Editing a Class Table
To allow more intricate handicapping methods, you can have QuickDog automatically alter a dog's scores due to the Class of race that a dog has participated in during past races. You can also have QuickDog compute a "Class Score" for each dog. In order for QuickDog to perform these calculations, you must define a "Class Table" or use QuickDog's "default table".
As with most other settings within QuickDog, your track profile will store the CLASS TABLE you select while handicapping a race. This means that you can create a different class table for each track profile you use but you may just simply use the same class table for every track profile. Since track profiles can exist for every track/performance/distance/grade there can be numerous track profiles. Of course if you decide that all races at the same track are handicapped exactly the same, then you will only have one track profile per track, and one CLASS TABLE possible per track. See the User's Guide section for TRACK PROFILES for more information on what these are.
If you select the Class Table feature, the display in Figure 1 will appear.
Figure 1 - Selecting a Class Table to Edit
Notice there is only one class table to select. This class table was created by our programmers and can be used with QuickDog for all tracks. It can also be edited, and then renamed something else so that it can be saved away. Later you can recall it as your Class Table and use it with your handicapping. This feature is used both to edit a class table and to set it as the one currently in use. Keep that in mind, and remember that after editing a class table it is automatically selected for use while handicapping. To change the one currently selected, simply select another.
Any time you select this feature, the currently assigned class table is shown in the line that begins - "EDIT/SELECT CLASS TABLE:" which is above the list. In Figure 1, the currently assigned Class Table is "CLASS.TBL". All class table files are in the \jaidogs folder on your computer. Once selected the currently selected class table is also shown on the Windows Title Bar. At any time, you can use this feature to change the currently selected class table. Press the Right Mouse Button to exit this display if you do not wish to edit or select a new class table.
Let's edit the CLASS.TBL file shown in the list. Click on that line of the menu. Figure 2 will be a notepad popup showing the contents of the CLASS.TBL file.
Figure 2 - Contents of the CLASS.TBL File
Before making any changes to this file, note that the directions at the top of this file say clearly NOT to alter this particular file. So, if you do make changes, then save the file using another name (we'll get to that later). That way you will always be able to get back to the original CLASS.TBL file if you don't like using the class table that you create. Now let's understand what is in the file.
First, if you begin a line with an asterisk (*), then that line is simply a comment line and is ignored by QuickDog. So you can describe what you are doing by using lines beginning with an asterisk as we did in the example above. Of course if you do not wish to include any comments then don't use asterisks.
Notice that beginning with the line which begins "AA,00,01...", there is no asterisk on this line. This is an actual entry in the Class Table. The first thing you type is the actual GRADE of a race. The remaining 8 values (there must be 8 values and 8 values only) are scores you wish to give to a dog based on its finish position in the race. Using these numbers for any race, QuickDog can assign a SCORE, a CLASS SCORE, for that race. Using the AA line in the above example, if a dog races 5th in a AA Grade race, then the class score for that race would be 5.
Similarly, if a dog runs in a A grade race, and finishes 8th, the class score for that dog, in that race, would be 15. If these two dogs were to meet today, one would have a class score of 5, and the other would have a class score of 15 in the last race. The lower the number, the better the class.
When building your class table, you should pick numbers so that lowest scores in a A grade are never worse than the lowest scores in a BB grade race. You may want to overlap scores, so that scores for later finishers in an A race are the same as the scores for the top finishers in a grade BB race. Putting in these scores is up to you, but make sure that lower scores are better, and not vice versa, because QuickDog will score lower numbers as better when ranking its CLASS SCORE.
Once you've finished changing the file, you can save the file. You should rename it, making sure that it ends with the letters ".TBL" ("dot TBL"). You can call it anything you wish, but only use up to 8 characters for the name portion before the .TBL. Make sure that it does end with the 4 characters ".TBL", otherwise QuickDog will not recognize it as a class table.
Be careful when saving notepad files as Windows will automatically place a ".TXT" after the name you give if you are not careful. Make sure Notepad saves your file correctly. See Figure 3 below.
Figure 3 - "SAVE AS TYPE"
When you save a file using Notepad, make sure the "Save as type:" field is set to "ALL Files", rather than "Text Documents". If you think you saved the file CLASSGG.TBL but you left the "Text Documents" setting, then the actual filename used by windows will be CLASSGG.TBL.TXT, and QuickDog will not access your class table properly. BE CAREFUL!
Once you have selected (or created) a Class Table, that table is active and its name is shown on the Windows Title Bar of QuickDog. You can always look on the Title Bar - see Figure 4.
Figure 4 - Note the Cursor pointing to the Class Table Selected
This class table selection is also stored in the Track Profile currently selected. Note the track profile GG3125C name is shown to the left of the name of the Class Table. The letters .TBL of the class table name are not shown to save space on the line. Neither is the .DAT portion of the Track Profile name shown. Note the Track Profile name also includes the Track Profile folder - "TP_Q-EX-BOX4". Within the Windows Title bar you can readily see the information regarding your handicapping settings which include the track profile folder/track profile name and Class Table selected.