[Cascade]

LinConverter.exe

LinConverter, a utility program, that I have written, that may be of interest to some posters in this forum, is available as a download from this page:

LinConverter

LinConverter is a program that converts *.lin files into other formats. The formats that are supported are:

1. Plain Text
The file is converted into plain text suitable for sending in an email or cutting and pasting into a word processing document. Optionally the play of the cards is included.

2. *.pbn
The file is converted into the portable bridge notation (pbn) standard.

3. Deep Finesse
The file is converted into a text file suitable for inputting into the Deep Finesse program.
This feature has been untested by me - I do not have Deep Finesse.

4. Bridge Base Forum Postings
The file is converted into a format suitable for posting on Bridge Base Forums. The user has the option of displaying all hands, one hand or pairs of hands. Optionally the play of the cards is included. Optionally the output includes a courier font tag. With the courier the alignment in the posts is slightly more reliable.

Other Features
With all of the above conversions, all hands can be rotated so that any hand is displayed as South.

All conversions are written to a user chosen file and displayed in a Memo Field for easy cut and paste into an appropriate document or file.

Verify Lin
This feature verifies that a lin file suitable for uploading to a BBO tournament contains all 52 cards and that each hand contains 13 cards etc. When a file is verified a report is produced documenting any errors.

Bug Report
If you find any bugs in this program please forward:
1. a copy of the lin file - including a description of its source e.g. lin file downloaded from myhands; file automatically saved on my computer etc
2. a description of the problem encountered
to me at wayne@ebridgenz.com

Thanks.

Licence
This program is provided free for non-commercial use.

No warrantee is expressed or implied.

You are not authorized to redistribute this program.'

Wayne Burrows
Cascade on BBO

[mishovnbg]

Thank you Wayne for your great job! I am really respect your way to make useful gifts for BBO community, like your lessons in BIL, reasonable comments here in forum, linconverter...

Spoiler

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Misho

[helium]

HI:) sry if this is the wrong place to ask but can someone tell me what deep finnes is and what is used for?
kenneth

[1eyedjack]

helium, on Apr 10 2004, 05:51 AM, said:

HI:) sry if this is the wrong place to ask but can someone tell me what deep finnes is and what is used for?
kenneth

It is a double-dummy solver
Available from
http://www.deepfinesse.com

In my opinion an essential tool for the serious but lazy bridge player.

Limited functionality is built into the BBO software, but the full package is well worth its reasonable price.

[inquiry]

I've been using LinConverter for some time. It is GREAT.

Ben

[Cascade]

Ben, you and others who have an earlier version might like to download the current version.

There have been a few minor improvements. The most notable of which is that for text file and BBF output you have the option of including a record of the play of the hand.

I have also fixed a bug with one of the tags in pbn notation since I released this last night.

[Zoltan]

Hi Wayne (Cascade), ty for your hard effort and very great job!

BUT. (Sorry for this, I want to help you.) I have the DF.
The DF converter does not work, can't handle the converted files.
The void characters are always missing, sd be '-', I think. The Contract,
Declarer, OnLead are missing too, maybe these are the reason of the
errors.
I give you 2 examples from recent vugraph.
Here is the original lin file:
vg|Uploaded Deal,,I,2,2,,,,,|rs|,,|pn|Grenthe,Malarme,Grenthe
J,Chauvelot|pg||qx|o2|md|4SA8542H8DT8654C94,SQ6HAT4DAKJ3CA732
,HQJ7653DQ972CQJ8,SKJT973HK92CKT65|sv|n|pn|Grenthe,Malarme,Gre
nthe J,Chauvelot|
mb|--1Sp2Dp2Sp3Cp3Sp5Sp6Sppp--|pg||pc|C9|pc|C2|pc|CJ|pc|CK|pg||
pc|S3|pc|S2|pc|SQ|pc|H5|pg||
pc|S6|pc|H3|pc|SK|pc|S4|pg||
pc|ST|pc|SA|pc|C3|pc|H7|pg||
pc|C4|pc|CA|pc|C8|pc|C5|pg||
pc|DA|pc|D2|pc|C6|pc|D4|pg||
pc|DK|pc|D7|pc|CT|pc|D5|pg||
pc|D3|pc|D9|pc|S7|pc|D6|pg||
pc|SJ|pc|S5|pc|H4|pc|H6|pg||
pc|S9|pc|S8|pc|DJ|pc|DQ|pg||
pc|H2|pc|H8|pc|HA|pc|HJ|pg||
pc|HT|pc|HQ|pc|HK|pc|D8|pg||
pc|H9|pc|DT|pc|C7|pc|CQ|pg||

Here is your converted source, can't handle by DF:
Deal: 2 QJ7653 Q972 QJ8
Contract: Q6 AT4 AKJ3 A732 KJT973 K92 KT65
OnLead: A8542 8 T8654 94
Lead: C9 C2 CJ CK S3 S2 SQ H5 S6 H3 SK S4 ST SA C3 H7 C4 CA C8
C5 DA D2 C6 D4 DK D7 CT D5 D3 D9 S7 D6 SJ S5 H4 H6 S9 S8 DJ DQ
H2 H8 HA HJ HT HQ HK D8 H9 DT C7 CQ

Here is the correct one, this works fine:

Deal: 2 - QJ7653 Q972 QJ8
Contract: 6S-East Q6 AT4 AKJ3 A732 KJT973 K92 - KT65
OnLead: South A8542 8 T8654 94
Lead: C9 C2 CJ CK S3 S2 SQ H5 S6 H3 SK S4 ST SA C3 H7 C4 CA C8
C5 DA D2
C6 D4 DK D7 CT D5 D3 D9 S7 D6 SJ S5 H4 H6 S9 S8 DJ DQ H2 H8 HA
HJ HT
HQ HK D8 H9 DT C7

I removed last card: CQ. If remains the last card, will be a program
crash. I dont know why. Without CQ its OK.

The other example, here is no void, so the problems are not only with
voids.

Here is the original lin file:
vg|Uploaded
Deal,,I,16,16,,,,,|rs|,,|pn|Courrias,Gaviard,Delmas,Bessis|pg||qx|o16|md
|2SA952H973DA4C9853,S874HQDKJ865CQT64,SKHAKJ6542DQ9CAK2,S
QJT63HT8DT732CJ7|sv|e|pn|Courrias,Gaviard,Delmas,Bessis|
mb|p2Dp3Np4Hp6Hp7Hppp---|pg||pc|SQ|pc|S2|pc|S4|pc|SK|pg||
pc|HA|pc|H8|pc|H3|pc|HQ|pg||
pc|HK|pc|HT|pc|H9|pc|D5|pg||
pc|CA|pc|C7|pc|C3|pc|C4|pg||
pc|CK|pc|CJ|pc|C5|pc|C6|pg||
pc|H2|pc|S3|pc|H7|pc|S7|pg||
pc|SA|pc|S8|pc|C2|pc|S6|pg||
pc|C8|pc|CT|pc|H4|pc|D2|pg||
pc|HJ|pc|ST|mc|12|

Here is your converted source, can't handle by DF:

Deal: 16 K AKJ6542 Q9 AK2
Contract: 874 Q KJ865 QT64 QJT63 T8 T732 J7
OnLead: A952 973 A4 9853
Lead: SQ S2 S4 SK HA H8 H3 HQ HK HT H9 D5 CA C7 C3 C4 CK CJ C5
C6 H2 S3 H7 S7 SA S8 C2 S6 C8 CT H4 D2 HJ ST

Here is the correct one, this works fine:

Deal: 16 K AKJ6542 Q9 AK2
Contract: 7H-North 874 Q KJ865 QT64 QJT63 T8 T732 J7
OnLead: East A952 973 A4 9853
Lead: SQ S2 S4 SK HA H8 H3 HQ HK HT H9 D5 CA C7 C3 C4 CK CJ C5
C6 H2 S3 H7 S7 SA S8 C2 S6 C8 CT H4 D2 HJ ST

Thx, I'm sure you will solve the problem. Maybe does not need played cards,
enough the Lead: SQ (I tried). But need: Contract, Declarer, OnLead,
as you see.

Sincerely,

Zoltan

[Cascade]

Thanks Zoltan

I am at a disadvantage with Deep Finesse as I neither have deep finesse nor did i write the actual routine in the LinConverter program.

But from what you tell me I will be able to improve what we have.

Thanks again ...

[Erkson]

Zoltan, on Apr 12 2004, 10:43 AM, said:

vg|Uploaded Deal,,I,2,2,,,,,|rs|,,|pn|Grenthe,Malarme,Grenthe
.....

....Deal,,I,16,16,,,,,|rs|,,|pn|Courrias,Gaviard,Delmas,Bessis|pg

In both examples the rs tag (results tag) is empty, so the program can't guess the contract, declarer nor opening leader. It will have to rebuild a complete rs tag from auction and played cards informations.
There are several kinds of .lin files :
some have a complete rs tag : rs|3NEx-1|
other have an empty rs tag : rs|,,| (some movie.lin)
other have no rs tag (history.lin from /myhands)

Erkson

[BudH]

Cascade, on 2004-April-10, 14:50, said:

Ben, you and others who have an earlier version might like to download the current version.

There have been a few minor improvements. The most notable of which is that for text file and BBF output you have the option of including a record of the play of the hand.

I have also fixed a bug with one of the tags in pbn notation since I released this last night.

Where can someone download the most recent version of Wayne Burrow's Linconverter program, more than 15 years since this thread was started?