[WriteLog] "It's broken"

[Dean Wood]

(Wayne, please see item 5.1 below.)

Ford,

Are you looking for practical answers to the issues you listed (aside 
from networking), or are you more concerned with a philosophical 
discussion about how Writelog should be?  I know you're frustrated, but 
I suspect that your repeated slams, particularly the "anti-Christ" 
remarks, probably do not give much indication to the Writelog team that 
you are interested in a productive and positive solution-based discourse 
about the Writelog problems you're encountering.

Here are some practical answers on some of your items:

1. Save message after every 20 QSOs
This can be easily modified.  In the writelog.ini file, go to the 
[Configuration] section, and under it, type the following two lines if 
they are not already there:
AutoSaveCount=x (where x=how many QSOs before Writelog autosaves the .wl 
file; it of course save the journal file after every QSO)
QsoWarningCount=y (where y=how many QSOs between the warning message; 0 
if you don't want the warning message at all)

For example, you can use AutoSaveCount=25 and QsoWarningCount=0. 
Specify these parameters once in writelog.ini, and they'll be valid for 
all contests after that.

2. Problems with the "C" entry field
Do you even need the "C" entry field?  I've never used it for any 
contest and got rid of it entirely to make the entry window cleaner and 
easier to navigate.  I specify a parameter in the writelog.ini file to 
eliminate the C and Country fields for every contest.  In the 
[Multipliers] section of the writelog.ini file, type the following:
ShowCountry=0


3. Save Configuration vs. File, Save
Save Configuration does not save your Function key definitions!  That 
info is stored in each .wl file (File, Save).   Things that Save 
Configuration stores are writelog.ini related.  You should not have to 
reposition the Writelog windows on every reboot if you have issued a 
Save Configuration!  The only thing that doesn't pop up right away is 
the Mult window, which you have to manually open (Contest, Show 
Multipliers).  Everything else appears in the same place as before the 
reboot.

4. "Local backup" file ?
Could you explain further what you mean?  Every machine on the network 
should save to a local .wl file on the respective machine's local hard 
drive, and not to a network location.  I've always done it this way with 
Writelog networks and haven't experienced any of the related problems 
that you encountered (function keys getting wiped out, Writelog 
shutdown, etc).  I recommend you do this instead of everyone accessing, 
saving, and browsing shared Writelog files on the network.


5.0 Change Operators command
In fact, this does work great in a Multi-op for changing between 
operator WAV files (we did this in Field Day and it worked well).
The process:
a) Create a Wavefiles subdirectory under Writelog.
b) Under that directory, create operator subdirectories by callsign.
c) After you and the other ops record WAV files, place each set in their 
respective callsign subdirectories.  Of course, use the same file naming 
convention for everyone's files (eg: cq.wav, exch.wav, tu.wav)
d) Place a dummy .wav file in Wavefiles directory.
e) Copy the Wavefiles directory and subdirectories to all the other 
computers that will be used in the contest.
f) In Setup, Ports, Wave File Locate, select the dummy .wav file (NOT a 
file inside an operator's subdirectory)
g) Setup, CW/RTTY/SSB Messages, specifying the function keys you want 
for the various .wav files you've recorded.
h) File, Save; Setup, Save Configuration
i) Entry, Change Operators.  All the ops should show up here and the 
.wav files should correspondingly switch whenever you switch ops.

5.1. Problem noted with Wave File Locate for Multi ops
I do however see what Ford means with the wave file locate problem when 
exiting and restarting Writelog in 10.59.  Example: Do everything in 
5.0, exit Writelog.  Restart Writelog, open recent file saved in step 
5.0.  Unfortunately I can't just press F1 or F2.  If I go to Entry, 
Change Operators, it doesn't list all the ops (subdirectories) that were 
there in step 5.0.  So, I need to go to Setup, Ports, Wave File Locate, 
and select the dummy .wav file.  Then if I go to Entry, Change 
Operators, I can select the desired op, and then press F1, F2, etc until 
I have to reboot or restart again.  Repeat.  The Save Configuration 
feature works fine in saving the WaveFileLocation= path in the 
writelog.ini file, and writelog.ini knows the correct last op by 
CurrentOperator=.  I think the temporary solution is to copy one of the 
op's set of .wav files in this directory before the contest for this 
exact case.  This would buy time for the current op to continue using 
voice keying with someone's voice until he's able to perform the two 
steps mentioned here.  But a good Multi-op feature would be if Writelog 
could identify the subdirectories of WaveFileLocation= right away on 
opening a .wl, compare with CurrentOperator=, automatically use those 
.wav files if a subdirectory matches with CurrentOperator=, and 
automatically populate the Entry, Change Operators options.


Ford, you may want to try to confirm you can accomplish items #1-3 & 5 
just with a single machine (.wl file located on the machine's local hard 
drive, no shared file on the network, no Writelog network).  I installed 
a full, fresh copy of 10.59 for the 7QP contest earlier this year. 
Items 1-3 above worked fine.  We didn't have a network, and didn't use 
voice keying.

Hope this was helpful.

73...
-Dean - N6DE