     This File name:   README.TXT
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                            FOR YOUR INFORMATION


     As of the 1st of March 1999, the DOS versions of LOTTOCHECK V1, are
     Freeware: That is, Solid Software Pty Ltd, retains all copyright in
     the program and manual, but you are free to use it and distribute it
     to others at no cost to users, providing you don't remove this message
     from this file, nor remove this file from the distibution disk.

     The manual is included as a text (ASCII) file, named MANUAL.TXT.

     There are five versions of the DOS LottoCheck V1 program which are
     covered by this Freeware Agreement:

     1. Australia-Wide LOTTO 6-From-45
     2. New South Wales LOTTO 6-From-44
     3. Oz Lotto 6-From-45
     4. Australian POOLS 6-From-38
     5. French LOTO 6-From-49 (with French translation within screen text))

     These 5 DOS programs are freely available for download from our Web-
     site at: www.solidsoftware.com.au

     Download file names are:

     1. LOTTO45.ZIP
     2. LOTTO44.ZIP
     3. OZLOTTO.ZIP
     4. POOLS38.ZIP
     5. FRENCH49.ZIP

     If you download more than one of them, unzip them into
     DIFFERENT directories on your local drive, as they share
     some common filenames.

     Note: We still sell (for $33 plus shipping)a significantly improved
     Microsoft Windows version called "LottoCheck INFORM V2 for Windows",
     which runs under MS Windows V3.1, Windows 95, Windows 98 and Win NT,
     which is only available directly from:

                          Solid Software Pty Ltd,
                          P.O. Box 218,
                          Belgrave,
                          VIC, Australia, 3160.

     Or via our Web-site at:   www.solidsoftware.com.au

     Sincerely,
     Steve Goschnick,
     Program Author,
     01 March 1999.

     ----------------------------------------------------------------------

               Minor Updates and Enhancements to LOTTOCHECK 6-45.

                LOTTOCHECK 6 From 45 LOTTO UPGRADE Version 1.09.

         At Draw  No. 1000,  a little problem became apparent regarding the
     sorted order of the data in the draw database. The drawno is a 4 digit
     data field, however all previous draws where just 3 digits, ie. 413 to
     999. So  the forth  digit position  was occupied  by a BLANK character
     (ie. the  SPACE bar  inputs a  BLANK).  Unfortunately,  the  collating
     sequence used  to sort  data, in  the underlying database file system,
     gives BLANK  a higher  worth than  0, so when Drawno 1000 was added it
     went to  the bottom  of the  database instead of the top! ie. 1000 was
     treated as  less than  413'BLANK'. So all the draw numbers from 413 to
     999 have  had their  drawno's edited to 0413 to 0999, to make the sort
     order correct.  Draws with drawno's 1000 or more, now go to the end of
     the database where they belong.

         This causes  one minor  effect on the way the program works - that
     differs from  previous operation. In the database menu options DELETE,
     MODIFY and LOOK, when you are prompt for a Drawno to Delete, Modify or
     Look at  a draw,  you must enter a 4 digit number which includes the 0
     at the  start of  draws from 0413 to 0999 (The program now prompts you
     for 4  digits). If  you entered 455 say, it will respond with "Key Not
     Found". You  need to  enter 0455.  In other places where you can enter
     Drawno (eg.  In the  box on  the HISTOGRAM  option form,  to begin the
     histogram count  from a  draw other  than the  start of the database),
     either 455 or 0455 will work correctly.

                LOTTOCHECK 6 From 45 LOTTO UPGRADE Version 1.07.

         I have  made 2  small changes  in the  LOTTOCHECK  V1.07  program,
     compared with the earlier V1.06 :

        - Both  the PRIZES  and EVALUATE options may test SYSTEMS 6 thru 18
          (was 6 thru 15). This is now in line with the NSW6-44 version. An
          inconvenience has arisen from this addition: If you test a SYSTEM
          18, on the full database (from Draw 413, Saturday+Wednesday), you
          will find that more than 32,767 fifth division prizes are won  by
          some combinations  of 18  numbers -  so what  you say?  Well that
          magic number  is 32K  which is the limit for integer variables in
          the language TURBO PASCAL V3, in which this version of LOTTOCHECK
          is written.  ie. A  limit in  that version of the Language. After
          32767 the numbers become negatives, so if your SYSTEM18 won 32800
          prizes for  example, it  would appear  as -33  (ie. 32767-32800).
          Without going  into a Computer Science explanation, suffice it to
          say that  this problem  will disappear  under the next version of
          LOTTOCHECK which is currently being developed using the new Turbo
          C++ language  and should  become available  before XMAS'90.  This
          problem doesn't arise with SYSTEM 17's or less. When this problem
          became obvious  here, we  had two  options: 1).  Only allow up to
          System 17's  to be tested by the user. 2). Explain the situation,
          so that  the user  can still test up to System 18's if they wish,
          by converting  these negative  numbers manually  into  what  they
          really represent.





        - While  I was  changing the  LOTTOCHECK code  I removed an old bug
          from it,  that several customers had reported. Previously, if you
          picked the  FREEZE Option  0 - Skip Coupon Display Completely; no
          prizes  were  ever  encountered,  regardless  of  your  SYSTEM  -
          obviously this  was a  bug (however,  the desired effect could be
          gotten by  only stopping  on 1st Division wins, since they are so
          rare - so the bug wasn't a big problem). I located the problem in
          the code  and removed  the bug.  ie. The  FREEZE Option  0, works
          correctly for this version, V1.07.

        

             Problems with COLOURS appearing on the screen-coupon.

     Over the  last 2 years, a handful of customers have rang up to say the
     6 winning  numbers are  not highlighted, on the screen-coupon, for the
     PRIZES and  EVALUATE options,  when running the program in colour mode
     on their  screens. The  answer to  this occasional  problem has always
     been the same: The solution involves finding the appropriate switch on
     your colour  monitor, and  flicking it... The IBM (and compatible) CGA
     EGA and  VGA colour  graphics card  standards, all  display up  to  16
     colours in  text-mode (even  the bar  graphs in LOTTOCHECK are in Text
     Mode). LOTTOCHECK  uses all 16 colours (eg. the Bar graph should cycle
     through all  16 different colours). Many monitors that plug into these
     cards can  display either  8 or  16 or 64 colours at once (eg. the NEC
     multisync monitor).  The people that have experienced the problem have
     had their  monitor switched  to just 8 colours instead of 16 - usually
     from the  day they purchased it! So the solution is finding the switch
     for the standard 16 colours. Depending on your brand/model of monitor,
     sometimes it  is a large normal switch, other times it is a little dip
     switch for which you will need the point of a biro to flick.

     

     Best of Luck in Life and LOTTO...............Steven Goschnick 4/08/90.


     