BRIS Multi File & Scratches

[lsosa54]

I know there's a scratch manager program that works on the BRIS single file but has anyone ever figured out how to scratch out horses in the multi file so the file can be saved with just the actual horses running?

Thanks

Lou

[DeltaLover]

Originally Posted by lsosa54

I know there's a scratch manager program that works on the BRIS single file but has anyone ever figured out how to scratch out horses in the multi file so the file can be saved with just the actual horses running?

Thanks

Lou

I do not like the idea of touch BRIS file at all.

Instead you should work a mechanism to keep scratches separately and apply them when you are loading the data. In my case I have a component listening to the feed which updates any change (scratches, jockeys or whatever else can be found there) automatically.

[DJofSD]

Originally Posted by lsosa54

I know there's a scratch manager program that works on the BRIS single file but has anyone ever figured out how to scratch out horses in the multi file so the file can be saved with just the actual horses running?

Thanks

Lou

What is the application that works against a BRIS single file to scratch a horse?

[headhawg]

Lou might be talking about ScratchManager, DJ.

[DJofSD]

Thanks. I'm not familiar with that app.

[lsosa54]

That's the one HH. Easy Google search to find. I think JustCoolGene on the board developed it.

Delta: I don't disagree. However, I get some good value using Pandy's software which uses the multi file and has no scratch utility.

On most screens, I can get what I need and ignore scratches. However, what I find to be the most valuable is unfortunately print only using the old Foxpro and it prints out the "top 3" for a few columns. You can imagine what scratches or MTO's does to that printout and I may be losing out on a real value play.

I can convert the multi file to single using Nathan's utility. I can then scratch that file I would think using scratch manager. Problem is I know nothing that will then convert that scratch managed single file back to multi.

Tried manually opening up the multi file with Excel (csv) and scratching but it left the file non workable then in Pandy's software.

[DJofSD]

I believe for the single file format field #5 is used for scratches. For multiple file format, it is the 2nd of 4 files, same field. It used to be a long time ago that if a horse was an early scratch and was still in the file as downloaded, you'd see that field with an 'S' to indicate it was scratched. But, now, BRIS scrubs those files and you never see any horses which are known scratches let alone be able to find that letter 's'.

I don't know how other developers have written their apps and whether or not they're using a back end data base. If there is a database in the background, there is the potential you could change it outside the application, but, that is a very big if. Without going into the details of integrity issues, you can not just delete a row out of a table and expect the database to be useable. Again, leaving out a lot of details, if you can find the correct tool, you can try removing a scratched horse then see if the app still functions.

On the other hand, if the app is like I couple I have developed for myself, you are just reading the BRIS files and populating arrays, etc. If there not any way to mark a horse as scratched then you can try the following. Edit the file and locate the scratch horse in the file with the extension .DR2 then find field number 5 and put a capital "S" in it then save the file. Next, try the app and see what happens. If the app knows to not process the tokens because of the "S" then you're golden. But, if it does not, then the next thing to try is deleting all 1,700 plus the tokens for that horse altogether, but then, that is just a quick and dirty fix. It's dirty because there'll be inconsistencies elsewhere, and, again, depending upon how well or how poorly the app is written, you may find other problems creep up.

Consider all of the above as an experiment. Good luck.

[thoroughbred]

This scratches and recalculates odds.

http://www.revelationprofits.com/Scratch.asp

[BIG49010]

In the Multifile it is in DR2 file field number 39 that has the data in, it also has M or A in that field for Main track only and Also elgible. If you are using a spreadsheet or Database you can add an S to that field then filter them out. I've been doing it that way for years, then I use a change to query to revise the post positions, etc..

Nice to know others still use the Multi.

[Capper Al]

The BRIS DRF and Multicaps have basically the same layout. A scratch program that works on the DRF should work on Multicaps also.

[mabred]

http://scratchmanager.com/

FWIW .This program is what i use on bris files either multicaps or the drf files.

It has worked flawlessly and i'm not good with computers at all.

If you are a stay at home handicapper like me it is a must!!! After the

scratches are up at equibase I can download them and in a flash they are

eliminated from the new file.Also jockey changes and surface changes are

included.Oh I have no affiliation with this product except it works for me I just

got lucky finding it after reading this thread..Thanks for starting it Lou.

MaBred

[pandy]

Scratch manager probably doesn't work for the multi files.

[michiken]

The scratch indicator is part of the 'Entry' list which is located Field 5 in the bris .drf2 file.

This will probably only have horses scratched out early and will not include last minute changes though.

Here is a link to the multi file format

5 Entry CHARACTER X
A- part of A entry
B- part of B entry
C- part of C entry
F- part of FIELD
S- if scratched

[raybo]

Originally Posted by Capper Al

The BRIS DRF and Multicaps have basically the same layout. A scratch program that works on the DRF should work on Multicaps also.

You're talking about single file format files here (.drf and .mcp). The OP is talking about a multi-file format. The .drf and .mcp files are both single file format, with the same 1435 field formatting. The multi file involves more than one file, each having no more than 255 fields in their format. So any available scratch manager that works on the single file will not work on the multi file. Apples and oranges.