Infotran is really pretty simple to use. Yes, it helps if you know how the program actually works and I will try to explain what I have learned, by usage, about it.

First of all, when you download Infotran from Brisnet there are several text files that you can open and read that will give you some history about how the program came to be. There is a file called "ITF.txt" or "ITF.rtf" that explains the workings of the program, explaining the control file, target file, source file etc.. Some have trouble getting much out of this file so I will try to help out with it.

There are 3 files that are required for "ITF.exe", the executable file for the program, to work. When you double click "ITF.exe" a DOS window will appear. Click any key on your keyboard and you will start seeing prompts.

You will be asked for the name of your control file, the name of your source file, and the name of your target file.

The control file does just that, it controls which data is sent to the target file,in what order, and allows you to put groups of data on separate lines or rows in the spreadsheet, like putting each past performance race on it's on row in Excel. The control file for "AllData PPs.xls" is named: "alldata.brs".

The source file is the comma-delimited data file you want to work on. The Bris DRF single file format file would look something like: "Hou0118.drf", the MCP file would look the same except it would have ".mcp" instead of ".drf". You can also use TSN data files with their own file names.

The target file is simply a blank text file. You can use "Notepad", or most other text editors, to create it and just name it "target.txt".

The toughest part is the control file, but,it's not rocket science, by any means.

If you open "AllData.brs"(my control file for all 1435 data fields), in "Notepad", you will see all the fields in the raw data file and in what order each of the data pieces appear in the target file.

The first thing you will see is this: */

Those symbols allow you to write comments, the program ignores any line that begins with */

The first data field is today's track name. That is the very first data field in the Bris or TSN single file format files. So, it is field #1. So the first data line is:

1,   B1   Track

the "1" is the field number, the "," tells the program that the field number has ended and that anything, on that line, after the "," should be ignored. So, The "B1" entry and the "Track" entry are simply my own notations. "B1" is the Excel cell location that will contain the track name (after selecting a race to handicap) because column A will be row numbers created by "ITF.exe". I put the cell number and the description of the data there for future reference, for using formulas in Excel. You can type anything after the "," that you want, it will be ignored by the program.


The next line has this: 2,  C1  Date  (this is today's race date)

The next line has this: -1,  D1 Blank cell

(A negative number, less than 100, will enter a blank field in the target file. So, cell "D1" in my spreadsheet will be a blank cell.)

Now scroll down until you find this:

-111,  This ends the (1st record or Excel row for this horse).

Any number less than -99 will cause all the previously listed fields to be sent to the target file, all on the same row.

So, the first row of the target file contains data pertaining to today's general race information.

Next you see the "Today's Horse/Jockey/Trainer/Owner Data" for this horse.

Next you see "Horse History Data" for this horse.

Next is "Current Horse Stats" for this horse.
 
Next is "Horse Workout Data" for this horse.

Next is "Horse Past Performance Data" for this horse.

In the past performances area you will notice that the first section is for "PP#1" or the horse's most recent race. At the end of that section you will see the "-111," which sends that most recent race data to the target file, on it's own row. Next is "PP#2", it is simply a copy of "PP#1" except for the field numbers, of course. The remaining 8 PPs are done the same way with the field numbers changing incrementally and each PP being put on its own row in Excel.

So, when this is all imported into Excel you will have your data organized into General race data, today's horse/jockey/trainer/owner data, current horse stats, workout data, and, finally, the horse's past performance data.

Now open the "instructions_for_infotran_itf_exe.txt" file I have posted and read on.