DOLINK is a program we developed to help manage our genetic 
data, particularly for linkage analyses. The user can use any 
database with which they are familiar, and then export the data 
to DOLINK which can then process it into a variety of different 
for formats for LINKAGE, ESPA, CRIMAP or KIN. Examples are also 
given of how the data can be exported directly from a database to 
programs such as SIMLINK, POINTER and PEDRAW.

Special features of DOLINK include: ability to target DOS or 
Unix; runs either interactively or in batch mode; alleles can be 
checked for compatibility; alleles can be coded using numeric 
and/or factor union notation; genotypes can be recoded to use 
fewer alleles with minimal loss of information; affection loci, 
quantitative loci, sex-linkage, liability classes and pedigree 
loops are all handled correctly. 

Other utilities are also provided to post-process LINKAGE output 
to produce graphs of lod scores, and to provide input to HOMOG, 
BTEST and FASTMAP. 

It is provided with example database files which work with two 
shareware databases, PC-File and File Express. PC-File is only 
shareware in USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and would 
have to be obtained separately. However shareware copies of File 
Express are widely available and should be available at the 
DOLINK sites, in files FE51-(A,B and C).ZIP.