This is a list of frequently (and not quite so frequently) asked questions about Canalplan AC
Yes. I have a prototype running and undergoing testing. You can download a reduced version for free now, and a full version will be available to purchase on CD in the near future.
Tough! Canalplan is made available in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
Please do. I'd appreciate an email if you do so, just for curiosity's sake, but it isn't important. If you want to link from a site that is connected with a particular place on the waterways (a marina or hirebase for example) then email me and I'll set up a special link that fills in the "Start Place" box automatically.
Please do not use any of the "mihalis.net" urls you may see when using the program - they may not always work. Instead, do the following:
It stands for "furlongs". The traditional way of measuring distances on canals is in miles and furlongs; a furlong being one eighth of a mile. If you don't like furlongs, but still want the output in miles, select "Miles" on the Options screen instead of the default "Miles and furlongs".
One reason for this could be that they are wrong! The data certainly isn't error-free. If, after reading the next paragraph, you think there is a real error, then please let me know.
However, a frequent source of confusion is with trips starting or finishing at a lock. The software works on the principle that you don't pass through locks in this circumstance. So, for example, if you start at Wheaton Aston lock on the SU and head south to Brewood or north to Norbury, in neither case will you pass through the lock. Most of the time this is the right thing to do (consider a trip from Braunston to Napton bottom lock and back to Napton junction - you don't want Napton bottom lock to be counted twice). If it isn't what you want, I'm afraid you'll either have to mentally add another lock, or find a place on the far side of the lock from the direction you are travelling.
Obviously, any automatic rule like this will get it wrong sometimes. If you can think of a better way to do this, please let me know and I'll look at adding it.
Yes please! See the How to contribute page for details
This question is asked, but not really as frequently as it ought to be. The answer is clearly "yes" - just hail Mintball if you see her. For maximum effect, make sure I'm on board!
Javascript is used for things that can only sensibly be done that way, and is usually used to improve things rather than to implement them - all proper processing being done on the server. However, some things (such as pop-up calendars, adjustable route tables and the like) can only really be done by using client-side scripting. If you can do so, please try the site with Javascript turned on.
No - I do much more boring managerial and adminstrative-type things. But if you happen to know of a good job for someone who can knock up an interactive web site like this in their spare time, then get in touch.
It means "asymmetry correction". The name ought to be balanced around the central 'P', but "Canalplan" is heavier on the left. Adding the asymmetry correction makes the name perfectly balanced.
That is Mintball, the Atty family boat. She was built in 1986 by Ron Tinker of Middleton near Manchester, is 52 feet long and powered by a BMC 1.5 Diesel Engine (rebuilt by Calcutt a couple of years ago). She has recently been repainted by Foxton Boat Services in slightly different shades.
For a hint as to origin of the name, see this link.
Probably - but I haven't decided what yet. An easy and elegant solution exists in the web specifications: you can define how pages should look on the screen and on paper, and make these different, using "Cascading Style Sheets, Version 2" - a web standard. At the moment, none of the popular browser manufacturers have bothered to implement these standards, prefering to add more and more features like newsgroup reading, movie players and the like. If they got their priorities right, life would be a lot easier.
I have wondered about producing things in a portable format such as "rtf" (if anything produced in Redmond can be called "portable"). If you think this is a good idea, or have other suggestions, please let me know.
My current favoured solution, but not in the near future, is to produce PDF files for printing, probably using an XML intermediate.
Of course, one reason you can't find somewhere is that it may be missing from the database. If, after trying everything in this section you think that this really is true, then please let me know and I'll try to add it for you.
But most often, the problem is that I've used a different form of the name of a place to you, and the one you are trying is a close match to some other place. Here are a few ways to try to find somewhere: