Make FRENCH_DEPARTMENTS more user-friendly

[HB9BRJ]

I'm in the process of entering thousands of historc QSO data records from paper QSL cards into Log4OM. Whenever possible I'm trying to enter award data as well since the extra effort is negligible. This worked great for the German DLD award with DOK codes, but now I'm struggling with FRENCH_DEPARTMENTS:

None of my roughly 100 French QSL cards is showing the départment in textual form. Everybody is using the 2-digit number. So one needs to google for a lookup table online (hope the one I found is correct) in order to enter award information into Log4OM. This is error-prone and not user-friendly. The ActivationCodes in the XML should be extended by a prefix containing the 2-digit dept. number.

If somebody provides a complete and valid list and instructs me how to do it I'm willing to help.
Maybe such an update is not even wanted since it would make all previously entered data for this award invalid?

73, Markus

[IW3HMH]

Hi Marcus,
please refer to our award manager EI7JZ that is managing our database. He's very skilled on that part and could help you. A change on database will probably screw up everything on users that already have this award on their QSO so we should be really careful on that.

[OE6CLD]

Hi all,

The FRENCH-DEPARTMENT award included in Log4OM is only a generic award. I will check if I can find an up-to-date list for the official DDFM - Diplôme des Départements Français de la Métropole and provide this one.

73,
Claus, EI7JZ

[OE6CLD]

Hi Marcus,

I will upload the DDFM award today in the evening.

73,
Claus, EI7JZ

[HB9BRJ]

Hi Claus,

Thank you very much for clarifying the situation of this generic award.
Just saw your new post regarding DDFM. Will have to migrate the data already entered for FRENCH_DEPARTMENTS, but DDFM is so much easier to enter because department numbers are shown in the drop-down list.

vy 73, Markus
HB9BRJ / AE6MG

[OE6CLD]

Hi Markus,

You're welcome. Please also have a look at the DPF (if you re-assign the DDFM). Both are official French awards, the DPF (provinces) is a little bit easier.

Please let us know if you're interested in any other award yet not available in Log4OM - we will try hard.

73,
Claus, EI7JZ/OE6CLD

[F4BPO]

Dear all,

I do agree also that French Department award needs some improvements.
I am French and also struggling to use it.
Even if I know a lot of departments I do not know all of them and missing the department number in the list is a bit painful.

I understand that we cannot change much as everybody is using the list without the department number but if any chance it would be great to have something like :

01-AIN
02-AISNE
03-ALLIER
04-....

That would help a lot.

On another hand is there a way to automate this ?
When there is a lookup on QRZ.com with a French callsign it will fetch 95% of the time the zip code such as 13100, the two first letters are the department number, in this case could L4O update directly the French department as 13-BOUCHES DU RHONES ?
That would be awesome.

The only check to perform is :

1/ French DXCC (F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F8, F9)
2/ Zip code available then take two first letters and update the French Department award
2b/ Zip code not available => do not update the award.

Thanks

[IW3HMH]

It's possible and relatively simple, but current version of awards doesn't use those kind of informations, so only hard code is possible
And hard coding will break every kind of "user customization" in log4om awards...

maybe in a future improvement we can add a small logic bounded to the award, but actually it's not possible

[HB9BRJ]

Dear all,

I understand that we cannot change much as everybody is using the list without the department number but if any chance it would be great to have something like :
01-AIN
02-AISNE
03-ALLIER
04-....

That would help a lot.
Thanks

Greg

Use the DDFM award and your wish becomes reality!

73, Markus

[F4BPO]

Hi Markus,

Ok for DDFM but still some issues here :

- Department 28 missing
- Department 6 is first in the list cause it is 6 instead of 06

Can we update Manually ?