To start a contest, enter a Contest Name and click the Create a Contest button. A new folder with the name will be created on your desktop, and a database file named contest.db will be created in the folder.

Reopen a contest by clicking the Open an Existing Contest button and navigating to the contest.db file.

You can safely close a contest at any time by closing this application.

Other relevant files can be kept in the contest folder, and if this application is closed, the folder can be moved to a different location.

———— General Help ————

When setting up a contest, names copied from a spreadsheet or similar document can be pasted into the input fields if that's easier than typing them.

A table entry can be updated or deleted. Updates are often used to correct misspelled words. To make an update or deletion, first copy the entry to the input fields by clicking on the row entry in the table. Updates to an entry will cascade through to downstream tables once these tables have been refreshed.

An entry cannot be deleted if there are other entries associated with it. For example, a divison cannot be deleted if there is a team in it and a contestant cannot be deleted if he or she has placings.

Tab and Shift+Tab can be used to navigate between input fields and buttons without using the mouse. The arrow keys and keyboard letters can be used to navigate the dropdown lists.

A button that has been tabbed to can be activated by pressing the Enter key.

The following keyboard shortcuts are supported:
Ctrl+V - paste copied text into an input field
Ctrl+F - find text on a page, e.g., a contestant's name
Ctrl+P - print the page to pdf or paper
Ctrl++ - increase the zoom level
Ctrl+- - decrease the zoom level
Ctrl+0 - reset the zoom level

Tables can be sorted in both directions by clicking on the column headers. Clear buttons will reset the associated tables back to their original order.

Pages can be printed to pdf or paper. Right-click on a page to get the context menu and then select Print, or use the keyboard shortcut.

Add divisions first. Example divisions are Junior, Senior, Youth, and Collegiate. To add a division, enter a Division Name, select a Team Size, then press the Save button.

A single division with the name None can be used when there is no need for multiple named divisions.

Add divisions in the order that you would like for them to appear in the rankings.

The Team Size is the minimum number of contestants required to form a team and the number of contestants that will be used to calculate a team score. If there are more than this number of contestants on a team, lower contestant scores will be dropped. If there are no teams, the Team Size can be blank.

Contestant numbers begin with a digit that indicates the division that the contestant is in.

A maximum of nine divisions can be added.

To add a team, select and enter the team information and then press the Save button.

A named group of Type Indiv can be used for contestants who are participating as individuals but not as a members of a team. An example Group Name is Jefferson Indiv. Group names appear in tables under the Team headers.

Teams with the same name can be added as long as they are in different divisions.

Deleting a team will leave a gap in the team numbers if the team's number is not the largest one in the division. Gaps have no effect on the tabulations. Gaps can be created on purpose by entering temporary dummy teams and then deleting them after adding a real team.

A maximum of 99 teams can be added per division.

To add contestants, select a Division Team Name, type or paste one or more names into the Name field, then press the Save button. Separate multiple names with a comma, semicolon, or a newline.

A contestant with the same name as another cannot be added.

Deleting a contestant will leave a gap in the contestant numbers if the contestant's number is not the largest one on the team. Gaps have no effect on the tabulations. Gaps can be created on purpose by entering temporary dummy contestants and then deleting them after adding a real contestant.

A maximum of nine contestants can be added to a team.

The contestant numbers must be distributed to the contestants as they will be used when entering placings.

Class types provide a way to group classes for scoring purposes. Examples of class types in livestock contests are Cattle, Swine, and Sheep.

A class type with the name None can be created and used by classes that do not need to be grouped into a type.

Create class types in the order that you would like for them to appear in the rankings.

To add a class, select a Type and enter a Name, then press the Save button. The official placing and cuts can be added at the same time or at a later time with an update. The placing and cuts must be numbers without spaces or hyphens.

Classes should be added in order and the resulting class numbers will be used when entering placings.

The Placing and Reasons Cards communicate with this application over the local area network (LAN) via Wi-Fi. A router in the area is the physical device that provides both the network and the Wi-Fi signal. This is similar to how a wireless printer connects to a computer over a local network. The router does not need to be connected to the internet for this to work, as the local area network and the internet are separate systems.

The computer running this application must be connected to the router you plan to use, either via Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable. When you select a Wi-Fi network on your computer, you are effectively selecting a router. For contests or team practices with a smaller number of contestants and phones, connecting your computer to the local area network via Wi-Fi is fine. For larger events, it is strongly recommended to connect the computer to the router with an Ethernet cable, if possible. A wired Ethernet connection can handle network traffic to and from the computer more reliably than Wi-Fi. Even if the computer is connected to the router with an Ethernet cable, phones and other devices can still connect over Wi-Fi to the same router.

A connection to a guest network will probably not work.

Once the computer is connected to the LAN, clicking the Get Wi-Fi Addresses button will display the network addresses - and corresponding QR codes - that remote devices, like phones, can use to connect to the Placing and Reasons Cards.

Note that if you disconnect and then reconnect your computer to the LAN, the network addresses for the cards may change.

———— Network Requirements ————

IMPORTANT: To ensure the smooth collection of placings and reasons scores, the router type and setup must be checked ahead of time.

• For a small team practice at home with a reasonably modern router, there should be no problems.
• For any important contest - especially a large one - consult someone with networking experience to ensure that the router and Wi-Fi setup will meet requirements. A typical home router will often not handle large numbers of simultaneous connections.

Capacity:

• The router must support the expected number of devices/phones. Some routers handle more connections than others.
• Even though the bandwidth per device is low, you may need a higher-grade router to handle connection volume.
• Make sure your network consultant knows the number of devices expected at the contest.

Wi-Fi Coverage:

• Reliable Wi-Fi coverage in the contest area is essential.
• If placings are submitted from an arena, there must be a strong signal in at least part of the arena.
• Router location and antenna strength determine coverage; additional devices called access points can be used to extend range.

If the facility cannot meet these requirements:

• Purchase a quality router, set it up near the arena, and connect it to your computer with an Ethernet cable.
• Some router configuration may be needed.
• This ensures that you have a known, reliable setup.
• Again, a network consultant should review these requirements and help choose the best solution.