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The Knockout Manager.
An overview in the form of a user's guide.

The Entry / Exit Point, select a file or create a new one.


Creating a simple draw where rounds are not drawn called NOTDRN


Raw files are created and saved in the 'KO\COMPS' folder.


Press Enter to return to the Main Menu, and press Enter again to return to the File Utilities


The Welcome page is displayed showing files available and an option to create a new file.

A file is loaded by entering its index number.
However type n to set up a complex zoned draw with all rounds drawn called NEW
Unique identity numbers (IDs) were created then drawn using a sequence of random numbers,
like picking from a hat. First out of any pair is the challenger, followed by the opponent.
The filename and the year determine a unique random number generator's start number
The simple draw (not drawn each round) places prelims at the top of the draw.
The complex draw (drawn each round) mixes everything up and the traditional draw sheet
is obtained by aligning qualifiers with their next round tie, working back from the final.
The Main Menu re-appears.

To publish the draws for viewing, load them, touch 'p' for the Publishing Menu then press 't'.
Double clicking a htm file in the folder KO\TABLEHTM will open it in your browser.
This is an extract from the simple draw (NOTDRN)

Preliminary A date	Qtr Final A date	Semi Final A date	Final A date
{1} 1 {5} 5	12 13	1 2	1 2
{8} 8 {7} 7
{10} 10 {3} 3	14 9 {9}
	{4} 4 6 {6}	3 4
	{2} 2 11 {11}

and this an extract from the complex file NEW (including top bit and footnotes).
Home Page  Local Link  Local Links:-  Link  Link  Full Tbl

New Holders:- Winners Finalists:- Runners Up
Preliminary A date	Round 1 A date	Round 2 A date	Round 3 A date	Rd 4 - Open A date	Qtr Final A date	Semi Final A date	Final A date
	{B26} B26 B16 {B16}	B8 B12	B2 B6	3 11	4
{B5} B5 {B14} B14	B29 B24 {B24}
	{B15} B15 B28	B5 B7
{B10} B10 {B8} B8
	{B7} B7 B27 {B27}
	{D9} D9 D3 {D3}	D5 D1	D6 D8
	{D19} D19 D14 {D14}
	{D16} D16 D28 {D28}	D11 D3
	{D30} D30 D26 {D26}

footnotes Now finish setting up using the Edit Utilities.
From the main menu touch 'e' to enter the Edit Menu:-

Edits that affect the web page will automatically soft print a new one.
Firstly Preferences - The screen colours can be altered, select the code that suits you.


Going through the simpler Webpage Editors:-
Editing the Competition's Round Dates
Webpage - Title

Webpage - Holders

Webpage - Sponsors
Follow the instructions to fill two sides of the title bar.
A logo has been placed in the left hand slot with a link (to the website)
and an advert for sponsorship in the right slot.


When the cursor moves over the title bar the message changes to a link (to the email).


When the cursor moves over the date bar the slot clears.


Webpage - Footnotes

A space was entered to clear footnote 2, the result:-

More Complex Editing Facilities

Names can be attached to IDs manually or read from a file.
From the Editor Menu select {N}ames of Entrants


Three options are available:- (A)ll, (F)eed in or (Single).
Selecting 'A' allows every team name to be typed in against its ID, presented in ascending order:-


To change just one name press enter at the prompt to select 'Single'
and type in as much of the current name that increases its uniqueness.

All the names that match the fragment will be offered for changing.


After a name has been entered, accepted, rejected or the list exhausts the main menu appears.

Selecting 'F' will read IDs and names from a csv file and match them to IDs created in the draw,

Prefixing original IDs to names eases directory searches
by other competitors later in the competition. The file should reside in the 'KO\Entries' Folder.



Excel can write a database extract in csv format or one can be created manually in Notepad.
Let's have a look at the top of the latest published complex table with names attached to IDs:-

Home Page  Local Link  Local Links:-  Link  Link  Full Tbl

A New Competition Holders:- Fred Finalists:- John Space Available For Sponsor's Promotion
Preliminary A date	1st Round Mon 2nd July	Round 2 A date	Round 3 A date	Rd 4 - Open A date	Qtr Final A date	Semi Final A date	Final A date
	B26 Z. Butcher B16 P. Butcher	B8 B12	B2 B6	3 11	4
B5 E. Brown B14 N. Butcher	B29 B24 X. Butcher
	B15 O. Butcher B28	B5 B7
B10 J. Butcher B8 H. Butcher
	B7 G. Butcher B27 A. Butler
	D9 I. Doddle D3 C. Doddle	D5 D1	D6 D8
	D19 S. Doddle D14 N. Doddle
	D16 P. Doddle D28 B. Dimple	D11 D3
	D30 D. Dimple D26 Z. Doddle

!Winners! Pleeeese phone in your result immediately after the game.

This HTML table and accompanying csv file for spreadsheets were generated from Mark's Knockout Manager.

Developed quite nicely hasn't it?
(Following this B5 E. Brown was changed back to B5 E. Butcher) The Simple Draw's names were fed with the instruction not to attach IDs.


and the result

Rounds not Drawn Holders:- Winners Finalists:- Runners Up
Preliminary A date	Qtr Final A date	Semi Final A date	Final A date
{1} A. Armstrong {5} A. Chamber	12 13	1 2	1 2
{8} A. Epstein {7} A. Dimple
{10} A. Foster {3} A. Butler	14 A. Einstein {9}
	{4} A. Curtain A. Doddle {6}	3 4
	{2} A. Butcher A. Freeman {11}

Links and Packing Spaces.
Links ease browsers' navigation within a website. A master index contains links to other pages.
In our case we have competitions of a similar class that could form their own little group.
Type L from the Edit Menu and press Enter to skip Packing Spaces to access Edit Links.

These are the changes made:-	(URI stands for Universal Resource Identifier.)
1) Changed description to 'Home Page' (note:- needed to retype 'index.html') 2) Made link 'Behind the Scenes' with URI 'asftw.htm' 3) Made separator 'Other Comps:-' by pressing enter at the URI prompt. 4) Made link 'Another Comp' with URI 'new2.htm' 5) Deleted the last link.

And this is what the new links look like:-
Home Page  Behind the Scenes  Other Comps:-  Another Comp  Full Tbl
'Full Tbl' is an added link to a page where the draw is broken down into printable sections.
Packing Spaces
Links on each of the pages of a similar catagory can be set up so they appear to scroll
horizontally when viewed in succession. A related competition's links look like this:-
Home Page  Behind the Scenes  Other Comps:-  1st Comp  Full Tbl
The start of '1st Comp' is out of line with 'Another Comp' above.
Shift it into alignment by adding a number of packing spaces, in this case 7.

And these are the positions on their separate pages:- the first local links line up nicely.
Home Page  Behind the Scenes  Other Comps:-  Another Comp  Full Tbl

Home Page  Behind the Scenes  Other Comps:-  1st Comp  Full Tbl        
Test it, select 1st Comp, from there select the start of "Another Comp' which is just links.
The start of '1st Comp' will be under the cursor so the mouse does not have to be moved.
Click on the 'Full Tbl' link in the 1st Competition to see the printable version of the draw.
Select 'Print Preview', set the page to landscape and index through each of the pages
Now for Entering some results, from the main Menu select { I }nput Latest Results

Choose to display results in Drawn Order or Table order if every round was drawn
*If zoned, games are presented by Zone, Round and Drawn order then the open round.
Only unresolved ties with a challenger and opponent are offered for receiving a result.
Some examples, the basic navigation keys are described on screen

and as they appear after entering,.

Winners are highlighted, losers dulled, decimals are now shown as proper fractions.
Unplayed ties are offered until the round exhausts or a redirect is entered:-
'z' for next zone, 'f' to finish, 'a' to abort or 'e' to correct an error.
Spotted a mistake? Enter ' e ' in a result field or at the end of round prompt.

The cursor moves to line number entered at the prompt and the names are neutrally coloured.
Type in the new result or 'c' to clear the current result.

After the correction the cursor reappears at its previous position, here it was the end of round.
Unless redirected pressing Enter updates the table and searches for the next unresolved tie.
If none are found the updated league table is published and the main menu appears.

Ties involving winners from the previous round display the team's code for that tie (as line 2).
If the Zone redirect had been entered:

A bottom bar listing current options is displayed all the way through the input.

Lets have a look at the top of the updated table:-

Home Page  Local Link  Local Links:-  Link  Link  Full Tbl

A New Competition Holders:- Fred Finalists:- John
Preliminary A date	1st Round Mon 2nd July	Round 2 A date	Round 3 A date	Rd4-Open A date	Qtr Final A date	Semi Final A date	Final A date
	B26 Z. Butcher B16 P. Butcher{w/o}	{B8} B16 P. Butcher B14 N. Butcher {B12}	B2 B6	3 11	4
B5 E. Butcher 14 B14 N. Butcher 19	{B29} B14 N. Butcher{win} B24 X. Butcher
	B15 O. Butcher 12¾ B10 J. Butcher 22 {B28}	{B5} B10 J. Butcher B7 G. Butcher {B7}
B10 J. Butcher 20 B8 H. Butcher 15
	B7 G. Butcher 24 B27 A. Butler 15
	D9 I. Doddle 31 D3 C. Doddle 10	{D5} D9 I. Doddle D19 S. Doddle {D1}	D6 D8
	D19 S. Doddle 17 D14 N. Doddle 12
	D16 P. Doddle 24 D28 B. Dimple 11	{D11} D16 P. Doddle D26 Z. Doddle {D3}
	D30 D. Dimple 7 D26 Z. Doddle 25

!Winners! Pleeeese phone in your result immediately after the game.

This HTML table and accompanying csv file for spreadsheets were generated from Mark's Knockout Manager.

Correcting a result after finishing input: From the Edit Menu select {R}esult.
Draws can be huge so a search will pass only those ties where one of the names
contains the unique text fragment and will only offer it if it has a result to correct.

Pressing Enter continues the search (the top 1st round game result was entered to demonstrate this).
Entering a result finishes the routine and the table is reconstructed, saved and published. A look at the top of the table with the result corrected.

(B27 A. Butler instead of B7 G. Butcher has gone through to the 2nd round.)

A New Competition Holders:- Fred Finalists:- John
Preliminary A date	1st Round Mon 2nd July	Round 2 A date	Round 3 A date	Rd4-Open A date	Qtr Final A date	Semi Final A date	Final A date
	B26 Z. Butcher B16 P. Butcher{w/o}	{B8} B16 P. Butcher B14 N. Butcher {B12}	B2 B6	3 11	4
B5 E. Butcher 14 B14 N. Butcher 19	{B29} B14 N. Butcher{win} B24 X. Butcher
	B15 O. Butcher 12¾ B10 J. Butcher 22 {B28}	{B5} B10 J. Butcher B27 A. Butler {B7}
B10 J. Butcher 20 B8 H. Butcher 15
	B7 G. Butcher 14 B27 A. Butler 25
	D9 I. Doddle 31 D3 C. Doddle 10	{D5} D9 I. Doddle D19 S. Doddle {D1}	D6 D8
	D19 S. Doddle 17 D14 N. Doddle 12
	D16 P. Doddle 24 D28 B. Dimple 11	{D11} D16 P. Doddle D26 Z. Doddle {D3}
	D30 D. Dimple 7 D26 Z. Doddle 25

Providing the final stages are not zoned the ID numbers can be changed to their character equivalent.
Select {C}haracterise Final Stage IDs / Reset from the Edit Menu.

Enter 'C' to change the ID to a character. Just press Enter to keep it as a number.
The result can be seen in the example of the full table here 1st Comp.
Press the 'Back' navigation icon to return to this point.
The last Edit function is to remove the IDs from names. Select {C}lear All Identity numbers.
This will remove all IDs providing names have been assigned, making it an 'open draw'.

This is the simple draw after feeding names into it and removing its IDs

Rounds not Drawn Holders:- Winners Finalists:- Runners Up
Preliminary A date	Qtr Final A date	Semi Final A date	Final A date
A. Armstrong A. Chamber
A. Epstein A. Dimple
A. Foster A. Butler	A. Einstein
	A. Curtain A. Doddle
	A. Butcher A. Freeman

As the competition progresses the draw on the webpage collapses.
It starts with the last fully played round or the Quarter Final.
This is the complex table fully completed, 1st Comp completed
Have a look at the full table for printing also.


Competition Secretaries may use scoresheets. From the publishing menu select {S}coresheets.
A confirmation is displayed stating where the file has been written to (KO/SCSHTCSV Folder).
This is the file that was written.
To fit it on the page, lines have been missed out, but all zones have a similar layout to Zone B.

This can be tidied up with borders either in excel (as the open rounds have)
or copied into word (as below).
A Handbook may be published containing the raw draws, select {H}andbook Draw.
Again a confirmation is displayed stating where the file has been written to.

And the file that was written? (just the lower part is shown).

and of course that can be copied and pasted into electronic handbook templates:-
Another output not mentioned yet as I haven't really used it is the tabulated draw in csv format.
One of these is written every time the HTML draw is written. This is the same draw as above.
(I only built it as an exercise in correct placement of the next round game slots.)

Finally to Quit the programme, return to the Welcome Screen and enter 'q'.

And that's it. You may Download a Demo Here.
Click the link, your zip utility will ask where to extract KOMANAGR.EXE to.
Create a shortcut to it.
Double click the shortcut. Sub folders are created on first run, outputs will be in the folders.
Pictorial guide to installing
This demo version is the full working programme but..........
the competitors are randomly shifted for publishing then restored after.
Any files created may be read by a specific trial version available below.

For further information

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