11/05/2009 New 2.5.2 version for Windows, expiring 01/31/2011
10/27/2009 New 2.5.2 version for Linux, expiring 01/31/2011
10/21/2008 New 2.5.1 version for Linux, bug fix, crash with summary without supplementary
fields.
05/19/2008 New 2.5.0 version for Windows.
05/16/2008 New 2.5.0 version for Linux, bug fix, flags enhancement, supplementary fields
in summary files.
08/25/2007 New 2.4.1 version for Windows, printers support improvement.
08/15/2007 New 2.4.0 version for Windows.
08/08/2007 New 2.4.0 version for Linux, bug fix, LSB 3.1, new country and address detail
fields, VAT reference in documents.
05/29/2007 Version 2.3.0 recompliled for Debian Etch.
04/03/2007 New 2.3.0 version for Windows.
03/29/2007 New 2.3.0 version for Linux, bug fix, new management for goods receipt, new
bar code and prices fields.
10/10/2006 New 2.2.0 version for Windows.
09/23/2006 Version 2.2.0 for Linux correction in search. Adding tags
in history files to make a grep search easier. An effort to comply with
LSB.
03/01/2006 Version 2.0.1 correction in documents layout with
discount.
01/27/2006 A first English issue (2.0) for Linux ( GTK2 )
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These three programs can produce the needed documents and databeses to manage a small business, trying to keep the concept and design as general as possible.
The accounting aspect of the management is not presently supported,
but we are open to any help/tip to implement it. (contact)
. A first step in this direction is to provide the exportation of
outgoing stock events in a log file using a CSV format that can be used
as input for an accounting management.
These pieces of software are written in C and based on the Linux
OS but have also been ported on MS-Windows. It
is fast, light, 'stand alone' and easy to install, the
user interface is based on the GTK
libraries in order to give the Linux user his usual environment.
Windows users will have to face some small differences which are easy
to overcome.
For Linux from version 2.4 we use the LSB.
The programs are not using any external database structure and are designed to give the user an easy and direct manipulation approach.
The database structure is full text based and so gives a very
easy access way to other programs. No other server ( apache, php,
...) or database (mysql, oracle ...) program is required to run
this.
You will be able to import or export data via Excel like (CSV) tables,
so you can migrate to another utility if this one doesn't fit your
expectations.
These applications will never attempt to
connect to the Internet for registration or control of any kind. But
the issues are limited in time(One year at version release).
The Linux version can work in networking
and need the NFS feature to be fully deployed (No direct network
access
is performed by the programs) .
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Menu and tool bar
A data display and capture Zone
A filters and selection Zone
-Fig. 1-
The tool bar commands :
, new customer data,
,
customer data,
customer
data,
,
data, 
an ongoing
task,
with (GPE), 
, 
accumulating all deliveries details for the selected customer. VAT and
totals are automatically established. A flag '#' in the Infos field of
the list warns you about pending invoices to be issued. 
which is similar to an invoice,
and Suppliers 
directly,
,
the 'Mail printer
scheduler' ,
,
The Menu bar gives you access to the Files manipulations, Parameters,
Options and the Actions detailed as in the Command bar.
No deep explanation of all these buttons is here required,
plenty of information and warning dialog windows are displayed for most
started actions.
When the user feels secure enough with the programs he can disable
those
infos via the options menu.
Here follows some important features descriptions of the
program.
In the selection area, filters criterias (Categories)
can be created via the parameters menu. 15 categories can be declared,
the length of each shouldn't exceed 15 characters.
The way you choose criterias is completely free. The filter
process will display all members whose 'Cat/Remarks' first word
will match the clicked category button label.
A 4 info flag toggle buttons set '$'
, '!' , '%' and '&' is also
available in the data display area. Here also, you can modify each info
label as you like in order to fit your own management design.
Those categories and flags have impacts on mailing, listing and export
selections. You can choose from the menu what Boolean law you want to apply on the
flags filter.
You can set or reset all flags in one go.
A Grep search thru the history files is
available via the menu.
The button 'Listing' 
is available from the tool bar for
the three windows, a filter mechanism is based on a logical OR calculation
of the activated flags. If none are selected all the items are listed.
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GPE is a very simple text editor that will be called by the core program when some text data has to be displayed or printed.
Here next examples for none and Postscript able
printers:
1) Please use the a2ps utility to translate your text to postscript format. (no more needed for version 1.3)
#!/bin/bash
# script gpe-prt
a2ps -q -1 -B --borders=0 -o
/tmp/toprt.ps $1
gs-prt /tmp/toprt.ps
2) A script 'prt' called by 'gpe-prt' to send the Postscript doc. to an Epson Stylus Color printer using Ghostscript tool .
#!/bin/bash
# script gs-prt
gs -sDEVICE=stcolor -sOutputFile=/tmp/to.lpr
-dNOPAUSE /usr/share/gs/6.53/stcolor.ps $1 -c quit
lpr /tmp/to.lpr
For Windows users a native printer utility is
added the to package to ease your printing requests.
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-Fig. 2-
This window( Fig. 2) will be displayed if you press the Delivery
document button.
In this window the button 'Import' will get the data from the last selected item
from Stock.
The button 'Add' 
inserts the item in the document( Max. 100 items per document.).
The button 'Edit' 
send the
document to GPE.
The button 'Save' send the
document to GPE and close it. Please ensure all is
100% OK !!! before you press this
command. A last modification can be done on the
document but the Stock adjustments will already be done.
Options Stock = Auto
must be activated from the menu options if you like the stock updates
automatically.
The flag '#' will then be set for the involved customer.
the button launches the 'Mail printer
scheduler'.
On Linux it is possible to choose 2 formats of output.
- Mode Text.
- Mode Postscript.
As for GPE you need to write a small script mps-txt and mps-ps
following the selected mode.
If you use the Postscript mode, calling a2ps is not
needed.
For Windows the GPE printer utilities
are used.
The addresses are printed at the position you will specified in the
parameters menu of the core program.
Each letter you will send to the members will receive the address
printed in a place that should fit the transparent window of the
mailing envelopes.
Printing addresses on sticky labels is for a future release.
The 'Order' Button 
enables an order document to be issued.
In version 2.3, a 'Receipt' button 
reopens the order session
to give the user the possibility to adjust its stock data upon goods arrival,
the option stock auto
must be activated. A record is also available in the log file.
The followup of the payements can be achieved via the supplier history file or by managing the transfer of document copies in a directory structure organised by the user.
The button 'Listing' will provide the stock value with
the category and flags filtering.
A listing example :
The automatic '#' flag warns you that the minimum has been reached.
The Supplier reference in an item data is used the verify the matching
when you fill an order document to a supplier.
Selecting an item within this window will make its data available for
both Customers and Suppliers managements.
Via the Menu/Parameters it is possible to initialize the letters A B C D with VAT values. These
letters are then usable in the %VAT
field.
Totals calculations take the price types in account in all documents you rise.
The curency symbol is retrieved from your locals setup.
History file:
The log file option:
Supplementary fields:
This option provides you a way to add 2 fields in the data capture
and saving process. The fields denomination is free and the input is
limited to 64 characters.
Please keep in mind, this is a not reversible
action!
Networking:
The suite on a
Linux platform can work in networking environement.
The under lying idea is to create some work stations( selling stations
)
with limited access that can rely on the same database.
The so called Selling stations,
will be able to:
Network setup:
1) Create a NFS server and install the Suite in local
mode.
2) On the Selling stations install the Suite also in
local mode. Then create a 'clients_nfs' directory
in the $HOME of each station. These directories must be linked to the
NFS server to the $HOME/clients
one. This should be defined in /etc/fstab
and /etc/export files ( Please refer to the NFS Howto's ). When
the 'clients_nfs'
on the station is mounted you can turn the Suite in network mode.
On version 2.5.0 possible crash with summary activated and no supplementary fields,
please upgrade to 2.5.1.
LSB3.1 is required for version 2.4, please ensure the packages LSB3.1 (core C++ desktop)
to be installed. The command 'lsb_release' can return the status of the LSB level.
On version 2.2.0 navigation problem with tke keyboard in categories selection,
will be fixed on next release, please use the mouse.
The languages in documents are not supported on 2.2.0 .
Will be fixed on the next release.
If you can't open an item form the list, it is probably locked by a
'???.lck' file in the $HOME/clients(Linux) or
C:\clients_db\clients(Windows)directory. You can deleted this file if
you are sure no one else is using the corresponding data. This can
happen by an unsuitable exit even from the program.
For Ubuntu user, you should go in su mode with the sudo -i command to install with the
script install.sh.
If the GTK2 test fails just invoke xhost
+ before you go in su mode.
The file
< .phdm_gtkrc > example
can be add in $HOME to tune the GTK look for the Suite.
Up
For the time being this work is not 'Open
Source'.
Please create backups of your data before
any upgrade.
For linux $HOME/clients - For Windows
c:\clients_db\clients.
Please, launch 'clients' first after any upgrade action.
You'll need also the dll gtk2
for
Windows(95,98,2000), if not already installed. (2.3MB): download
You can install the dll generally in the system32 directory or in the same
one you used for the program.
For Windows XP or + : gtk2_16_dll_en (5MB)
Please read the attached INFO.
You'll need a Keycode to activate the full features.
Version expiring on the 31st of January 2011.
