base errors.  If a multiple-base error ocurred to allow this batter to advance beyond first base it must be handled separately also.

Batter Count

The ball/strike count on the batter is entered using the B and the S command buttons.  Each time the B command button is selected, a ball will appear above the button.  Whenever the B command button is selected while there are three balls showing, a walk will be awarded to the batter.  Each time the S command button is selected, a ball will appear above the button.  Whenever the S command button is selected while there are two balls showing, a strikeout is charged against the batter.

Once you have entered enough information to complete the play, to record it in the scorebook select Enter Play.  This will write a record in the scorebook file, disable Clear and Enter Play and further RBI entry.  You can discard the play entry at any time prior to selecting Enter Play by selecting the Clear button or by selecting a different batter or runner.  Note that the R, FE, and FC buttons remain enabled to be used for subsequent advancement or putout of the baserunner.


Entering the putout of a baserunner

The R Put Out button is used to enable the entering of a play that puts out a previous baserunner.  Click on the Player's Name of the baserunner you want to update.  The Scoring Area will reflect the status of this baserunner.  Select the R button by clicking on it and the defensive position numbers will become enabled for entry of the putout play.  Also notice that the FE and FC buttons are disabled and the U button is enabled for unassisted putouts.  Select any defensive position number by clicking on that number in the playing field.  Selecting the U Put Out button now by clicking on it will complete the play.  The appropriate modifications are made to the encoded text in the Play Code box for you, and the defensive position number selected on the playing field turns red to show the putout position.  If the outcome was not unassisted, then each defensive position number selected by clicking on it will be given an assist on the play.  Each position can be assigned assists in any order but each position should only be assigned one assist per putout.  The encoded text in the Play Code box will indicate that.  To complete the play, select a defensive position number by double-clicking on it.  The appropriate addition to the encoded text in the Play Code box is made for you and the defensive position number on the playing field turns red to show the putout position.  The modifications are automatically recorded in the scorebook and written to the scorebook file.  Everything in the Scoring Area is disabled and the appropriate out is assigned and displayed in the OUT box.  You can discard the play entry at any time prior to completing the play by selecting a different batter or runner.


Entering the advancement of a baserunner

The FE, FC, and Runner buttons are used to advance the position of the selected baserunner.  Click on the Player's Name of the baserunner you want to advance. The Scoring Area will reflect the status of this baserunner.  The FE (Fielder's Error) and FC (Fielder's Choice) require one and only one defensive position associated with it to record the play.  When either of these buttons is clicked, the corresponding encoded text appears in the Play Code box.  To complete the play, select a defensive position number by clicking on it.  The appropriate addition to the encoded text in the Play Code box is made for you.  The basepath to the next base will turn red and begin to flash to reflect the batter's position.  When you complete the play, the modifications are automatically recorded in the scorebook and written to the scorebook file.  All buttons that are enabled remain enabled.  You can discard the play entry at any time prior to completing the play by selecting a different batter or runner.  As mentioned earlier, these advancements are one base at a time.  An entry to advance the baserunner must be made for each base advanced due to a fielder's error or a fielder's choice.

The Runner button is used to advance the baserunner for any other reason. Click on the Runner button to advance the baserunner one base.  You can click on the Runner button as many times as you require without leaving this baserunner.  Each time you click on the Runner button, the play is automatically completed (you cannot take it back!), the scorebook is updated and written to the scorebook file, and the appropriate modifications are made to the encoded text in the Play Code box for you.  All buttons that are enabled remain enabled.


Scoring a run

If the entry of a batter's outcome or the advancement of a baserunner causes the basepaths to complete the diamond then a run is scored.  The play is automatically completed (you cannot take it back!), the scorebook is updated and written to the scorebook file,  and the appropriate modifications are made to the encoded text in the Play Code box for you.  Everything in the Scoring Area is disabled and the basepaths stop flashing but remain red.


Inning End

When the third out of an inning is recorded, the last batter to bat that inning is marked and the next appropriate half inning is automatically initiated.  The option buttons will change to reflect the team at bat and the lead-off batter is selected ready for entry.

NOTE:  Advancement beyond Inning #1 is available to REGISTERED USERS ONLY!


Displaying Game Scoreboard

Select Board by clicking on it and the VES Scoreboard will be displayed.  It contains the typical run total by inning and totals for the game.  Click on the VES emblem to the left of the Scoreboard title to close the scoreboard and return to the scorebook.


Altering Lineup

Changing Defense

Click on the option button next to the team on defense to see the lineup for that team.  Click on a player's defensive position in the Lineup Area (under the heading item P/I) to display the defensive positions as during lineup entry.  Pay attention to the flashing Player No. because it is the player that you will make changes to from the defensive positions display.  Click on the defensive position in the defensive positions display that corresponds to the defensive position of the selected player in the Lineup Area to clear the player's old assignment.  You must then clear the defensive position assignment of the player whose currently assigned to the defensive position you want to re-assign to the first player.  Now you can go back to the first player and assign the new defensive position then to the second player as well.  You may make as many changes as you like keeping in mind that VES does a continual check of assignments of defensive positions to ensure that one is not assigned to more than one player at a time.  Notice that the player defensive position display changes to an asterisk during re-assignments instead of a blank as in lineup entry.  Click on any player defensive position to close the defensive positions display and write the changes to the scorebook file.  Don't forget to click on the option button next to the team at bat to restore the Lineup Area.

Player Substitution

Player substitution can be done on the team on defense or on the team at bat as pointed to by the option button selected.  Double-click on the Player No. in the lineup area to select that batting order position and to display the roster for the team selected by the option buttons.  Clicking on a name on the roster replaces the player in the batting order at the flashing position with the player on the roster unless that player is already in the lineup somewhere else.  The defensive position remains unchanged unless you are making a substitution to the team at bat.  The defensive position then changes to "PH" to denote pinch-hitter for the records.  It is your responsibility to assign this player to a defensive position whenever this team next goes on defense.  Double-click on any Player No. to close the roster list display and write the changes to the scorebook file.


Ending the Game

VES will determine when the game is over for you automatically according to the MIN Game Length option selected.  VES will not terminate the game however, if the score is tied and will automatically initiate another inning.  You can override VES at any time by selecting the End button.  Select End by clicking on it and the end game sequence will be initiated as is after a normal end of game.  This is useful in the event of expiration of time limits to control the end of the game.  It's most useful purpose may be to simply take a peek at the game statistics which are not compiled until the end of a game.  Once the statistics are compiled into the League File, close the scorebook without saving so you can pick up the game where you left off when you open the scorebook file again.


Compiling Statistics

When the game is over, you will be notified of the final score and be given a choice to compile the resulting game statistics into the League File.  If you elect to do so, click Yes, if not, click No.  You can open this file at a later time and compile the stats if you wish.  If requested, the program will add a new game to the League File, generate and add all offensive and defensive player statistics records to the League File, then return to scorebook.  You now have the capability of using the editing and reporting features of VES to modify the statistics and report on them.


Menus

Main Menu

File Menu

League Menu

Team Menu

Reports Menu

Options Menu

Utilities Menu

Help Menu


Main Menu

The Main Menu will be displayed throughout the time that VES is running.  All other forms will be displayed over top of the Main Menu and when their appropriate functions are completed will close to uncover the Main Menu again.

The Main Menu presents several selections in it's menu bar.  These are selected by clicking on them or by pressing the ALT key and the underlined letter of the menu item desired.  Once a menu selection is made, sub-menus begin to display underneath the selection.  Pressing the ESC key backs you out of the selections, one selection each time you press the ESC key.  Clicking anywhere else on the Main Menu form closes all sub-menu items at once.

Below the menu bar you will see a tool bar that will contain several buttons and, under certain circumstances, listboxes to aid navigation through the program.  These are discussed in the section that describes the Toolbar.

At the bottom of the Main Menu is useful information to remind you of the name and the path of the league file that is open for use, the name of the team selected for statistics entry and reporting, and information about the current game that is selected for individual player statistics entry and display.

The Main Menu can be minimized to an icon whenever it is the only form displayed.  Minimize the Main Menu by clicking on the minimize button in the upper right corner of the form.  Whenever another form is displayed, it has control and you cannot return to the Main Menu unless you specifically select Cancel or Done while in that form.  The Main Menu also has the standard Windows control bar for use in minimizing, moving, or closing it.  If you select Close from the control menu and a League File is open and has changed, you will be reminded that the League File has changed and given a chance to change your mind by selecting CANCEL or to close anyway by selecting OK.


File Menu

Until a League File is successfully opened, only Open/Create League File and Exit are enabled.  The remaining selections are disabled.  All selections with an elipsis (...) following the name display the Open/Save Dialog when selected.  Make a selection by clicking on it, by pressing the underlined letter in the selection, or by using the cursor arrow keys to point to a selection then pressing ENTER to select it.

You will also notice that after a League File has been opened that it's path and name is added to the list of files below the Exit selection if it is not already there. This list will grow to a maximum of four (4) files and represent the last four league files opened.  You can bypass the Open/Save Dialog by clicking on one of these league files to immediately open it.  A warning will be issued if you have a League File open that has been changed.  Select Cancel to change your mind, select OK to discard changes and load the new League File.

If you select Exit and there is a currently open League File that has been changed, then you will be prompted for an OK or CANCEL.  Selecting OK will ignore all changes, selecting CANCEL will return you to the Main Menu.  If the currently open League File has not changed or you select OK, then the currently open League File is closed, deleted, the temporary workfile is renamed to the same name and VES is terminated.


League Menu

If a League File is open, then Add/Edit Team is enabled, otherwise both menu selections are disabled.   Select Team is disabled until at least one team is added to the League File.  All selections with an elipsis (...) following the name display a dialog form when selected.

Make a selection by clicking on it, by pressing the underlined letter in the selection, or by using the cursor arrow keys to point to a selection then pressing ENTER to select it.


Team Menu

These selections are enabled only whenever a team is selected from the currently open League File.  Add/Edit Roster is used to add players to the roster of the selected team or edit an existing player on the roster.  The Games selection will present another sub-menu of additional selections which are used to:

•	Add a new game to the currently open League File

•	Select an existing game from the currently open League File for editing of player statistics

•	Open or Create a Scorebook File

All selections with an elipsis (...) following the name display a dialog form when selected.  If there is no game information in the file for the selected team, then Select a Game will be disabled until some is entered.  If there are no players for the selected team, then Add/Edit Statistics will be disabled.

Make a selection by clicking on it, by pressing the underlined letter in the selection, or by using the cursor arrow keys to point to a selection then pressing ENTER to select it.


Reports Menu

All selections will be disabled unless a League File is open and it contains statistics.  If enabled, each selection will display sub-menus of additional selections.

Make a selection by clicking on it, by pressing the underlined letter in the selection, or by using the cursor arrow keys to point to a selection then pressing ENTER to select it.

Player Statistics will be enabled only if a team has been selected and there are individual player statistics for players on that team.  If there are individual player statistics in the currently open League File but no team selected, then only Team Statistics and League Statistics will be enabled.  If there is only game information in the currently open League File but no player statistics, then only League Statistics will be enabled.


Options Menu

The selections on this menu are used to alter the operation of VES during the current session, save the preferences to the Private Profile File VES.INI, and restore the configurable preferences to the values when VES is distributed.

•	Reset to Defaults restores all options to the values they had when VES was distributed.

•	Set Preferences will display the Set Options dialog form.

•	Save Preferences writes the values of all options to the Private Profile File VES.INI

NOTE:  Save Preferences will be enabled for Registered Users Only.

Make a selection by clicking on it, by pressing the underlined letter in the selection, or by using the cursor arrow keys to point to a selection then pressing ENTER to select it.


Utilities Menu

Printer Setup displays the standard Windows printer setup dialog box.

Make a selection by clicking on it, by pressing the underlined letter in the selection, or by using the cursor arrow keys to point to a selection then pressing ENTER to select it.


Help Menu

Help with VES displays the Windows help file for VES.  About VES displays the about form.


Keyboard

A reminder on basic Windows choose and select methods from the keyboard:

•	To select a menu on the menu bar of the Main Menu of VES, press ALT or F10 to select the menu bar, press the LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW key to select the menu you want, press ENTER to open the selected menu.  Alternately, if a name in the menu bar has an underlined letter, you can press ALT to move to the menu bar, and then type the letter that's underlined to open the menu.

•	To choose an item from a selected menu, type the letter that is underlined in the item name or use the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys until you reach the item you want to select then press ENTER.

•	A triangle next to an item in a selected menu means that cascaded menus appear if selected.  Press ESC to close the cascading menus one at a time.

•	When in dialog forms, to choose a command button press TAB to move to the button you want and press the SPACEBAR or ENTER.  Alternately, if the button has an underlined letter in its name, you can choose the command button by pressing and holding down the ALT key while typing the underlined letter.

Recommendations unique to VES:

•	The mouse is highly recommended when in the Virtual Electronic Scorebook for there are some actions that cannot be performed from the keyboard.

•	Pressing F1 invokes context-sensitive help from anywhere in VES.  Select a menu, menu item, command button, or area on the dialog form.  Press F1 for help specific to the selected object.


Toolbar Help
Toolbar

Clicking on this toolbar button has the same effect as selecting New League File from the File Menu.

Clicking on this toolbar button has the same effect as selecting Open/Create League File from the File Menu.

Clicking on this toolbar button has the same effect as selecting Save League File (As) from the File Menu.

Clicking on this toolbar button has the same effect as selecting Exit from the File Menu.

Clicking on this toolbar button has the effect of immediately going to the Add New Game dialog form.

Clicking on this toolbar button has the effect of immediately going to one of the Add/Edit Statistics dialog forms.  Which one is determined by the Default Input Type option.

Clicking on this toolbar button has the effect of immediately opening the Statistics Display.

Clicking on the down arrow will drop the listbox to show all the teams currently in the open League File.  Click on one of the team names to make it the selected team.  This accomplishes the same thing as Select Team on the League Menu.

Clicking on the down arrow will drop the listbox to show all the games currently in the open League File that have been played by the selected team.  Click on one of the game descriptions to make it the selected game. This accomplishes the same thing as Select a Game on the Team Menu.


VES
Virtual Electronic Scorebook

Game Information

The top of the scorebook is used to enter details of the game being played. The opponents are selected with the drop-down list boxes.  The date the game is being played is entered using the calendar to the right of the drop-down list boxes.

Scoring Area

The part of the Virtual Electronic Scorebook below the Game Information Area on the right is the Scoring Area.  This is where you will make entries during the actual scoring of a live game.

Inning Heading

The Inning Heading is used to display the current inning the scoring area contents represent.  If there is more than one inning entered into the scorebook, click on the Inning Heading to advance the display to the next inning.  Clicking on the Inning Heading when the last entered inning is being displayed will return the scoring area to display inning 1.  This will normally be used to view the scorebook contents.  Inning advances beyond the last entered inning are controlled by VES.

Batter #

The Scoring area can display or be used to enter information about the outcome of all plays.  The batter # will denote what position in the batting order or lineup the displayed information represents.  If a batter bats more than once in any inning, the additional times at bat will be designated by a letter appended to the end of the batter # display to identify them.  Whenever an inning is over, the last batter at the plate that inning is recorded so that whenever this batter's cell is viewed in the future, the scoring area will be outlined in red to denote the last batter.

Lineup Area

The part of the Virtual Electronic Scorebook below the Game Information Area on the left is the Lineup Area.  This is where you will make entries to set the starting lineup before game play, alter the lineup during game play, and select batters and runners during game play.

Command Buttons

Close Scorebook

Selecting this button will close the currently open scorebook file and return you to the Main Menu.  If the file has been changed, you will be notified and given a chance to change your mind.  Closing without saving is a way to discard any changes or mistakes made since the last time the scorebook file was saved.  If the file was changed and you elect to close anyway, the current scorebook file is closed and deleted and the temporary workfile is renamed to the same name as the scorebook file.

Save Scorebook

Selecting this button will copy the contents of the scorebook file to the temporary workfile.  This button will then be disabled until the next time an entry has been made to change the scorebook.  It will then be enabled.  A glance at this button will remind you if you have made any changes since the last time you saved.

NOTE:  Only registered users can save.

End Game

Selecting this button will initiate the end game sequence.  If the game is already completed, then selecting this button will enable you to compile the game statistics into the League File.

Lineup

Select this button to enter the starting lineups before game play.  VES requires that both teams have a roster of players in the currently open League File.  If one or both teams do not, a message will be displayed to that effect and you will not be allowed to continue.

If rosters are present, opponent selection list boxes are disabled.  The Lineup command button is disabled.  The previously entered roster for each team is retrieved from the League File ready to be used to create your batting order.  The Lineup Area headings are enabled and option buttons appear beside each opponent name.  These are used to enter the lineup for the game.

Play Ball/Board

Select this button whenever it's caption says "Play Ball" to begin scoring the game.  Select this button whenever it's caption says "Board" to display the VES Scoreboard.


Support

If you have any problems with VES, please leave me mail on CompuServe. My address is 73737,104 and I will respond as soon as I can with an acknowledgment if not an answer or solution to your problem.  Obviously, registered users will receive priority over non-registered users however I will attempt to address all problems.  If minor corrections need to be made, registered users will have the corrections made available to them.  Non-registered users will have to wait for the next public release.


Registration

User's who register VES will:

1 	Obtain minor upgrades free of charge and major upgrades for a greatly discounted price.  Minor upgrades are versions such as 1.x where major upgrades modify the digit to the left of the decimal point.

2 	Receive a registration number from me to be used to turn the shareware version of VES into a registered version immediately.  Select Register on the About form.

3 	A printed User's Manual/Reference Guide.

4 	Receive priority for problem investigation, resolution, and fix implementation.

You can register VES by sending a check or money order made payable to me for $49 to:

Joe Cocovich
6023 Santa Ysabel Way
San Jose, CA.  95123

3.5" HD(1.44 MB) disk will be sent unless a 5.25" disk is requested.

Please enclose the following information:

            Name: _________________________________

         Address: ________________________________

City, State, Zip: ________________________________

Electronic Mail address: ________________________________

OR

Log on to CompuServe and GO SWREG.  VES is Reg. #1880.


Verification
Logical Verification of Statistics

When you select the Verify button on one of the Game Statistics dialog forms, the program will apply the following rules to the various statistics entered:

Batting

•	INN must be less than or equal to the total number of innings entered in the Game Info.

•	PA must be greater than or equal to the sum of the entries for 1B, 2B, 3B, HR, BB, SAC, OBE, FC, SO.

•	R must be less than or equal to the sum of the entries for 1B, 2B, 3B, HR, BB, OBE, FC.

•	RBI must be greater than or equal to the sum of the entries for HR, SAC.

•	SAC must be less than or equal to entry for RBI minus entry for HR.

•	Sum of all R entries must equal to the final score for this team entered in the Game Info.

•	Sum of all RBI entries must be less than or equal to the final score for this team entered in the Game Info.

Fielding

•	INN must be less than or equal to the total number of innings entered in the Game Info.

Pitching

•	INN must be less than or equal to the total number of innings entered in the Game Info.

•	Total OUTs earned must be at least 3 times (INN-1) but no more than 3 times INN.

If any of the above tests fail for any player in the roster list, the program will terminate the verify at the player that failed and the appropriate name will be highlighted in the roster list with the associated statistics displayed for editing.  If all tests pass, the player at the top of the list will be highlighted.


1B

Enter the total number of singles hit by this player in this game.


2B

Enter the total number of doubles hit by this player in this game.


3B

Enter the total number of triples hit by this player in this game.


AB

Official At Bats = PA - BB - SAC


ASS

Enter the total number of Assists made by this player in this game.


AVG

Batting Average = H / AB


BB

Enter the total number of Bases on Balls awarded to this player in this game.


BF

Enter the total number of batters this pitcher faced in this game.


E

Enter the total number of fielding errors committed by this player in this game.


ER

Enter the total number of Runs earned by the opposing team while this player was pitching in this game.  Earned Runs are usually runs scored by a runner who reached base safely by earning it and not being awarded it as a result of a fielder's error.  Also, all runs scored as a result of a fielder's error are not usually Earned Runs.


ERA

Earned Run Average = (ER*ERA Game Length) / IP


FC

Enter the total number of times this player reached base because of the election of the defensive fielder to attempt to put another runner out instead.


H

Total Hits = 1B + 2B + 3B + HR


HA

Enter the total number of Hits the opposing team made while this player was pitching in this game.


HR

Enter the total number of Home Runs hit by this player in this game.


INN

This entry field is the total number of innings you wish to be identified as being played by this player.  If this player did not play this game then leave it zero and select the next player.  If ENTER is pressed while this field is zero (0) the program will insert the total number of innings that was entered in the Game Info form automatically for you.


IP

Innings Pitched = OUT / 3


IPP

If this player did not pitch in this game then leave it zero and select the next player.  If ENTER is pressed while this field is zero (0) the program will insert the total number of innings that was entered in the Game Info form here and that number times 3 in the OUT entry field automatically for you.


K

Enter the total number of batters that struck out swinging, called, or otherwise while this player was pitching in this game.


L

Enter a 1 here if this pitcher was charged with the loss for this game.  This entry field is limited by the program to a 0 or a 1.  If an illegal entry is made, the program will tell you and ignore the entry.


OBE

Enter the total number of times this player reached base because of a defensive error in this game.


OBP

On Base Percentage = (H + BB + OBE + FC) / PA


OUT

This entry field is actually the total number of outs you wish to be identified as being earned by this pitcher.  This number will be converted to thirds of an inning for internal statistics calculations and external reporting.


PA

Enter the total number of times this player stood at the plate and accepted pitches in this game regardless of the outcome.  The program will calculate the number of official times at bat from this number and other statistics.


PCT

Fielding Percentage = (PO + ASS) / (PO + ASS + E)


PO

Enter the total number of PutOuts made by this player in this game.


POS

The POS field, if zero (0) when an entry to the INN field is made, will be assigned the defensive position from this player's default assignment which is shown in the Roster List.  When the cursor is placed in this entry box, a row of defensive position assignments will appear on the form.  Select from one of these codes to assign that position to this player in this game.  You can also type the number of the position in directly then press ENTER.


R

Enter the total number of times this player scored a run in this game.


RA

Enter the total number of Runs, earned or otherwise, that the opposing team scored while this player was pitching in this game.


RBI

Enter the total number of official Runs Batted In awarded to this player in this game.


SA

Slugging Average = (1B + 2*2B + 3*3B + 4*HR) / AB


SAC

Enter the total number of Sacrifice Flys hit by this player in this game.


SO

Enter the total number of times this player was embarrased in this game by striking out in softball.


Verification

<Verification>


W

Enter a 1 here if this pitcher was awarded the win for this game.  This entry field is limited by the program to a 0 or a 1.  If an illegal entry is made, the program will tell you and ignore the entry.


W/L PCT

Winning Percentage = W / (W + L)


WA

Enter the total number of batters awarded a Base on Balls while this player was pitching in this game.