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
This should install mercs.exe into folder "c:\program files\neper\mercs". You now need to apply the update files for any module showing a version number higher than v2.85a (e.g. 2.85b or 2.86) and for the "Results processing module" and for the "Relay results processing module". 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:\program files\neper\mercs". You will need passwords from Michael Napier for the results processing modules.

To run MERCS, click Start, select Programs, Orienteering and MERCS to launch MERCS (or run c:\program files\neper\mercs\mercs.exe). You may wish to create a desktop short cut.

Getting started

• 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 file the simercs.zip file obtained from BOF National Office 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 and MDOC on-line entry systems. 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. 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 create the following folders:

• MERCS Root folder: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\mrcdata
• MERCS Home folder: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\mrcdata\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: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\mrcdata\events\members. This folder contains BOF membership archive files (only created when you import membership details from siMercs.zip).
• MERCS Files folder: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\mrcdata\files. This folder contains a copy of the module (.app) files in the installation.

Networking

On the Server make the folder that contains the MERCS Root folder (initially C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents) sharable. I have a folder called c:\shared which is sharable and I copy the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\mrcdata folder to c:\shared.

Then, on each work station:

• Select the events.dbf file in folder, say, s:\mrcdata\events
• Click Apply, ...

Updates

If you put MERCS update modules (.app) files into the MERCS Files folder on the server, 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.