MERCS
Install Guide
If you have previously installed MERCS v2.84, please e-mail or call Michael Napier for specific instructions.
To install the Visual Foxpro runtime library please run (or download, save and run) vfp7runs.exe:
Visual Foxpro 7 runtime library.
The Visual Foxpro runtime library need only be installed once for both Colour and MERCS.
To install MERCS run (or download, save and run) the MERCS installation program:
Installation file
You should install mercs.exe into folder "c:\mercs" (or "c:\shared\mercs" on a server) rather than the default folder of "c:\program files\neper\mercs". You now need to apply the update files for all modules. See Update MERCS.
To Update MERCS download as required each of the update files (see the Download section on the previous page) into an appropriate folder or onto the desktop. Use WinZip or similar to extract the contained files into folder "c:\mercs" or "c:\shared\mercs" or whichever folder that contains mercs.exe.
For Windows 7, 8 or 10, click on
Dynazip
to download the Dynazip installation component and save in the MERCS installation folder (typically c:\mercs or c:\shared\mercs).
Click on
Wsc4fp
to download the Marshall Soft Windows Serial Component and save in the MERCS installation folder (typically c:\mercs or c:\shared\mercs).
To run MERCS, click Start, select Programs, Orienteering and MERCS to launch MERCS (or run c:\mercs\mercs.exe or c:\shared\mercs\mercs.exe). You may wish to create a desktop short cut.
Getting started
These guidelines assume you are familiar with Colour
Download an up-to-date BOF membership onLineEntry.XML file
Run MERCS
- Click Maintenance
- Select Settings menu, select Dynazip and Install
- Still in the Maintenance screen, click Import, select BOF Membership List (and in the Open
dialogue select the latest BOF membership onLineEntry.XML file and click Import).
- Still in the Maintenance screen, click Printers, select the appropriate A4 printer and splits printer. Make sure that the A4 printer is also the default printer. Some MERCS A4 reports still use the windows default printer not the A4 printer specified in this dialogue.
- Exit Maintenance
- From Main Menu screen, click Event, click New. Complete details for a test "Cross-country" event
making event date today (you cannot get into Results if event is in the future).
- From Main screen, click Courses
- If using EMIT, make sure EMIT is ticked.
- Click Courses, click New and enter M21L for classes, save and click New and enter M35L and M40L for classes and save.
- Click Course details, and enter control codes for the two courses.
- From Main screen, click Forms, click New for a new entry form (complete details and Save) then add some entries (click Add, enter details and Save). Note, ignore any warnings about adding entries on the day of event.
- From Main screen, click Results. Select the Splits menu and select appropriate printer (and other
options). Make sure the splits printer is appropriate for the printer driver specified in Maintenance for the splits printer. Select 'Test splits print'.
- Still in results, select COM port and, if EMIT, type of reader.
Click Download and try downloading some e-cards.
- That is basically it. Note, MERCS can import entries from Fabian4. For help setting up for an event call or e-mail Michael Napier.
File locations
MERCS Install folder
Unless otherwise specified, mercs.exe and the module (.app) files are installed into folder C:\Program Files\neper\mercs. However, you are strongly recommended to have installed MERCS into folder c:\mercs or better still, especially on a server, c:\shared\mercs. The MERCS install program only installs files into this folder. Thus, uninstalling MERCS will remove the contents of this folder and will not remove any event/data files.
MERCS Home folder
When you run MERCS for the first time it will designate one of the following as the "Root" folder:
- c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\mrcdata\
- c:\mercs if MERCS installed into folder c:\mercs.
- c:\shared\mercs if MERCS installed into folder c:\shared\mercs.
and create the following folders (where "~" represents one of the above "Root" folders):
- MERCS Home folder: ~\events. This folder contains a file called events.dbf (which keeps a list of events in this Home folder) and a sub-folder for each event (the name of which you specify in the Directory field when you create a new event).
- MERCS BOF folder: ~\events\common. This folder contains BOF membership archive files (only created when you import membership details from onLineEntry.xml). [Note, the 'common' subfolder has been 'archive' and 'members' in the past.]
- MERCS Files folder: ~\files. This folder contains a copy of the module (.app) files in the installation.
If the "Root" is c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\mrcdata\ please call Michael Napier for instructions to move the "Root" to c:\mercs or c:\shared\mercs.
Please note that on Windows Vista and Windows 7 c:\Documents and Settings\All users may have a different name.
Networking
On the Server make the folder that contains the MERCS Root folder (initially c:\mercs, c:\shared\mercs or C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents) sharable with write permission. I strongly recommend sharing folder c:\shared and if necessary copying all the files and subfolders in folder C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\mrcdata into folder c:\shared\mercs.
Then, on each work station:
Map the shared folder to a drive letter (say S:)
Install MERCS (on local disk in folder c:\mercs or c:\shared\mercs)
Run MERCS, click Maintenance, click Network, click New path
- Select the events.dbf file in folder, say, s:\mercs\events
- Click Apply, ...
Updates
If you put MERCS update modules (.app) files into the MERCS Files folder on the server (i.e. c:\shared\mercs\files, then MERCS will be able to update itself on the workstations. In this way you only need to put the update modules in one place only.