KIA LogBook Project Page

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KIA LogBook
KIA LogBook demonstrates techniques to build your own logging program using Standard or Learning edition controls. I have a logger program my son loves that uses db-IV tables and sql. That application comes close to a commercial program. This one doesn't. I share what I have learned about building a logging program using the introductory compilers. You can have fun with the introductory compilers and write a workable logging program for your next state QSO party or whatever.

The only other code for a 'full featured' logger on the Internet, as this is written, is the VB6 project by N1MM. Nice program. The source is lots of code and is a wonderful resource for advanced programming techniques. It is difficult for a beginner to understand the source. You do need VB6 Pro to read the N1MM Access logbook. If you are a more advance programmer in VB, check out his site instead of this project. Tom has the Corvette, this is an Escort. Both Tom and I are willing to share our code.

I'm not a professional programmer so my code can certainly be improved. Most of the code works quite well though a professional might have a more clever or staight forward solution. I'll post inprovements to the project if I receive them from readers.

KIA LogBook is a simple framework. It is NOT a final product. There is some error control, not a lot. It has a dupe checker, a partially implimented contest multiplier check sheet and elementary provisions to print the log. It can retrieve saved logbooks from a list, keeps track of QSO numbers and previous log contact information can be modified. If you don't like how something works, you can modify the code with your own methodology. If you are not satisfied with the screen, shift the controls around for your own preferences. If you need a larger font, make the existing font larger.

The logger uses my KIADX.dll that recognizes DXCC entities based on callsigns. The DLL is adapted from a VB3 program by K9WIS although KIADX is written in Delphi. A future edition will provide coordinate information and a built in bearing/distance calculator. The dll works with both VB and Delphi 32-bit compilers. I don't know if it will work with 16-bit compilers. If you try to use the DLL with Delphi 1 or Visual Basic 3, please let me know it worked out.

Download Delphi Logger 90kb

Download VB Logger 65 kb

 

ADIF FILES

Reluctant to use a homebrew logging program because the files aren't compatiblewith your CT, EQI or other program? ADIFand Delphi/VB make it 'simple' to exchange logbook information with any logger having ADIF file conversion capabilities!

ADIF is the file transfer protocol used by the proposed "Logbook of the World" and most commercial and shareware amateur radio software developers to exchange log data between programs.

The following Delphi code converts KIA LogBooks to ADIF files. Modify the code to work with your own logger's format. With very minor modifications, similar algorithms will work with virtually any ASCII based logging file. With a little more work, it can work well converting dbf files. I haven't tried to write the code to convert Access logbooks. As written, the utility reads your KIA Logbook Project and gives a choice of writing an ADIF file to disk or just post the conversion in a memo. It converts BOTH the Delphi and Visual Basic versions of the KIA LogBook. Since Delphi source can be read with a text editor, Visual Basic users should be able to modify the algorithm to do the conversions with VB. If you are a VB user but can't get it converted, send me an e-mail and I will send you an exe file (it will only work with the LogBook file format as originally written, however.) If you are a VB user and make the conversion, others would probably appreciate using your code. Send me a copy of your code and I will post it or provide a link to your web-site. Download KIA-ADIF 8kb

Get free Delphi beta code to change files from CT, EQF and other ADIF compattible loggers into KIA LogBook Project files by E-mailing me with the words 'ADIF files' in the subject line. I'll send you the beta Delphi algorithm(s) I have so far.

Visit http://hosenose.com/adif/adif.html for complete ADIF specifications.

 

 

Remember, this is for fun.

73,

Steve, WB5KIA

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Delphi
The Delphi version uses a StringGrid for the log in memory. It works but it probably would have been better to use a dynamic array for the log in memory and typed fields.

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Visual Basic


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Other
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updated 7/25/2003