SpotLog - Notepad

The NotePad
The notepad is the page for recording loco sightings:

This screen is designed to provide an easy and quick way of capturing loco sightings

The first, and most important box is the top left "Num" box - this is where the numbers are entered.  Numbers can be entered using the normal device keys, or the large number pad on this screen.
You can also provide additional information such as railway (enter the railway short code), location or a note in the other boxes provided.
Note that the railway info and location info is only used if the tick boxes to the right of the text fields are ticked.


There is also a "now" tick box.  When this is ticked, records are entered with the current time and date, if this box is not ticked, you will be asked for the time and date when entering records (this allows you to record data after the event).


The "clr" buttons may be used to clear the location and note boxes if required.

Underneath the keypad buttons is the notepad list where records are held until they are processed into the data book and log.


Once information, primarily the number, is entered, click "Add" to record the sighting.  Note that there are three "Add" buttons:

• Add:  the left hand "Add" button records the train sighting.
• Add (P) on the right button does the same but with the additional information that a photograph was taken of the train.
• (add) adds the record to the notepad list (below the keypad) but does not attempt to process the record.  This is useful if you want to capture the number, but know you want to add more information (eg location or notes) before the record is processed.

When you click "Add" or "Add(P)" the information is added to the list below the number pads and the application will try to match it with a record in the databook.  While the matching process takes place, you can carry on entering numbers using the notepad.

When you click the add button, you will see the record appear at the top of the list under the number pad, and then disappear again once it has been matched - once it has disappeared, look in the databook or the log to see the record.

How the matching process works:

• If no railway code is given, the program looks for a unique match of the number with loco's defined in the data book.  If there is a match and only one match, the record is applied to that locomotive.
• If a railway code is given, the program looks for a unique match of the number with loco's defined for that railway in the data book.  If there is a match and only one match, the record is applied to that locomotive.
• If the record cannot be matched, or matches more than one loco record, the record is left in the notepad list.
• If the number is in UIC format, the UIC checksum is checked: the record will not be processed if the checksum is incorrect, instead the number remains in the notepad list (in red) so it can be edited and corrected.
• If a UIC format number is entered without the checksum, it will be processed as normal, ignoring the checksum on the loco record.

Example using Swiss RhB and MGB railways:

• I enter "107" using the notepad keys and click "Add"
• The record for 107 appears in the list under the notepad and the matching process starts.
• The matching process will find that there are two possible matches for 107:  a) an electric loco belonging to the MGB b) a steam loco belonging to the RhB. Since the matching process can not resolve this ambiguity, the record is left in the notepad list.
• If I had entered the railway code "MGB" and ticked the railway box, the matching process would have been able to resolve the record and add it to the log.

Resolving Ambiguities

If a record is not matched, it can be edited to get a match with the database.

To edit a record, click it in the notepad list - the data is removed from the list and put back in the notepad form - it can then be edited, or information such as company added and then the "Add" button clicked again.

Example - using the same information as above

• "107" has not been removed from the list, so I need to add or change information.
• Click the record in the notepad list - the data is loaded back into the form
• I enter "MGB" in the railway box and tick the railway tick
• I click "Add"
• The information - including the railway code is added to the notepad list and the match process is started
• This time - with the extra information, an exact match is found, so the record is transferred to the log and removed from the notepad list.