JCapper Message Board

          JCapper 101
                      -- Revised HDW chart file - LSX 05-14-2016

"I posted a corrected chart for LS, May 14. The trifecta price in race 3 was originally $11,000 and has been corrected to $110."

1. Make a backup of your c:\JCapper\Exe\JCapper2.mdb file:
   Use Windows Explorer to navigate your c:\JCapper\Exe folder, find the file named JCapper2.mdb. right-click the file and select COPY. (This copies the file to your Windows Clipboard.)
   
   Use Windows Explorer to navigate to a folder where you keep backup copies of your work. Right click inside the folder white-space and select PASTE. (This will copy the contents of the Windows Clipboard to the folder where you keep backup copies of your work.)
   
   --Note: Ideally the folder(s) where you keep backup copies of your work are NOT located on the same hard drive (drive c:\) that you are running JCapper from. Ideally your backup folder(s) are located on completely separate device(s) - such as a thumb drive(s), cd(s), external hard drive(s), the cloud, etc. -- or better yet -- multiple combinations of these.
   
   Think about it. Hard drives fail, laptops gets stolen, etc. The more places where backup copies of your work are stored the lower the likelihood a single point of failure results in you losing your work - and the higher the likelihood you'll always have an easy recovery path to restoring your work.
   
   
2. Create a Temp Data Folder:
   Use Windows Explorer to create a new TEMPORARY FOLDER one level beneath your current yearly JCapper data folder.
   
   --Note: The name that you use for the new Temp data folder isn't important.
   
   For what it's worth I named mine _TempCharts (screenshot: here.)
   
   The purpose for creating a new Temp data folder should become clear after reading step #11 and step #14 below. When the time comes (step #11 and step #14 below) you are going to copy the matching .JCP and .XRD files for the same race-date as the revised chart file to the new Temp data folder - and then run a Mode 4 Build Database routine on on the new Temp data folder.
   
   Because the only race-card on the new Temp data folder is the race-card for the revised chart file - when you run a Mode 4 build on the new Temp data folder in step #14 below - your starthistory table will be updated with data for the race-card of the revised chart file only (with existing data for all other race-cards left intact.)



3. Download the Revised Chart File:
   
   --IMPORTANT: Do NOT use the HDW File Mgr/Download Tool in JCapper for steps 3 through 9 (I'll explain below.)
   
   Instead, for steps 3 through 9, use a WEB BROWSER Chrome/Firefox/IE, etc. to navigate to the HDW site at: http://www.horsedata.com/
   
   --Note that I said Do NOT use the HDW File Mgr/Download Tool in JCapper for this step.
   
   For some reason, the Internet Explorer DLLs that I am using in the HDW File Mgr/Download Tool in JCapper are notoriously resistant when it comes to clearing the cache.
   
   Long story short, the Internet Explorer DLLs I am using in the HDW File Mgr/Download Tool in JCapper save a cached version of each file downloaded -- and even when HDW puts a new version of a file up on their site and makes it available for download: Unless you uninstall and then reinstall Internet Explorer (who wants to go through that?) and/or unless you bring up Internet Explorer itself and manually delete the entire cache (for every folder where any file has been downloaded and/or any folder where a web page has been saved) Internet Explorer will do its level best to prevent you from downloading the revised version of the chart file - and instead - do its level best to give you an exact (cached) duplicate of the older version chart file that you already downloaded. (Kind of defeats the whole purpose wouldn't you say?)
   
   The easiest best work around that I have found to date is to use a web browser to navigate the HDW site -- and from there right click the link to the revised chart file directly -- and "save link as" (per these instructions.)



4. Using a WEB BROWSER to navigate the HDW site - Click the Downloads link (beneath "Main Menu" on the left-hand side of the HDW web page.) (screenshot: here.)



5. Click the JCapper button (toward the bottom on the main/center area of the HDW web page.) (screenshot: here.)



6. Log into the HDW site using your HDW username and password.



7. Click the Comma Delimited Charts link (screenshot: here) to bring up a list of available dates.



8. Click the individual date charts link -- in this case Sat May 14 (screenshot: here) to bring up a list of available tracks for the selected date.



9. RIGHT CLICK the link for the individual track -- in this case Lone Star Park -- and select SAVE LINK AS (Chrome/Firefox) or SAVE TARGET AS (Internet Explorer) -- and from there SAVE the file (filename: LS0514F.ZIP) to your current active data folder (the same folder persisted/checked as active in the DFM and the same folder where you are currently saving files that you download from the HDW site.)
   
   --Hint: Answer Yes at the warning message telling you the file already exists that asks do you wish to overwrite it? (Yes. You absolutely DO want to overwrite the existing file!)
   
   --At this point you should have accomplished the following objective: Updated your current active data folder with the newer (revised) version of the file.
   
   Verify this visually in Windows Explorer before closing down your open browser window to the HDW site and moving on to the next step.
   
   --Hint: Use Windows Explorer to navigate your current active data folder. Find the file (filename: LS0514F.ZIP) and right-click it. Then select Properties. The Date Created property should match today's date (the date you are performing these steps.) The Date Created property should not match the date you originally downloaded the older (05-14-2016) version of the file.



10. Run an XRD File Build Routine for the Revised Chart File:
    Launch the HDW File Mgr and run an .XRD File Build Routine for the (revised) chart file on your current active data folder (screenshot: here.)
    
    --Note that in the above screenshot:
    
    
    
    • I have keyed a single track code (LSX) into the track codes textbox. This tells the interface to build result files for a single track code only. (LSX is the track code for the revised chart file.)
    
    
    
    • I have selected a single date (05-14-2016) from the calendar control as both my start date and end date. (This is the date of the revised chart file.)
    
    
    
    • I have the interface pointed at my c:\2016\Q2_2016 folder. (This is my current active data folder as persisted in the DFM.)
    
    
    
    • I have selected HDW Chart Results File (*F.*) from the file type drop down. (This tells the interface that I want to run an .XRD file build routine.)
    
    



11. Copy .JCP and .XRD files for the race-date of the revised chart file to the Temp Folder:
    Using Windows Explorer, navigate to your current active data folder, find both the .JCP file for Lone Star Park May 14, 2016 (filename: LSX0514.JCP) and the (new/just rebuilt) .XRD file for Lone Star Park May 14, 2016 (filename: LSX0514.XRD) -- then CONTROL-CLICK both files to highlight them -- and from there, with both files highlighted, RIGHT-CLICK one of the highlighted files and select COPY. (This copies the highlighted group to the Windows Clipboard.)
    
    Using Windows Explorer, navigate to your new TEMPORARY data folder created in step 2 above. Right click inside of the folder white-space and select PASTE to copy both the .JCP file and .XRD file for Lone Star Park May 14, 2016 (filenames: LSX0514.JCP and LSX0514.XRD) to your new TEMPORARY folder.
    
    Use Windows Explorer to navigate your new TEMPORARY data folder and visually verify that both files were in fact copied to your new Temp folder before moving on to the next step.



12. Delete existing records from your starterhistory table:
    Launch the JCapper Data Window in sql mode and key or paste the following sql expression into the SQL Expression Tool:
    

    DELETE * FROM STARTERHISTORY
    WHERE TRACK='LSX'
    AND [DATE] = #05-14-2016#

    
    --Note that in the above sql expression I am using the track code and the date text specific to the revised chart file (Lone Star Park May 14, 2016.) If you are following these instructions for some other revised chart file adjust the track code and date text accordingly.
    
    Verify your sql expression then click the Execute button and answer YES at the "Records will be deleted - are you sure - Y/N?" prompt.



13. Compact and Repair JCapper2.mdb file:
    After the Data Window has completed deleting records, X-out of the Data Window and re-launch it in sql mode. (Closing it and relaunching it clears it from ram memory and insures release of the c:\JCapper\Exe\JCapper2.ldb lock file.)
    
    With the Data Window running in sql mode, click MENU then select Compact and Repair JCapper2.mdb file. Use the dialog box that appears to select the c:\JCapper\Exe\JCapper2.mdb file -- and from there click the Open button on the dialog box to run the Compact and Repair.
    
    After the Compact and Repair has completed: X-out of the Data Window and move on to the next step.



14. Run a Mode 4 Build Database routine on your new Temp Folder:
    
    
    
    • Launch the DFM (Data Folder Mgr) and persist your new Temp folder (created in step 2 above) as your current active data folder. Then x-out of the DFM.
    
    
    
    • On the face of the JCapper Main Module click the Build Database button to launch the Database Builder.
    
    
    
    • On the Database Builder interface, select Mode 4 as your build type, verify that the module is pointed at your new Temp data folder (created in step 2 above), verify that HDW JCapper Data file (*.jcp) is your selected file type -- take a moment to re-verify each of these -- and click the Build Database button to run a Mode 4 Database Build on the (new) Temp data folder created in step 2 above.
      
      --Note: Because you deleted LSX 05-14-2016 starters from your starterhistory table in step 12 above -- and because the only two files on the Temp data folder where the build is taking place are LSX0514.JCP and LSX0514.XRD -- the final result will be a starterhistory table that (now) contains (the correct) information found in the revised chart file (downloaded in steps 2-9 above.)
    
    
    
15. Reset your current active data folder:
    Launch the DFM (Data Folder Mgr) and reset your current active data folder back to the folder you were using before you began working through the steps in these instructions.
    
    Then x-out of the DFM.



16. Verify the Final Result:
    After the Mode 4 Build Database routine from the previous step has completed: Launch the Data Window in sql mode and verify that your starterhistory table contains starters for the race-date of the revised chart file.
    
    Set the Data Window to display individual starters - then paste the following sql expression into the SQL Expression Tool and click the Execute button:
    

    SELECT * FROM STARTERHISTORY
    WHERE TRACK='LSX'
    AND [DATE] = #05-14-2016#

    
    After verifying that your starterhistory table contains one (and only one) set of starters for the track code and race-date of the revised chart file: x-out of the Data Window.




17. Delete the Temp Data Folder:
    After using the Data Window to verify that everything checks out - use Windows Explorer to delete the Temp data folder created in step 2 above. (You no longer need it.)