Lottery v1.39
(c) Alan Meban 1995
===================

This utility checks your lotttery lines against the weekly draws.  It offers
facilities to store your lines in a file, analyse the balls drawn so far, 
analyse the spread of your lines, and a few other things.

The program was written out of necessity when 21 folk on my floor in work 
formed a syndicate, entering a staggering 21 lines each week.  I'm not in the
syndicate, but the nagging fear that I'd spend Monday morning answering all
their phones while they flew to some tropical island to count their jackpot
winnings persuaded me to write a lottery checker one Saturday afternoon. 
Since then, the program has expanded (- just slightly).

Installation
------------

Psion 3a:  Copy lottery.opa to \app\lottery.opa on any local drive (m,a,b)
=========  Install using PSION-I and choosing lottery.opa

 Psion 3:  Copy lottery3.opa to \app\lottery3.opa on any local drive (m,a,b)
 ========  Install using PSION-I and choosing lottery3.opa

Both versions:
==============

Optionally, draw and line files can be stored.  The default filenames are
          m:\opd\draws.lot  and  m:\opd\lines.lot
though these filenames can be changed using the Preferences (Psion-Q) option
in the program.  If you change any of the (3) default options, a small file
(typically around 50 bytes long) will be created (m:\opd\lottery.set).

A draw file containing all the weekly draws up to and including Sat 8/4/95
is included in this archive (draws.lot).  A sample file of lines (lines.lot)
is also included - note that these numbers were chosen randomly and are only
included as examples.  If you wish to use these, copy them to m:\opd\...

Note: You can edit the draw and line files using the built-in *text* editor -
remember to keep the columns aligned in the correct format, otherwise the
program will fall over while reading them in.  A number like 5 can be
represented either as "05" or as " 5" (ie, space, followed by 5).

Draw file format is:
XX/XX/9X XX XX XX XX XX XX (XX)
<-Date-> <--Balls drawn--> Bonus ball in brackets

Line file format is:
XX XX XX XX XX XX
<-Balls entered->

Comments
--------
If you like/hate this program, feel free to praise/flame me by email
to one of these addresses:
                            ameban@bfsec.bt.co.uk
                       or    af341@yfn.ysu.edu

If you want an up-to-date  draws.lot  file, email and ask for one.
Ideas for improvements are welcomed ... so are bugs.

Please note:
------------
* I have no connection with CAMELOT, who run the UK National Lottery.
* I do not guarantee any results generated by this program.
* You are permitted to freely copy this program, as long as the five
  files (lottery.opa, lottery3.opa, draws.lot, lines.lot, lottery.txt)
  are distributed together.

History: (major changes)
--------
v1.32  Program submitted to Psion archive at src.doc.ic.ac.uk

v1.35  Bug fixed where bonus ball was incorrectly stored due to
       sorting the draw numbers into numerical order.

v1.36  Relaxed program to allow blank lines in the *.lot files

v1.38  Corrected bug introduced in v1.35, so that matches are now
       displayed with the matching numbers highlighted!

v1.39  Now includes Psion 3 version
       Fixes help screens, and "Press anu key" prompt.

***********************************************************************
For more information about the UK National Lottery, point your
WWW browser to  http://ribble.csc.liv.ac.uk:80/users/rkl/lottery/