Cotton Software: NFL Forecaster What's New

NFL Forecaster What's New

Version 7.18 (published April 2008) is a minor update. The schedule and main data files were updated for the 2008-2009 season and the help file was updated to include the 2007-2008 statistics.

Version 7.17 (published June 2007) was a minor update. The program was modified for compatibility with Windows Vista and the help files were converted from WinHelp to HTML Help. The schedule and main data files were updated for the 2007-2008 season and the help file was updated to include the 2006-2007 statistics.

Version 7.16 (published June 2006) was a maintenance release. The schedule and main data files were updated for the 2006-2007 season and the help file was updated to include the 2005-2006 statistics.

Version 7.15 (published June 2005) was a maintenance release. The schedule and main data files were updated for the 2005-2006 season and the help file was updated to include the 2004-2005 statistics.

Version 7.14 (published May 2004) was a minor upgrade. The prediction algorithm was modified so that Forecaster makes a few more correct predictions each year.

1. The prediction algorithm was improved so that fewer games are declared "too close to call" (7.5% instead of 8.1% for 15 years).

2. The accuracy of the prediction algorithm was improved from 65.1% to 65.5% (for 15 years).

3. The schedule and main data files were updated for the 2004-2005 season and the help file was updated to include the 2003-2004 statistics.

Version 7.0 (published August 2002) was a major upgrade which incorporated many changes small and large, from reorganization of the menu structure to completely changing the way Forecaster handles the league structure.

1. NFL Forecaster was substantially rewritten to make it flexible enough to handle almost any change to the structure of the National Football League (new teams, more playoff weeks, etc.). When the NFL makes some change to the league structure, you will only have to download a new, small, structure file at no cost. Of course, we cannot guarantee that we have anticipated all the possible changes, but we believe that a new version NFL Forecaster due to league structure changes should never be necessary.

2. The function "Tasks|Seasonal|Create New Schedule" no longer exists. NFL Forecaster schedules are now created using Cotton Calendar which is much easier than it was using NFL Forecaster’s built-in function. Cotton Calendar’s schedule format is more flexible and contains more information. Also, the names file, which used to be a plain ASCII text file, is now created and modified using Cotton Calendar

3. NFL Forecaster now saves the spreads to the main data file as well as to the archive files. Thus, when you choose "View|Current rankings and spreads," you will see (and can print) the current spreads as well as the current rankings. In the past you had to print the spreads in the grid format before you exited Forecaster; after that you could only print the spreads plain. That limitation is gone. You can view and display the spreads for the current week at any time.

4. Archive spreads can be printed in the grid format as well as the plain format. In the past only the current spreads could be printed in the grid format.

5. Archive spreads and archive scores are now two separate printed reports. In the past archive spreads and scores for any given week were printed in plain format on a single page.

6. Schedule displaying and printing was improved. (a) When the complete schedule or a sub-schedule is displayed or printed, the game times are now included. (b) When the complete schedule is displayed or printed, the post-season games are now included. (c) In addition to viewing and printing the complete schedule and individual team schedules, you can view and print the schedule for a particular day (Sunday-night, Monday, Thursday, etc.).

7. The main menu was reorganized and the pop-up menus enhanced. The "File|Open Current Rankings File" and "File|Open Archive Data File" menu items have been replaced by "View|Current rankings and spreads" and "View|Archive rankings, spreads and scores". The menu items function the same (loading and displaying rankings, scores and spreads), but now the current spreads are also displayed. The "File|Save As|Main data file" and "File|Save
As|Archive data file" menu items have been replaced with "File|Replace main data file." This enables you to load an archive file and save it as a main data file. You need to do this only if the main data file (main-dta.nfl) becomes corrupt or inaccurate and has to be replaced or if you are a new user and have
been "playing around" with Forecaster.

8. The printed reports for spreads plain, archive spreads, and archive scores can be framed and can have titles (ones you set or default date/time).

9. Archive spreads displays and reports are more accurately captioned -- "Spreads for 2002-03: week 3" instead of "Spreads for the week following week-02.02" for example.

10. NFL Forecaster’s registration method has changed. Instead of a registration code, we now send a small, customized file that is placed in the NFL Forecaster folder (subdirectory).

Version 7.01 fixed a problem that occurred when printing the NFL Schedule; double-digit dates were sometimes printed as single-digit dates (Oct 2 instead of Oct 23).

Version 7.02 fixed a labelling problem: AFC teams were labelled as NFC teams and NFC teams were labelled as AFC teams.

Version 7.03 was a maintenance release.


	NFL Forecaster	What's New

	Version 7.18 (published April 2008) is a minor update. The schedule and main data files were updated for the 2008-2009 season and the help file was updated to include the 2007-2008 statistics.

	Version 7.17 (published June 2007) was a minor update. The program was modified for compatibility with Windows Vista and the help files were converted from WinHelp to HTML Help. The schedule and main data files were updated for the 2007-2008 season and the help file was updated to include the 2006-2007 statistics.

	Version 7.16 (published June 2006) was a maintenance release. The schedule and main data files were updated for the 2006-2007 season and the help file was updated to include the 2005-2006 statistics.

	Version 7.15 (published June 2005) was a maintenance release. The schedule and main data files were updated for the 2005-2006 season and the help file was updated to include the 2004-2005 statistics.

	Version 7.14 (published May 2004) was a minor upgrade. The prediction algorithm was modified so that Forecaster makes a few more correct predictions each year.

1.	The prediction algorithm was improved so that fewer games are declared "too close to call" (7.5% instead of 8.1% for 15 years).

2.	The accuracy of the prediction algorithm was improved from 65.1% to 65.5% (for 15 years).

3.	The schedule and main data files were updated for the 2004-2005 season and the help file was updated to include the 2003-2004 statistics.

	Version 7.0 (published August 2002) was a major upgrade which incorporated many changes small and large, from reorganization of the menu structure to completely changing the way Forecaster handles the league structure.

1.	NFL Forecaster was substantially rewritten to make it flexible enough to handle almost any change to the structure of the National Football League (new teams, more playoff weeks, etc.). When the NFL makes some change to the league structure, you will only have to download a new, small, structure file at no cost. Of course, we cannot guarantee that we have anticipated all the possible changes, but we believe that a new version NFL Forecaster due to league structure changes should never be necessary.

2.	The function "Tasks\|Seasonal\|Create New Schedule" no longer exists. NFL Forecaster schedules are now created using Cotton Calendar which is much easier than it was using NFL Forecaster’s built-in function. Cotton Calendar’s schedule format is more flexible and contains more information. Also, the names file, which used to be a plain ASCII text file, is now created and modified using Cotton Calendar

3.	NFL Forecaster now saves the spreads to the main data file as well as to the archive files. Thus, when you choose "View\|Current rankings and spreads," you will see (and can print) the current spreads as well as the current rankings. In the past you had to print the spreads in the grid format before you exited Forecaster; after that you could only print the spreads plain. That limitation is gone. You can view and display the spreads for the current week at any time.

4.	Archive spreads can be printed in the grid format as well as the plain format. In the past only the current spreads could be printed in the grid format.

5.	Archive spreads and archive scores are now two separate printed reports. In the past archive spreads and scores for any given week were printed in plain format on a single page.

6.	Schedule displaying and printing was improved. (a) When the complete schedule or a sub-schedule is displayed or printed, the game times are now included. (b) When the complete schedule is displayed or printed, the post-season games are now included. (c) In addition to viewing and printing the complete schedule and individual team schedules, you can view and print the schedule for a particular day (Sunday-night, Monday, Thursday, etc.).

7.	The main menu was reorganized and the pop-up menus enhanced. The "File\|Open Current Rankings File" and "File\|Open Archive Data File" menu items have been replaced by "View\|Current rankings and spreads" and "View\|Archive rankings, spreads and scores". The menu items function the same (loading and displaying rankings, scores and spreads), but now the current spreads are also displayed. The "File\|Save As\|Main data file" and "File\|Save As\|Archive data file" menu items have been replaced with "File\|Replace main data file." This enables you to load an archive file and save it as a main data file. You need to do this only if the main data file (main-dta.nfl) becomes corrupt or inaccurate and has to be replaced or if you are a new user and have been "playing around" with Forecaster.

8.	The printed reports for spreads plain, archive spreads, and archive scores can be framed and can have titles (ones you set or default date/time).

9.	Archive spreads displays and reports are more accurately captioned -- "Spreads for 2002-03: week 3" instead of "Spreads for the week following week-02.02" for example.

10.	NFL Forecaster’s registration method has changed. Instead of a registration code, we now send a small, customized file that is placed in the NFL Forecaster folder (subdirectory).

	Version 7.01 fixed a problem that occurred when printing the NFL Schedule; double-digit dates were sometimes printed as single-digit dates (Oct 2 instead of Oct 23).

	Version 7.02 fixed a labelling problem: AFC teams were labelled as NFC teams and NFC teams were labelled as AFC teams.

	Version 7.03 was a maintenance release.