Homegrown Sofeware

[loopeepop]

I am looking for someone to develop a simple program to track trainers and traner patterns. I would like to be able to update it by downloading the data. Is this possible?

[bigmack]

If you'd like it written on MS products using the browser Vista - Check with a member here by the name of: Tom

He can help you out.

[Dick Schmidt]

bigmack, you should be ashamed of yourself. Funny but very cruel. Most of the really good jokes are.

Loop,

You can save yourself a lot of trouble if you download your data from HDW. They already include extensive trainer and jockey data. Since many trainers have stables at multiple tracks, it is easy to miss some stuff. Let someone with the largest racing database around do it for you.

Dick

P.S. don't contact Tom about anything to do with Microsoft products!

If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

[loopeepop]

I am looking for someone who can build a program that I can expand without the high cost. I use turfday, it is excellent. But I want to traks long shot trainers over a period of time. I don't want to continue paying for these high pric servicess each month, I could use this money to bet. I am serious. I am willing to pay a good software developer to develop a program on trainers.

[Billythekid]

try this
beatthepublic.com

I know Joe Zambuto use to do exactly what you are looking for.

[wes]

Try Equisim 5.0 it may already track what you are wanting from the software.
It will use Bris or TSN 50 cents files.

wes

[traynor]

Originally Posted by loopeepop

I am looking for someone who can build a program that I can expand without the high cost. I use turfday, it is excellent. But I want to traks long shot trainers over a period of time. I don't want to continue paying for these high pric servicess each month, I could use this money to bet. I am serious. I am willing to pay a good software developer to develop a program on trainers.

If you know what you want, write it down, and take it to the computer science or computer information systems department of your local college or university. There are any number of undergraduate and graduate students who are skilled designers and programmers, and would jump at the opportunity to make a few dollars on the side.

Most colleges and universities are enthusiastic about finding contract work for their CSc or CIS majors, and will do everything they can to help you. Prices are cheap, by programmer standards. If you know what you want, the programmer doesn't need to be a handicapper, or even know which end of the horse is supposed to cross the finish line first. You have a data manipulation project, not a handicapping project.

You might even consider having it programmed in Excel or Access, if you are only tracking trainers.
Good Luck

[Suff]

Folks please remember that the DRF board recently closed and the misfits need a new playground.


I play horses on the East Coast. Upper east coast. From a mile away.

[K9Pup]

Originally Posted by loopeepop

I am looking for someone to develop a simple program to track trainers and traner patterns. I would like to be able to update it by downloading the data. Is this possible?

Of course it is POSSIBLE. But the problem you will have is finding someone to do it for the amount of money you are willing to pay. Getting a "custom" application written for ONE user can be expensive. Even "simple" programs take a lot of time. And then you will want it to be "easily modified" so you can make future changes yourself.

[BIG49010]

I would check your local shoppers guide, or newspaper for someone who works with whatever software you choose. I had a guy setup my first program in Paradox 20 years ago, and then I learned from his programing and now I have everything but the kitchen sink programed. The only problem I have, "Paradox for dos" is over 20 years old, but it continues to work in well in Windows. Plan to spend a great deal of time to get started.

[traynor]

Originally Posted by K9Pup

Of course it is POSSIBLE. But the problem you will have is finding someone to do it for the amount of money you are willing to pay. Getting a "custom" application written for ONE user can be expensive. Even "simple" programs take a lot of time. And then you will want it to be "easily modified" so you can make future changes yourself.

I disagree. Most Visual Basic developers could crank out the basic functionality in a day. If not, they shouldn't call themselves developers. Most business or CIS students are required to learn VB or C++ for their majors, and anyone who thinks such an application is "complex" or "difficult" is probably writing in BASIC or Java.

If you are not overly enthralled with an attractive "Windows-like" interface, put a request on any of the Python or PHP developer forums. ("rentacoder" is one such). The type of application you describe, including database connectivity and parsing data files, is considered trivial in most modern languages. Meaning "really cheap and easy to code."
Good Luck

[K9Pup]

Originally Posted by traynor

I disagree. Most Visual Basic developers could crank out the basic functionality in a day. If not, they shouldn't call themselves developers.
Good Luck

No way.

I am assuming that import routines would have to be written to get the data from some foreign source. That alone usually takes some time.

But let's say it COULD be done in one day. What is a good programmer's time worth? $75? $100/hour??? Even if a $100/hr programmer could do it in 4 hours that would still be $400. Do you think that he is willing to spend that amount on it?

Hell would YOU do it for $400?????

[BIG49010]

I agree, it takes in real time hundreds of hour if he want trainer stats, in 60 or 70 catagories. That would get you to a point where the results, are in a file by trainer. The next challege is to get them out of that file, and into todays race card where they apply, add a couple of hundred more hours.

I was quoted $5,000 twenty years ago to do what I wanted done, I did it myself, but it took 4-5 years to get it perfect. I still make changes and improvements all the time, so if you have someone do the programing make sure you have the code.

The great thing about it is, once it's done, you can handicap a race in 4-5 minutes.

[traynor]

Originally Posted by K9Pup

No way.

I am assuming that import routines would have to be written to get the data from some foreign source. That alone usually takes some time.

But let's say it COULD be done in one day. What is a good programmer's time worth? $75? $100/hour??? Even if a $100/hr programmer could do it in 4 hours that would still be $400. Do you think that he is willing to spend that amount on it?

Hell would YOU do it for $400?????

Data files are in a long line. You get specs that define what each segment of that line contains. You set up a file stream (like connecting a hose). As the data is read, it is parsed; items 97, 234, and 468 are components of whatever. If you have the format used by the vendor, writing the code to parse and store the data in secondary files is trivial. So is coding access and manipulation of the data.

The days of programmers getting paid $100 an hour were before Bangalore. You can hire skilled programmers through Kelly Services, Manpower, and similar contractors for salaries ranging from $20 to $35 (plus padding), depending on the complexity of the project.

CIS or CSc students do buckets of work for $15 an hour, $20 if they are graduate students.

Poke around on some of the forums and bulletin boards for programmers. Again, the whole issue revolves around whether or not you know what you want. If you do, it is as easy to find competent programmers who can handle the coding fairly easily.

What you need are RAD programmers (for Rapid Application Development). Python and PHP programmers are usually the fastest (and cheapest), but there are a LOT of VB programmers looking for pick-up jobs.
Good Luck

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by Suff

Folks please remember that the DRF board recently closed and the misfits need a new playground.


I play horses on the East Coast. Upper east coast. From a mile away.

Nahhh...not this one....different animal altogether, but similar motive.