You are basically correct. Technical BS follows.

What the user seems to want is the string that was in the exchange field before logging the QSO. N1MM does not store the string that was in the exchange field. Rather, it parses it out into individual elements and stores them in separate columns in the database.

Cabrillo export is always in the contest of a single contest. There are classes for all the various contests and these classes include methods that assemble the individual fields back into a string to meet the Cabrillo specification (this is simplified, but close enough). A contest class is always already instantiated when you Generate Cabrillo.

ADIF exports can span multiple contests. The export code simply creates the WHERE clause for the SQL to return the QSO records wanted and passes it off to an ADIF file printing routine. In order to get the columns required and the information in the correct order to recreate the original exchange field you’d need to instantiate an instance of every contest class you came across in the QSO rows processed AND you have the include all the “special” code in the Cabrillo routines to process contests like ARRL SS.

Since all the raw fields are available already and there is IMO, zero value to recreating the way you may or may not have typed the exchange (SS allows entry of the elements in almost any order) I don’t think John or I see this as worth the effort required to redesign enough code to do it right. No one wants to make a hash.

Al

AB2ZY

Not sure what the problem is here -- when I import an ADIF contest file from N1MM into my normal logger program Logger32, all fields are imported -- contest name, SRX, STX, RSTS, RSTR. This all happens automagically!!!
Maybe I don't understand what is being asked here!
73
Ken ZL4NR

Hello everybody,
I confirm what Jeff K6QCB says (thanks!!)
and I also add that when I export the field STX STX_STRING to CABRILLO, that is, the RST report string is present in its entirety.
So if it is present in EXPORT CABRILLO, somewhere it must remain registered and therefore also in ADIF it should not be as complicated as described.

As you can see in the photos of some contests where the STX and STX_STRING fields are present as both 'as numeric' and 'as string' fields...

CQ WPX SSB CONTEST:
ARRL DX SSB CONTEST
CQ WW SSB CONTEST:
SAC SSB CONTEST:
CQ WW RTTY CONTEST:
and the same for all other cabrillo exports....
In my Home Made LogBook (Wlog2000) I link these 2x2 fields STX, SRX, STX_STRING and SRX_STRING in 4 lines only of code, both in export and in import if they are present.
Even in the N1MM+ EXPORT in CABRILLO it warns me that [THE EXPORT FILE WILL BE USED WITH FIELD xxx] in the start window...
I think it takes very little to insert this field also in the ADIF export, I don't see what problem there can be. If it does not exist, which does not seem, it would be enough to open a window to insert the FIXED export FIELD for STX and SRX or STX_STRING and SRX_STRING.

Where then a very simple command assigns the STX or STX_STRING

<<IF IsNumeric(field) then goto 'STX' else goto 'STX_STRING'>>

But don't tell me to import in CABRILLO, which is a standard for contest and not for data exchange between different software born precisely as 'Amateur Data Interchange Format' and not anto as CABRILLO from Trey N5KO as say 'use in the submission of contest logs'.
As we well know it can be done with a simple ascii/txt editor with find&replace or with third-party applications, such as ADIF MASTER to add/mod fields, yes, but why not make it easier to export and import complete data in your general logbook appliant to ADIF formulations directly in to N1MM+?

Thanks for a consideration with best wishes to all STAYSAFE STAYHOME... ;-)
73's
Franco