Adding Method Compositions

Adding method compositions

You add a method composition by selecting the Edit menu item and then clicking on Add Composition and Add Method Composition. This will associate a new composition with the current method collection.

When you select Add Method Composition, this dialog is shown:

Choose a composition type (Lead-end, Call-place or Random) by clicking on the one you want.

Type a name for this composition so that you can recognise it easily later. For example, you might enter the description of a Plain Bob composition as "Two courses of Plain Bob" if you enter a short touch, or as "Pritchard's Bob Major" if you've entered a peal composition.

The list of available methods in this method collection is shown down the left-hand side. If you want this to be a Specific composition, double click on the first (or only) method you want to ring. This will insert the method short name in the large (blank) composition box (for example, CAM is the default method identifier for Cambridge). (See Configuring method details for details of method short names and how to specify them.) Note that you cannot just type the name of the method into the composition box: you must double click the method list.

Now enter your composition. If this is to be a Lead-end composition, see Lead-end compositions for more detail and examples. If this is to be a Call-place composition, see Call-place compositions for details of composition syntax and examples. For random compositions, see Random compositions .

The normal Windows editing controls (select, delete, copy, cut, paste, etc.) work in the composition box. If you copy or cut a part of the composition, you can also paste it into other programs (eg, a word processor). Note however that you cannot paste text from other programs into Abel compositions.

Finally, if you wish, you can choose how Abel will end this touch using the "Stop At Rounds" control at the bottom of the Add Composition dialog. If this shows the word "off", then Abel will just use the setting of the Stop At Rounds button on the main Abel tool bar to decide what to do when the touch comes round. You can use the arrows next to the control to change the value shown. If "1" is shown, Abel will call "That's all" the first time rounds comes up; if "2" is shown, "That's all" will be called the second time rounds comes up; and so on. This feature can be used if you want to ring (say) plain hunt 6 times, or if you want to enter 240s of doubles or quarter peals or peals of minor.

Note: When you select a composition that has the Stop At Rounds counter set, Abel automatically turns off the Stop At Rounds button on the main tool bar; when you subsequently select a composition that does not have the Stop At Rounds counter set, Abel restores the original setting of the button. When you have selected a composition with the Stop At Rounds counter set, you can click the Stop At Rounds button back on, to override the counter and make the composition stop the first time rounds occurs.

When you have finished, click on OK to register your composition with the current method collection. Abel will perform some checks and will display warning messages if it finds something wrong with what you have typed. Abel will not however check for truth of a composition. If this is important to you, you should use an external proving program first.

If you want to create a composition that is similar to an existing one, you can click Edit/Dupicate Composion, to produce "Copy of" the existing composition - then use Edit/Edit Composition to change the name and content of the copy to produce the new composition.