[Dxbase] DXbase2007 - standalone EXE program to make a TXT file for the CQDXMarathon Award

Mon Jan 7 23:58:06 EST 2008

To all:
ONLY for the DXbase2007 users - who wish to submit
for the Calenday Year 2008 CQ DX Marathon Award:
I will try to give you some instructions on how
to use the EXE (standlone program) file that I have made
for the CQ DX Marathon award..
BIG NOTE here! --- this program (my exe program) is structured
to match with the most recent version of the xls worksheet
at the CQ website at:
http://dxmarathon.com/
The most recent version right now is:
DX Marathon Scoresheet-V2008.2.xls
Download the above mention xls file from the CQ website.
You can save it to either your DXbase2007 directory or
to your EXCEL program directory..
Download the ZIP file containing the standalone exe
program file from:
http://www.navycthistory.com/wa6axe/CQDXMarathonTEXTfilemaker_2.zip
<http://www.navycthistory.com/wa6axe/CQDXMarathonTEXTfilemaker_2.zip>
Extract the exe file from the above ZIP file and save that
exe file to your DXbase2007 Main Directory.
Execute/Run the standalone exe program.
The EXE program makes a "text" file entitled:
ExcelInput.txt
Once you run the exe program - you will find the above
ExcelInput.txt file -- in your DXbase2007 Main Directory.
Then you will run your EXCEL spreadsheet program.
"Open" the ExcelInput.txt file into a virgin spreadsheet.
NOTE! - different EXCEL versions will Open the TXT file
differently -- here is just one example from N4TL:
I did an open file and Excel did not show the text file until "All 
files" is selected. Otherwise only the .xls files are shown. I selected 
the text file and next Excel then opens up the "Text import wizard".
In Step 1 of 3, It asks Chose the file type that best describes your 
data. I chose Delimited and Next.
Step 2 of 3. in the Text import Wizard, select the Delimiter. Tab is
checked, so I changed it to Comma. and did a next.
Step 3 of 3. in the Text import Wizard, This screen lets you select each
column and the data format. I left General checked and did Finish.
The data was read in as shown in the ExcelInput.xls file.
If you have the 1A entity in your logbook for Calendar Year
2008, that entry will start at CELL D17 ...
Once you have the text file opened into your virgin
spreadsheet, leave that EXCEL program window where it is and,
then -- open the EXCEL program "again" and this time OPEN
the DX Marathon Scoresheet-V2008.2.xls file .. This is the
"template" xls file that you downloaded from the CQ website.
Staying with the DX Marathon Scoresheet-V2008.2.xls file
window (spreadsheet), Highlight cells D17 thru I17 .. do a
COPY ...
Go back to the TXT file version of the EXCEL spreadsheet,
and Click-on Cell D16 -- then go to Main Menu Edit / Paste /
Paste Special -- and select Paste Format ... this action
will then FORMAT the columns D thru I with the proper
format - for the final xls file.
Stay with the TXT file version of the EXCEL spreadsheet,
and "highlight" CELLS D17 thru and including I360 ..
COPY those cells to the clipboard .. you have now copied
all of the 344 CQ Magazine entities' entries ...
Go now - over to the EXCEL program window that has the
actual DX Marathon Scoresheet-V2008.2.xls file open in it ..
and Click-on Cell D17 ... Then PASTE the contents of the
clipboard ... you should now have your "countries" qso data pasted
directly into your "template" that you will use to send
to CQ Magazine website (Award Manager).
Go back to the TXT file version of the EXCEL spreadsheet,
and "highlight" CELLS D362 thru and including I401 ..
COPY those cells to the clipboard .. you have now copied
all of the 40 CQ Magazine Zone entries ...
Go again - over to the EXCEL program window that has the
actual DX Marathon Scoresheet-V2008.2.xls file open in it ..
and Click-on Cell D362 ... Then PASTE the contents of the
clipboard ... you should now have your "Zones" qso data pasted
directly into your "template" that you will use to send
to CQ Magazine website (Award Manager).
You should now have the DX Marathon Scoresheet-V2008.2.xls
finished with any/all of your Calendar Year 2008 QSOs that
my exe program selected..
NOTE!! ---
here are some tips that should help you know "what" my
EXE program is "looking for" when it comes to the EXTRA
6 entities that the CQ DX Marathon award has ...
4U1VIC -- I am just looking for the callsign 4U1VIC
GM/Shetland -- I am looking for the GM country prefix AND also
 for the IOTA column to have EU012
IG9/IH9 -- I am looking for the I country prefix AND also
 for the Callsign to have "either" IG9xx
 or xxxxx/IG9
 -- or --
 I am looking for the I country prefix AND also
 for the Callsign to have "either" IH9xx
 or xxxxx/IH9
IT -- I am looking for the I country prefix AND also
 for the Callsign to have "either" IT9xx
 or xxxxx/IT9
 -- or --
 I am looking for the I country prefix AND also
 for the Callsign to have "either" ITxxx
 or xxxxx/IT
JW/Bear Is. -- I am looking for the JW country prefix AND also
 for the IOTA column to have EU027
TA1 -- I am looking for the TA country prefix AND also
 for the Callsign to have "either" TA1xx
 or xxxxx/TA1
You can SAVE the DX Marathon Scoresheet-V2008.2.xls
file -- if you wish -- and one year from now - when you do these actions
for REAL (with ALL of the 2008 Calendar Year QSOs) - you will be ready 
to send the finished file to the CQDXMarathon Award manager.
I personally do not own a usable EXCEL program .. but, for any
DXbase2007 user who does have the EXCEL program - you can use this
standalone exe program to make the input for your 2008 CQ DX Marathon
Award xls file ..
Have FUN!
73 Joe wa6axe