[Tlf-devel] New tlf ideas

[Martin Kratoska]

It seems that the real tlf bottleneck is in the predefined contest 
templates, still hardwired in the program. Any attempt to define a 
contest in 'CQWW like' style is definitely wrong. The 'core' tlf should 
be free from this debris code, the whole contest rules should be in an 
external ASCII definition file. All must be freely definable without the 
potential risk that the values entered into contest rules will be 
overwritten with program internal hardwired values.

Another source of potential problems is the checking routine which 
'checks' if the entered received code has proper syntax and if not, it 
prevents the program from QSO logging progress, does not allow to send 
the exchange etc. This is the weak point of most contesting software, 
actually is only annoying part making useless any attempt to define 
user's own contest. Most contesting programs announcing an 'astonishing' 
number of supported contest (ie. TR4W). This is actually an overview of 
'impotence' of the particular program, the only reasonable answer to 
supported contests is 'ANY'.

We should collect all types of the points distribution for a contact and 
all known types of multipliers. I analyzed >160 different contest rules 
so I should be able to create a basis of both above mentioned. Let me 
know if I should start this work, I assume I would need a week or two to 
provide a draft version.

73
Martin, OK1RR