APPENDIX D MASTERPOINT CREDIT FILE FORMAT

Format of ABF Masterpoint Credit Files

It is important to remember that these files must be in plain Text (ASCII) format. So, if you are using WORD, EXCEL, or any other such proprietary type program, you must use the Save As function to save your work as a DOS Text file, rather that the regular Save function which will save the file in its native format.

Files with a .DOC, .XLS, or other such extension names cannot be accepted - see naming convention below. If you must use a standard Windows program, use NOTEPAD instead, since it saves the files in standard text format.

The NAT4WIN program offers you a convenient method for entering the points, whilst it automatically creates a proper masterpoint file, ready to attach to your email. If you don't have a copy, please go to the Centre's web site and download the NATIONAL files from there.

A full description of the functions and their uses is available in Appendix G

Structure of files

If you were to look at a masterpoint file (type .mp2 or .mp3) using NOTEPAD, it would look something like this:

0123456000042

0002288000007

0088249000145

In other words, 13-digits per line precisely. No characters, no spaces and no signs - just the 13-digits made up of two individual sets representing the ABF number (7-digits) and the awards (6–digits). The last two digits of the awards are assumed to be the decimal portion of a player credit.

Each of the two fields must be left zero-filled. So, ABF number 123 becomes 0000123 and 0.53 points should read 000053 etc. As a consequence, in the examples above ABF number 123456 receives 0.42 points, 2288 gets 0.07 and 88249 gets 1.45 points.

There is also another form of file, which contains the ABF number and provision for both red and green point credits. These files have a suffix of .mp5, and are used for the processing of club credits. Such a file looks like this in NOTEPAD:

0100060000042000005

0099993000007000000

0555667000000000145

Each line is now 19 digits long, made up of three individual fields representing the ABF number (7), plus red points (6) plus green points (6). It is important that the points are in the correct order, i.e. red comes before green. Note that line two contains no green points and line 3 no red points, however the lines have remained at 19 characters in length.

Naming the Files

Red and green point files are identical in structure, except for their 3 character file extension. The available extensions are: The legacy .mp? extensions are still supported, but the preferred extensions are .red, .grn, .gld and .rag.

The rest of the file name (i.e. apart from the extension) no longer needs to be in any specific format..

The software package NAT4WIN automatically creates those extensions and will also convert existing ".mp?" files to the new "coloured" extensions...

NAT4WIN.EXE can be used to examine the awards in your file.