+allavail+ and sit-out substitutes

[wnt53]

Please excuse my novice TD questions.

 

According to Richard Morici's post on April 2, 2020 in relation to Virtual ACBL Club Manager, "You should start all of your descriptions with +allavail+ followed by a space. This allows the game to delay for a minute or two when you have players offline or a half table. By starting with it you won’t forget later." https://blog.bridgebase.com/2020/04/02/the-virtual-acbl-club-manager-manual/. I have been advised by other experienced TDs to do the same.

 

Yet, since I have been adding the code, I have twice had issues with players being summarily ejected at the last minute and thus a sit-out created. I did not have this before. Worse, on the second occasion, I was unable to substitute the sit-out players with the real ones in the lobby. The first time I was at least able to insert a couple of random substitutes (I could not insert the ejected players because by then they were playing another tourney, at least that's what I thought at the time).

 

So, does +allavail+ do what Richard suggests and I have just been unlucky or had some other issue? Or does it actually do something different, i.e. start the tourney with only those available at the time the clock counts down? The latter is more consistent with the evidence in front of me right now.

 

However, it has arisen, is there a way to substitute sit-out positions with known players (players that have not marked themselves as available for substitution)? When I have tried, repeatedly, the invitation is issued, the player accepts and there is then an error message and they do not get to join. That should not happen, right?

 

Here's hoping I have missed something obvious.

[diana_eva]

Please excuse my novice TD questions.

 

According to Richard Morici's post on April 2, 2020 in relation to Virtual ACBL Club Manager, "You should start all of your descriptions with +allavail+ followed by a space. This allows the game to delay for a minute or two when you have players offline or a half table. By starting with it you won't forget later." https://blog.bridgeb...anager-manual/. I have been advised by other experienced TDs to do the same.

 

Yet, since I have been adding the code, I have twice had issues with players being summarily ejected at the last minute and thus a sit-out created. I did not have this before. Worse, on the second occasion, I was unable to substitute the sit-out players with the real ones in the lobby. The first time I was at least able to insert a couple of random substitutes (I could not insert the ejected players because by then they were playing another tourney, at least that's what I thought at the time).

 

So, does +allavail+ do what Richard suggests and I have just been unlucky or had some other issue? Or does it actually do something different, i.e. start the tourney with only those available at the time the clock counts down? The latter is more consistent with the evidence in front of me right now.

 

However, it has arisen, is there a way to substitute sit-out positions with known players (players that have not marked themselves as available for substitution)? When I have tried, repeatedly, the invitation is issued, the player accepts and there is then an error message and they do not get to join. That should not happen, right?

 

Here's hoping I have missed something obvious.

 

 

Hi.

 

For the +allavail+ string, the host must be online. And it's case sensitive, make sure you write it exactly like that, no typos and no other capitalisation. No breaks betweek the + and the word allavail.

 

Once you are certain the description string is typed correctly, make sure the host is logged on and online. Not the TD, the username vACBxxxxxx who created the tournament.

 

And finally, for the sitouts. There is a bug on client that prevents replacing a sitout with a selected sub. Please use this method to replace them instead:

 

 

[pescetom]

For the +allavail+ string, the host must be online. And it's case sensitive, make sure you write it exactly like that, no typos and no other capitalisation. No breaks betweek the + and the word allavail.

 

Once you are certain the description string is typed correctly, make sure the host is logged on and online. Not the TD, the username vACBxxxxxx who created the tournament.

 

And finally, for the sitouts. There is a bug on client that prevents replacing a sitout with a selected sub. Please use this method to replace them instead:

Hi Diana_eva,

thanks for the workaround to the selected sub problem.

Will the +allavail+ string work for tournaments created with a username that is not vACBxxxxxx ?

[wnt53]

Hi.

 

For the +allavail+ string, the host must be online. And it's case sensitive, make sure you write it exactly like that, no typos and no other capitalisation. No breaks betweek the + and the word allavail.

 

Once you are certain the description string is typed correctly, make sure the host is logged on and online. Not the TD, the username vACBxxxxxx who created the tournament.

 

Hi diana_eva

I am quite certain the string was typed correctly, all lower case no typos no spaces and a space after, before the rest of the description. And I was online and watching the start. I was playing in the Tourney. However, I am now suspicious that +allavail+ is not the problem. I had a tourney this morning and right before the start there were an even number of pairs. A second after the launch and a pair had been ejected and we had a sit-out. I did not know who they were so lived with it. Really annoying though. I see someone else has asked if this code is applicable to all tourneys.

[wnt53]

Hi.

And finally, for the sitouts. There is a bug on client that prevents replacing a sitout with a selected sub. Please use this method to replace them instead:

 

Hi diana_eva

Are you saying I type 'ui300'? What then happens?

Thanks for your help

[diana_eva]

Hi Diana_eva,

thanks for the workaround to the selected sub problem.

Will the +allavail+ string work for tournaments created with a username that is not vACBxxxxxx ?

 

No it won't work with any tournament. Only specific clubs, orgs, etc. have access to it. OP quoted from the ACBL Club manual so I assumed they were using an acbl club account. For those, it will work.

 

The next server upgrade lifts this restrictions and makes this setting available to any host. But until then only select orgs have it (typically the virtual NBO clubs).

[diana_eva]

Hi diana_eva

Are you saying I type 'ui300'? What then happens?

Thanks for your help

 

No. Write: sitout and in the other box, where my screenshot shows uii300, type the username of the player you want to place in that seat.

 

So for you it would be

 

Replace sitout with wnt53

This places user wnt53 in the empty seat.

[wnt53]

No. Write: sitout and in the other box, where my screenshot shows uii300, type the username of the player you want to place in that seat.

 

So for you it would be

 

Replace sitout with wnt53

This places user wnt53 in the empty seat.

Hi again diana_eva

So, can I be clear about this? Sorry to be slow. You are saying I sub myself in place of the robot (even though I am seated elsewhere in the tourney - in one instance at the sit-out table itself). Then replace myself with the players I want to bring in. Then put myself back where I was originally sitting? Is that right?

[wnt53]

Hi diana_eva

I am quite certain the string was typed correctly, all lower case no typos no spaces and a space after, before the rest of the description. And I was online and watching the start. I was playing in the Tourney. However, I am now suspicious that +allavail+ is not the problem. I had a tourney this morning and right before the start there were an even number of pairs. A second after the launch and a pair had been ejected and we had a sit-out. I did not know who they were so lived with it. Really annoying though. I see someone else has asked if this code is applicable to all tourneys.

Hi diana_eva

So, the last three pairs tournaments I have started all had an even number of pairs (i.e.whole tables) moments before launch and in all three cases one pair was ejected when the touney launched. These were small off-peak games. It had not happened before to me but it is now looking like a bit of a pattern. Am I doing something wrong? Is there a setting I have inadvertently changed. My club, understandably, are not best pleased with me! If it happens tomorrow, I will at least have your substitution workaround (subject to you confirming my understanding). But I would rather get it right first time.

[barmar]

Hi again diana_eva

So, can I be clear about this? Sorry to be slow. You are saying I sub myself in place of the robot (even though I am seated elsewhere in the tourney - in one instance at the sit-out table itself). Then replace myself with the players I want to bring in. Then put myself back where I was originally sitting? Is that right?

No, she's saying enter the name of the sub in place of ui300, which was just an example username in her screenshot.

[wnt53]

No, she's saying enter the name of the sub in place of ui300, which was just an example username in her screenshot.

Hi barmar

OK. That is what I did. The sub was initially accepted by the system, an invitation went out, this was accepted by the player but then the actual substitution was refused by the system. I did not capture the text of the error message that popped up briefly. But it did not work. Hence my confusion and thinking ui300 was some kind of special command.

[pescetom]

The next server upgrade lifts this restrictions and makes this setting available to any host. But until then only select orgs have it (typically the virtual NBO clubs).

 

Thanks. It certainly would be useful to all. Maybe it would be better if it was the default behaviour (so accept a +punctual+ setting for those who do not want it).

[vABF6778]

Do TDS with an vABFxxxx have access to it?

[diana_eva]

Do TDS with an vABFxxxx have access to it?

 

Yes, all virtual clubs had it.

 

Server was upgraded meanwhile, so all hosts have it now.

[criptik]

Yes, all virtual clubs had it.

 

Server was upgraded meanwhile, so all hosts have it now.

 

Does this mean a host for a regular free Private tournament could also use +allavail+ ?

 

If I have say 9 registered pairs and they are all online will the tournament start with a sitout? This is what I would want.

[diana_eva]

Does this mean a host for a regular free Private tournament could also use +allavail+ ?

 

If I have say 9 registered pairs and they are all online will the tournament start with a sitout? This is what I would want.

 

It will work for any tournament host now, yes.

 

If you have odd number of pairs, there will be a sitout.

 

What this string does is delay the tournament start until all pairs are available. But if you only have 9 pairs, it won't fill the half table.

[criptik]

It will work for any tournament host now, yes.

 

If you have odd number of pairs, there will be a sitout.

 

What this string does is delay the tournament start until all pairs are available. But if you only have 9 pairs, it won't fill the half table.

 

And will +allavail+ see a person even if that person is logged in as invisible?

[diana_eva]

And will +allavail+ see a person even if that person is logged in as invisible?

 

It's not related. You, as a BBO user, can see who is in the tournament registration desk, just like every other user who is looking at that screen.

[jprest]

Substituting and replacing substitutes is even more of a mess than these posts say. Like others on this thread I've had a pair vanish as the game starts, perhaps because I was using +allavail+, then sub them with random volunteers on the subs list, then quickly replace them with local players. Something that has not been mentioned here is that the history for these local players can be wrong. During the game their histories can show board 1 as -ve instead of +ve. Their final histories can show board 2 numbered as board 1 through to board 18 numbered as 17, with 18 blank. Probably this happens because they were not the players of record at the start of board 1. Certainly seems that fixes on the whole substitution process are overdue.

[criptik]

It will work for any tournament host now, yes.

 

If you have odd number of pairs, there will be a sitout.

 

What this string does is delay the tournament start until all pairs are available. But if you only have 9 pairs, it won't fill the half table.

 

Used +allavail+ for the first time and it worked nicely. One player from one pair was offline and the tournament did not start, sending me a message every minute or so. I had told the online member from that pair that we would wait 5 minutes. After 5 minutes still one partner missing but I was able to get things started by using the "Unregister Offline Teams" button from the Pending Tournaments menu. The tournament then started right away.

 

Q: Is there any limit to how long the tournament will delay starting for +allavail+ ?

[diana_eva]

Used +allavail+ for the first time and it worked nicely. One player from one pair was offline and the tournament did not start, sending me a message every minute or so. I had told the online member from that pair that we would wait 5 minutes. After 5 minutes still one partner missing but I was able to get things started by using the "Unregister Offline Teams" button from the Pending Tournaments menu. The tournament then started right away.

 

Q: Is there any limit to how long the tournament will delay starting for +allavail+ ?

 

I dont think there is a limit, but you can start the game when you are ready by deleting the +allavail+ string from the description. So just delete it, and the tournament will start.

[pescetom]

Q: will +allavail+ work for an individual tourney ?

[diana_eva]

Q: will +allavail+ work for an individual tourney ?

 

Works only for pairs.

 

All these +xxx+ "hacks" are just that, some quick craphacks to address various one-off needs that were rare enough to not require an interface.

 

Only reason we're releasing and documenting more of them is that the nature of our community has changed dramatically with so many "offline" players joining.

 

But in general all these + xxx + strings are to use with care, not thoroughly tested or documented.

[pescetom]

Works only for pairs.

 

All these +xxx+ "hacks" are just that, some quick craphacks to address various one-off needs that were rare enough to not require an interface.

 

Only reason we're releasing and documenting more of them is that the nature of our community has changed dramatically with so many "offline" players joining.

 

But in general all these + xxx + strings are to use with care, not thoroughly tested or documented.

 

Thanks. They all look basic and essential needs to me, but I understand as you said that the nature of our community has changed abruptly and I appreciate your elasticity in responding.

[barmar]

Thanks. They all look basic and essential needs to me, but I understand as you said that the nature of our community has changed abruptly and I appreciate your elasticity in responding.

Another reason for all the +xxx+ flags is that it means that we can make the change in just one place (the server) rather than having to update the user interface of all the clients. Which would be a problem since we stopped updating the Windows client over a decade ago, and the Flash client 3-4 years ago.