Since early 80th, those days in Hong Kong and Taiwan tranditional chinese metaphysics sector circles as well as the entertainmemt sector circles (eg. Movie stars, tv stars, singers) have been very hot about going for 《 鐵版神數 tieban shen shu,》for destiny telling. The English translation would be "iron plate oracle destiny telling". Out of my curiority, I bought in my first book which was written by the famous TCM old master Leung xiang run 梁湘潤 (1930-2013) in Taiwan, so as to understand more about thus TCM fortune telling method as well as why it is so attractive.
八十年代初, 在港台命理界和娛樂界均盛行著《 鐵版神數》批命。因好奇之下, 也買了本 台灣沙門梁湘潤先生 所編著的《 鐵版神數》來查討下何謂 《 鐵版神數》又有何吸引力。
This book was published in Hong Kong by the 麒麟出版社 publisher and printing company. This book consists of 241 pages, at that time was selling at HKD 20 ( = euro 2.27 approx now but at the value of 30-40 years ago) I believe, this book is the first edition due to the date of the aurther's preface is Republic of China calendar 64th year 10th month, converted to western calendar would be 1975.
這本是 香港的麒麟出版社所印發, 全書共二百四十一頁。當時售價港幣二十元。我想這是初版, 依作者序文日期是中華民國六十四年十月, 即西曆一九七五年, 也是我首本 《 鐵版神數》書籍吧。 
As per the preface, there are various versions of 《 鐵版神數》available and being used for the fortune tellung, especially the destiny description notes used are vary among each other. Nowadays those commonly used ones are the versions written in ancient china ching dynasty time. In general, there are 3 main stream versions commonly used:
序文有説及,《 鐵版神數》在坊間有好幾種不同之版本, 尤其是「 數序 」所附之吉凶合註文, 甚有大之差別, 目前所能是到之版本, 皆屬” 清代 ”之作品, 最流行之版本, 一共有三種： 
1） 南派 數序有一萬二千條  "nan pai" (pai = school/lineage) has 12,000 pre-numbered destiny description notes
2） 江南派 數序有五千條 "jiangnan pai" has 5,000 pre-numbered destiny description notes.
3） 中州派 數序有一千二百條 "chung chou pai" has 1,200 pre-numbered destiny description notes
Nowadays the "nan pai" school/lineage version seems to be the majority, using 12,000 pre-numbered destiny description notes. 《 鐵版神數》Is regarded as the most complicated destiny telling method.as it has included various TCM methods and formula (周易河洛數序, 卦爻策數, 五行干支, 紫微斗數, 子平法, 七政四餘。。。。) as parts of its computation.
目前所見者為南派者居多, 即是一萬二千條註文之吉凶條文。 《 鐵版神數》為命理學中最為淵博之一部巨著, 其中包賅之範圍, 自漢代之三統曆以迄至清代之時憲曆。 取材包含 ” 周易河洛數序, 卦爻策數, 五行干支, 紫微斗數, 子平法, 七政四餘。。。。 ” 等等。 
This book has explained what are those TCM theories, methods and formula being used in the 《 鐵版神數》, with explanations about their basis and fundamental information. It has taken me several times repeatingly reading slowly about the book content for understanding, due to the contents involved some TCM methods I havw not studied or have limited knowledge about. The purpose and content of this book are not to guide.the readers on how to operate and to use it, but is to give a proper and comprehensive introductive view of information about the 《 鐵版神數, prior to the next steps for further studies. Due to this book, subsequently I bought in few relevant reference books for studies.
這本書也介紹了各種被《 鐵版神數》所涉及的術數其基本法則, 本人資質低庸, 實不容易即看了便全明白, 要翻看多次又再參巧其它所涉及的術數專門書籍作輔導。然而, 這書隻可作為對《 鐵版神數》有一個正確全面性的初步認識, 並非能帶你走入如何起數後至運算出條文序號。 因緣購入這書閱讀, 也引致後來買進其它相關書籍作研究學習。 
****************************
《鐵版神數》is said to be first invented in ancient china song dynasty by the famous TCM master 邵雍. The mysteriousness and interesring of this fortune telling is, it can also tell very accurate about a person's family members in details, such as the chinese animal zodiac of the father, mother, brother(s) and sister(s), wife and children, whether have step parents, number of brothers and sisters and children, number of wife or hubby from re-marriage, whereas other TCM fortune telling methods could NOT achieve at such lowest level of details and also accurately. In bazi method, it follows to use the ancient clock timing way, ie 24 hours are mapped into 12 earthly branch time slots, whereas the 《 鐵版神數》even further decompose each EB time slots to 8 sections 一時辰有八刻 for its calculation through various complicate sets of formula extracted from different TCM methods.
The format of the above-mentioned "prenumbered destiny description notes" is similar to those listed in the 《河洛理數 he luo li shu 》. See below photos attached.
By now, I know very little about this mysterous destiny telling method so don't know how to use it, but surely it is always good as having something interesting for continuously exploring from time to time.
http://tiensum.blogspot.sg/?m=1