
                             --------------------------
                                 FE TECHNICAL SPECS

                          Dedicated to the advanced users
                                and the programmers
                          -------------------------------


1. Error codes

While exiting Fleet Evaluator generates an error code, from "0" (no errors)
to "xxx", where "xxx" stands for a number between 1 and 255.

If you will be using Fleet Evaluator as suggested in main documentation,
i. e. in your UNPACKX.BAT file, you could use these error codes to check
everything went all right while processing your turn data.

The main causes for errors are I/O problems, such as files missing or set as
read-only, or memory issues (althought FE doesn't use big amounts of RAM, it
just needs the base 640K).

This is a list of error codes, some are handled by the main program (i.e. a
message telling what happened shows on screen), some are just reported as
numerical errors. By using this list you can always have a clear idea of what
is going on.

-------------- cut ---------------------------
     
     ErrNoError        = 100;
     ErrOpenDBFile     = 101;
     ErrReadDBFile     = 102;
     ErrCreateDBFile   = 103;
     ErrWriteDBFile    = 104;
     ErrInsuffMem      = 105;
     ErrEraseOldDB     = 106;
     ErrRenDBToOld     = 107;
     ErrOutOfRange     = 108;
     ErrDataMismatch   = 109;
     ErrReadHullFile   = 110;
     ErrOpenHullFile   = 111;

     ErrReadMessFile   = 220;
     ErrOpenMessFile   = 221;
     ErrWriteLogFile   = 222;
     ErrAppendLogFile  = 223;
     ErrCreateLogFile  = 224;
     ErrReadKoreFile   = 225;
     ErrOpenKoreFile   = 226;
     ErrNoCurrentDir   = 227;
     ErrNoWorkDir      = 228;
     ErrShowHelp       = 229;
     ErrWrongParamWD   = 230;
     ErrNoDataFound    = 231;
     ErrTurnMismatch   = 232;
     ErrStaleData      = 233;
     ErrMissFiles      = 234;
     ErrReadGenFile    = 235;
     ErrOpenGenFile    = 236;
     ErrDataMismatch   = 237;
     ErrReadShipxyFile = 238;
     ErrOpenShipxyFile = 239;
     ErrOpenRepFile    = 240;
     ErrReadShipFile   = 241;
     ErrOpenShipFile   = 242;
     ErrReadTargetFile = 243;
     ErrOpenTargetFile = 244;

-------------- cut ---------------------------


2. Code format

Fleet Evaluator is written and compiled with Turbo Pascal 7.0, with "286
instructions" option turned on. If you would like to receive a 8086/88
version of FE, drop me a line (gosh, are you playing VGAP with an 8086? :).


3. FE Database format

As soon as I've decided the complete structure of FE database (fedb.dat),
I'll release it's format to the public. No big deal anyway, it's just a heap
of data with 500 targets info, score and turn number, one after the other.


4. FE database generation specifications

FE generates its databases by using two main sources of information: your
own ship list and the sightings of enemy ships. What can really help the
construction of a useful database are the RSTs from one or more allies.
Their spottings will become ours, and their ship lists will help the
database engine to match the real game data.
You may want to use the /(A)ctivity log switch to have an idea on how FE
operates at file level.


<cassa@geocities.com>