Problem with Infotran

[jeebus1083]

I'm using my girlfriend's computer, which is a x64 Vista. I have tried to install Infotran onto the computer here, but I get foiled by the following message:

"The version of this file is not compatible with the version of Windows you're running. Check your computer's system information to see whether you need an x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) version of the program, and then contact the software publisher."

How can I bypass this and get Infotran to work on this computer? :bang:

[raybo]

I'm using my girlfriend's computer, which is a x64 Vista. I have tried to install Infotran onto the computer here, but I get foiled by the following message:

"The version of this file is not compatible with the version of Windows you're running. Check your computer's system information to see whether you need an x86 (32-bit) or x64 (64-bit) version of the program, and then contact the software publisher."

How can I bypass this and get Infotran to work on this computer? :bang:

Tim,

Sounds like the computer isn't compatible with DOS. Maybe someone knows a fix.

[jeebus1083]

It's weird because I have Vista too on my laptop and it works like a charm. I'm just confused why it would work on my Vista and not hers.

[dutchboy]

My guess is that your laptop that will run the program is 32 bit. Not all programs that run on a 32 bit systems will run on 64 bit systems. You might want to check this first. If your laptop is 32 bit then you may want to go to Infotran and see if they have a 64 bit version available for your friends laptop. I know that when I download programs there are 32 bit or 64 bit versions available. I don't think Vista is causing the problem.

It's weird because I have Vista too on my laptop and it works like a charm. I'm just confused why it would work on my Vista and not hers.

[raybo]

Yeah, seems like I heard from someone else that the problem is 64 bit. Infotran won't run on a 64 bit machine. Don't know if there's a work-around or not. You might Google it and see what you find.

As you know Infotran has no support anymore. What you see is what you get.

[robert99]

It may also be missing emulation layers in one Vista version.

Most 32-bit software will still function because of a Microsoft emulation layer. This emulation layer, known as Windows on Windows 64 or WoW64, enables 32-bit programs to run as though on a 32-bit version of Windows by translating instructions passing in and out of 32-bit applications into 64-bit instructions. Emulated programs act as though they are running on an x86 computer and operate within the 2 GB of virtual memory that a 32-bit version of Windows allocates to every process.

[Tom]

I have a program called Track Tout On Line TSN File Reader. It does what Infotran does, but only the fields specified in the program. It does work with BRIS, however. Neat program, but not supported anymroe either, from what I can find.

Seems that it would be an easy program for someone to write it they knew how. Could be even beter than IT.

[jeebus1083]

Is there an alternative product like Infotran out on the market that I could buy or download that will do the same thing as Infotran?

[garyoz]

My guess is that your laptop that will run the program is 32 bit. Not all programs that run on a 32 bit systems will run on 64 bit systems. .

Could also be 16 bit if it was made to be compatible with Windows 98 and never upgraded. Believe that is an issue with some legacy handicapping software. I believe that there is a work-around by running 64-bit Vista in a Virtual Machine mode--but I'm very far from an expert. Binging (an alternative to the Googling verb) the question will bring up a bunch of discussion boards.

[headhawg]

What about CSVed?

Website (http://csved.sjfrancke.nl/index.html)

[BIG49010]

What about CSVed?

Website (http://csved.sjfrancke.nl/index.html)

Nice program, works great with excel

[raybo]

Nice program, works great with excel

I downloaded it and read the help file but saw no information for splitting the CSV records into more than 1 row when opening the data file in Excel. Am I missing something?

If you can't do that then you can only get 256 fields from each CSV record.

That defeats the whole purpose, as far as I am concerned.

With Infotran you can split the CSV records into as many Excel rows as you want, which allows you to get all 1435 fields for each CSV record.

[headhawg]

I'm not sure what you want to do exactly. Excel 2007 lets you import the data directly so that you have one row of data per horse (1435 columns). I just did an Import of a Bris file into CSVed and it showed me all 1435 columns as well, not 256. No splitting of horse data into multiple rows. It sure looks like once the data is imported into CSVed you could split it into multiple delimited files if you have Excel 2003 or earlier (under the Modify 2 tab).

[raybo]

I'm not sure what you want to do exactly. Excel 2007 lets you import the data directly so that you have one row of data per horse (1435 columns). I just did an Import of a Bris file into CSVed and it showed me all 1435 columns as well, not 256. No splitting of horse data into multiple rows. It sure looks like once the data is imported into CSVed you could split it into multiple delimited files if you have Excel 2003 or earlier (under the Modify 2 tab).

Yeah, it appears that you can split each record under "Modify 2" and "Split CSV". But it creates another file, so if you split each record 15 times, like I do, then you end up with 15 files, instead of 1, like Infotran allows you to do, then you would have to append the files to get them all into 1 file for import into Excel.

Yes, if you have Excel 2007, which I do, you can open a Bris file directly and have 1435 columns, but it's a bear trying to create a worksheet which creates a DRF type PP. You can't simply write formulas to reference each column for the 1st horse and then just copy the 1st horses formulas down the sheet to create the PPs for say up to 20 horses in a race, like the Kentucky Derby.

With Infotran you can do this and you only have to write your formulas once, instead of 20 times for up to 20 horses.

[DeadHeat]

You can use Dosbox with Vista 32 and 64 bit that should solve your problem.

http://www.dosbox.com/

[Tom]

That is what I like about Infotran - I want to put each PP line on one line.
All on one line is worthless to me.

[BIG49010]

What about CSVed?

Website (http://csved.sjfrancke.nl/index.html)


I was trying to figure out a way to cut and paste my figures in the place of the bris figures, is there anyway to do that with this program?

Thanks

[raybo]

I was trying to figure out a way to cut and paste my figures in the place of the bris figures, is there anyway to do that with this program?

Thanks

Do you calculate your figs from the Bris data or do you do that in some other program or application other than Excel? If you are using Excel for both, could you not use a macro to do the copy/paste operation? If you're already using Excel, a macro would probably take about a second (or less) to do the operation.

[BIG49010]

I like the bris custom PP generator, and would like to replace the trip notes, speed figs, and the trainer stats with my own person data that I make with my data base.


When I have tried to take an Excel file and save in as a "CSV" it will reject the file.

My thinking is if you could cut and past in that CSV program, you could make it work possibly.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[BIG49010]

Check this program out, it will load a single bris drf file. Just started working with it, and I think it has the patential to do just about anything.



http://killink-csv.software.informer.com/

[raybo]

Check this program out, it will load a single bris drf file. Just started working with it, and I think it has the patential to do just about anything.



http://killink-csv.software.informer.com/

Once again, I see no way of splitting a record into more than 1 Excel row. This is required for any version of Excel other than Excel2007. The 256 column limitation on the older Excel versions would prevent the use of this program.

[BIG49010]

I guess I don't know what you are trying to do.

I opened a single bris file, and you can cut and paste just about anything into excel. I thought it was seamless and worked quite well for $27 dollars.

[raybo]

I guess I don't know what you are trying to do.

I opened a single bris file, and you can cut and paste just about anything into excel. I thought it was seamless and worked quite well for $27 dollars.

Ok, let's see if I can explain what I see as a problem with any program like this that doesn't allow the user to "permanently" rearrange all the horses' data record so that the user doesn't have to spend all day copying and pasting data into Excel or within Excel.

The program I use, and the original subject of this thread, is Infotran. Whether or not it is a DOS based program means nothing to me, yet, because my computer runs it with no problems.

With Infotran there are 3 things necessary to use the program: 1. a "control file" which the user must write in any text editor)it's not hard to write a control file). 2. a comma delimited data file, like Bris' DRF, or Multicaps, or TSN's PP, or Procaps (however the program can be used with any comma delimited file as long as the user knows the format of the fields in the file. 3. a "target file" which is simply a spreadsheet that can be reused over and over (I suppose you could use a different spreadsheet every time if he wished) but using the same file every time simplifies things.

The "control file" is the key to Infotran's use. With it the user is able to put any of the CSV fields in any cell location in the spreadsheet. The user can also, by using a field number of -111, (or any negative 3 digit number), divide a record (row in Excel) into several Excel rows (which allows him to place all 1435 Bris fields into Excel versions before Excel 2007 (which have column restrictions of 256 columns per row). Also the ability to divide a record into several Excel rows allows the user to group data by category on separate Excel rows which means each past paceline can be put on a separate row (much better than all on the same row). If the user is pretty sharp he can design the "control file" so that he can write cell referencing formulas for only 1 horse and then simply copy that 1st horse's cell references down the page for every other horse (I have done this 20 times to accomodate up to 20 horses in a race), without making any changes to any of those formulas.

Here's the kicker! Once the user has designed and written the "control file" he never has to write another one (unless he wants to change something in the original file), he simply uses the same "control file" every time he gets a new racecard to handicap. The "target file" can remain the same, also. The only thing that changes is the name of the comma-delimited data file that he will be handicapping.

So, the user downloads a comma-delimited data file from Bris or TSN or wherever (or uses one he already has in his computer). Then he unzips it and places it in his "Infotran" folder. Then he opens the executable file within the Infotran folder, types the name of the "control file" (it's always the same file name), types the name of the CSV data file he wants to handicap, types the name of the "target file" (it's always the same name), then types single alpha or numerical answers to 4 questions asked by the program and, bingo, the csv file is in the "target file" just as the user designed it to be. Then the user can simply record a macro that goes and gets the "target file", does some formatting like the date format and opens it in Excel. He can then record macros that get each race's data individually and separates it from the rest of the racecard data. Now the referencing formulas that he has already written contain all the data for each horse in that particular race. He can do whatever crunching of numbers he wishes by using formulas (or macros), which are valid no matter which race he is working on.

The whole process takes the time it takes to download the CSV data file and put it in the Infotran folder, then about a minute to run the execuable program within Infotran, and about 1 to 2 seconds for everything else (depending on the speed of the computer.

That's it.

[raybo]

If the program you found allows the user to do all the copying and pasting one time only, and accomplish what he can with Infotran, and never have to do any of the copying and pasting again, then "I'll throw in with you" and switch, so I don't have to type anymore with Infotran.

It's really no problem for this "non typing" person, however.