Custom conventions not working in Full Disclosure

[John in the Sun]

Hi

 

Custom (user written) conventions do not work; apparently all of the users at the table must have a copy of the convention file on their computer. Since it's very impractical to upload any custom conventions to the opponents I suggest:

 

When a Full Disclosure CC is loaded, the software follow any convention links and integrate that bidding into the main CC's bidding. Then a user can define a custom convention and no one is required to have a copy of the convention, even partner.

[fred]

Hi John,

 

This aspect of the program is working as designed - the files in the "conventions" folder are distributed by BBO. If you edit these files or create new files in this folder you should not expect it to work properly. I strongly suggest that you don't get involved in doing this.

 

Instead, I suggest you simply merge whatever conventions you have created into your main FD file(s). Then everyone you play against will be able to see them.

 

If you have made some convention files that you think might be useful for the general BBO membership, feel free to send them to my by e-mail (fred@bridgebase.com). I can't make any promsies about when this might happen, but if I think your conventions might be appreciated by our members, they can be included in the repository of convention files that we distribute to everyone who logs in.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[John in the Sun]

Hi Fred

 

I'll make the following points, and then fold my tent on this issue. Perhaps one of my thoughts might make sense :)

 

1. I view custom conventions as an extension of custom convention cards. Why should we have custom CC's but not conventions?

 

2. I have a software background. Well written programs consist of a small "main" section with calls to various subroutines.

 

Similarly I view a well designed CC structure as one with most of the custom bidding residing in conventions and the main CC consisting of links to those conventions. This is an extreme example, just to illustrate my point:

 

*00{custom 2/1}=NYYYYYY2/1 with many specialized treatments

%BBEECDDDDCCCCCCBCCCCCCBDDFCCECGCBBBBBCCCCAAKGADGICAAGAADGI

+convention_1_minor.bss

+convention_1_major.bss

+convention_1_NT.bss

+convention_2_C.bss

+convention_2_weak.bss

 

3. This is why I wanted to write a custom convention in the first place:

Playing a big club system, we had very simple and natural bidding methods after a 1C opening bid and a negative 1D response. My partner proposed a change to a complex and artificial method. I wanted to give the new method a try without making wholesale changes to our CC, so creating the new bidding in a custom convention made a great deal of sense to me. With a one line change I could switch between methods.

 

I think this has value for any partnership - the ability to add or remove a convention / treatment with a one line change to a CC.

 

4. The change to the software probably involves modifying very few lines of code; perhaps as few as 6-10, and the change is backwards compatible.

 

 

Thanks for providing this forum for my thoughts!