Significant Program Changes Coming
Beta version online now; will become only version on 1 February, 2025
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Hi, bridge pals.
In an earlier post, I mentioned that a significant change to the deal generator is on the way, and that I would provide advance notice. This is that notice. The new version will replace the current live version on 1 February, 2025. People who use the most common deal specification and generating features probably won’t have much to relearn. The most significant changes are attempts to simplify file and folder processing—features that may have been too complex or obscure for people to use.
Rather than delve into every change in many lengthy blog posts, I’m going to put all the detail into a revised user guide that will roll out this month, in advance of the program changes. There will be just one lengthy blog post, though—this one—to give you an overview of each change.
See the new version online
The new version is actually live online, at this link. It will be considered a beta version until further testing is complete. Please feel free to try it out. Comments, suggestions, and bug reports are welcomed.
You can also find the link to the beta version at the bottom of the bridgeoutahed.com main page, as seen here:
What is a recipe, anyway?
Perhaps the largest change is a conceptual one. In the original generator, the term “recipe” is used in two ways: it is the name of the panel where the user can key in cards and placeholders to describe a deal, and it is also the name assigned to a file containing the information from that panel, plus the information from the shaper panel. When you say or write “recipe” you always have to specify which level you are referring to, and it’s still confusing even when you try to clarify it.
In the new version, the panel where the user keys in cards and placeholders is called the “Cards” panel. The Shaper panel is still the Shaper panel. The term “Recipe” will refer to just one thing: the combination of the Cards and Shaper. This relationship is conveyed visually by rearranging the right side of the generator web page so that the Recipe is shown to contain the Shaper and the Cards.
Shapers still exist as a component of recipes, but the program no longer lets you save shapers to their own file type (.bcoashaper). If you want to save the contents of the shaper panel with no cards or placeholders, simply key nothing in the newly-named Cards area, and save a recipe file containing just the shaper panel information; it will be the functional equivalent of the old shaper files.
You may still load old shaper files into the new version, but you are advised to then save them as recipe files.
Deals. Just deals.
The left side of the web page, formerly devoted partly to a deal panel, and partly to other panels that related to deals, recipes, and shapers, will now be devoted entirely to deals. This is conveyed visually by enclosing all deal-related sub-panels in one big box, and banishing other things to the right side of the page (already shown above). Here’s the deal area:
If it all looks pretty familiar so far and you’re thinking it’s mostly a conceptual and cosmetic change, good!
Bespoke file saver panels
Instead of one File Saver panel, there’s a Save Deal File panel in the deal box, and a Save Recipe File panel in the recipe box. Each only saves data from its side of the page.
Bespoke collection panels
Instead of the “Manage Collections” panel on the left side of the page, there’s a Deal Collection panel in the deal box, and a Recipe Collection panel in the recipe box. Each only collects data from its side of the page.
One landing spot for generated and loaded deals
In the old version, some deal file and folder functions would load data directly into the Deal Collection. In the new version, all deal file and folder functions load deals into the deal display panel; only the user may ever load deals into the Deal Collection, by clicking the “Add Deals” button of the Deal Collection panel.
Goodbye, file and folder load panels; farewell, ‘Gator
The file and folder load panels across the bottom of the right half of the page in the old version are not in the new version at all. Instead, the functions that they used to provide—some involving clicking first on pictures of alligators (a technique I hoped would catch on worldwide, but it never did)—are, in the new version, accomplished with boring one-click ease using buttons across the tops of the Deal and Recipe panels. This should make it easier to tell which panel you are loading with each file/folder action.
Randomize your deals for pennies on the dollar
OK, it’s free, so not even pennies. Click the Jambalaya! button of the deal display panel to put the deals in random order.
Top-secret hidden conveniences now revealed
Click anywhere in the deal display panel to empty it of all deals.
Click anywhere in the Allocated HCP panel of a shaper tab to reset just that shaper tab to default settings.
Click anywhere in the empty center square of the Cards panel to clear out all cards and placeholders.
Click the spade icon of a hand in the Cards panel to clear the cards and placeholders from just that hand.
Click the club icon of a hand in the Cards panel to trim any trailing “B” (length limiters) from just that hand.
When you have multiple deals in the deal display panel, you can click the paging arrows in that panel, or you can press control+option+right-arrow or control+option+left-arrow on your keyboard to page through the deals.
A change-filled year
It was 31 January of 2024 when I started upgrading the deal generator from a scarcely-usable collection of poorly-integrated features to the modern marvel it will be (officially) on 1 February 2025. I keep hinting at the possibility of slowing the pace of enhancements and focusing more on deal recipe development and bridge study topics. I really hope that this pending update will finally make that transition possible.
Happy dealing!