Timeforge Integration - First Steps

So, first real step was taken today... to see how long it would take to get the workstation components into the POS interface, to make a homogenious environment for the POS user to update the required data for Timeforge.

In the POS Bootcamp, this is something that took about 10-15 minutes, after all the discussions... after about 45 minutes or so, I finally got things working. It turns out the manifest file gets to be quite picky. In the manifest file, you define the following (according to the POS 2009 Beta 2 SDK Documentation):

<AddinManifest>
<AddinAssembly
assembly="Name of the developer's add-in .dll file"
implementedViews="Microsoft.Rms.AddInViews.ServiceModel.IPosAddIn"
namedPermissionSet="FullTrust"
exposeUI="true/false"
addInID="b9ac2dda-1520-4a48-b8da-ac187b0ad172"
addInDisplayName="Simple POS Add-in Sample"
addInDescription="Simple POS Add-in sample"
company="AddInDeveloperCompanyName"
version="1.0"
url="AddInDeveloperCompanyURL.com"
enabled="True"
/>
</AddinManifest>

So, I did this, copied it, inserted it into the Timeforge.manifest file, and tried for over 30 minutes to figure out why it wasn't working. Finally, I looked at a few of the other manifest files, and discovered something quite interesting... See if you notice it:

<AddInManifest>
<AddInAssembly
url="http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=126931"
enabled="True"
separateAppdomain="True"
/>
</AddInManifest>

And in case you are wondering, no... it doesn't have to do with the fact that there aren't as many attributes on the AddInAssembly tag. It's all about the capitalization. The POS Beta 2 SDK documentation states to do it the former way, and the way it needs to really be written (as far as capitalization goes) is the way it looks in the latter.

So, I simply made those edits, and away I go now to start the real work on the POS 2009 implementation for Timeforge.

New Project - Timeforge Integration

Now that Microsoft Dynamics POS 2009 is finally to RTM stage, it is time to begin a new project, and one that I have been looking to work on for some time... integrating an online scheduling software package with Dynamics POS 2009.

When we headed to the POS SDK Bootcamp back in January, 2008, one of the requests I had made was to provide a method that would allow us the ability of creating a custom add-on data entry screen for common entities in the system, like Items and Employees.  Although the development team couldn't quite grasp the concepts that we needed to deal with, they did provide the necessary interfaces, and I look forward to use them shortly.

The package I am looking to integrate is called Timeforge.  It is already integrated with the Restaurant Point of Sale package, Dinerware, as well as other packages that are on the market.  Anthony Presley, one of the founders of Timeforge, was more than glad to have someone offer to do the integration, as it will save him time in hunting down a developer that can handle the intricacies of Microsoft Point of Sale 2009.

So, I look forward to start posting more about the integration, as we hope to have something that is "showable" by the RSPA show next month in Las Vegas, NV. (A trip that I have long been wanting to make)

Update - '09 Goals

Well, it's almost May.... ~4.75 months since I wrote the '09 goals post.

I ahve two updates to give at this point:

Wrap up the Dinerware - Sales Watch... This is technically wrapped up, although I had hoped that POS Leader would have marketed the software Add-on more, and given better feedback so we could truely make it a whizz-bang Add-on that other restaurant POS systems cannot offer.

Re-build the Dinerware Report Scheduler... TBD... things are going well, and I have done significant work to it. The software is now completely re-built, and seems to be functioning well. There is now interest for this Add-on from another Dealer out of the Carolinas, and they are in the process of test-implementing the software now. Hopefully, that will go through, and I can see some revenue come in.

I'm anxious to get through the rest of second quarter, and to run the quarterly sales reports to see how I did this quarter in comparison to last!

New Project Getting Ready for a 1.0

Not sure what we will call it yet, but there has been a lot of flack against the idea that Dinerware cannot easily show drink recipes like Aloha or Digital Dining can, so I got aggravated after hearing that another deal was lost in part to not having that feature, so I just spent the past two weeks developing an electronic version of "The Bartender's Bible" which should handle the needs of any clients.

Hopefully, no-one will balk when we present them with the cost of the Application.  Only time will tell.

Once it's out there, and licensed, it will be available for Retail sale (end-users) and Wholesale (resellers) via tailoredPOS.com

'09 goals

I have to laugh as I begin to write this entry.  I look over the past 52 weeks, and realize that they came and left, and I didn't realize that they were ever there.  A day is a mere 24 hours, and they go by so fast that you wish it would contain 36.  Most of my past year was spent doing one of several things... programming, sleeping, driving all over kingdom come, or drinking (as in beer).

As I think about it, it was a fun year, with many new opportunities that I wouldn't have had if I were to still be working at a Corporate job, such as travelling to Portland & Seattle, eating at an underground restaurant, trying an USDA Prime NY Strip steak at Table 31, and learning a whole lot more about life.

The year did have its downturns as well, both parents fell ill, and having to watch them slow down in comparison to where they were at this time last year... facing the music that they are acutally mortal and will not be here at some point in the future, and realizing that I need to set achievable goals for what I want to accomplish by December 31. So, here goes:

Goals for '09:

• Build dealprocessor COR to be web based, hopefully using Silverlight where applicable to still over a rich-client experinence, but yet have it easily accessible no matter where you are working.
• Wrap up the Dinerware - Sales Watch project and get that published so it can begin drawing revenue.
• Re-build the Dinerware Report Scheduler to be more user friendly, and get it to market for the July Trade Show in Las Vegas, NV.
• Attend the Dinerware Trade Show in Las Vegas, NV
• Go to RSPA and talk with vendors about dealprocessor, and build a good lead base to go off of for the fall of the year.
• Clear some revenue on dealprocessor, so that I can continue to afford developing the package.
• Work with revolutionPOS to develop a decent VAR line so that we may both be able to prosper.

Now, hopefully since I have finally written them down, I can sit here on Dec 31, and look back and go right down the list and say "done, done, done... DONE"  We shall see.

24x7x365 Support

I'm amazed how many times businesses on the web talk about offering 24x7x365 support for their product or service, yet do not follow through with it completely.  I've experienced this several times with web hosting companies, and most recently with a web host for a new client I am dealing with...

To start this off, I would consider myself a fairly seasoned .Net developer, considering that I have several applications running over the years, starting in the 1.1 era of .Net.  Most of my initial works have been in the web applications development, but most recently, have been in the full-on winforms applications.

Anyway, back to the story.

This client calls, and he and I are talking about this wicked new Add-in he wants for one of his clients.  During the consultation on the phone, we get into discussing his site, and he mentions that he wants to change it to work off of this great tool called AspDotNetStoreFront (http://www.aspdotnetstorefront.com/).  I explain that I have set the system up a few times, and if he would like, I could take a look at it for him.  He thanks me for the offer, and accepts it.

About two days later, he forwards the information over to me so that I can gain access to the SQL server, FTP site, etc. and can begin launching his copy of the storefront software.  I take the information, and begin reading over it.  It states his host is Empire Data Technologies, Inc. (site: http://www.edthosting.com/)  The sql server information was xxx, and the development domain is yyyyy.  Being as paranoid as I am with making sure things are working, I try to open the development domain.  No dice.  nothing exists there, not even a "Coming Soon" page, which most web hosts give you...

Ok, so I go back to the host's site, and notice that they have 24x7x365 support for their system.  I call their support number (1-877-xxx-xxxx) to try to speak with a Live support technician.  The phone rings and rings and rings for what seems like 3 minutes, rediculous amount of time, for sure.  Finally, a voice comes on (recording) welcoming me to calling into their tech support number.  I am instructed to leave a message, and someone will return my phone call as soon as possible.  I leave the message, and hang up.  This was on Wednesday evening, almost a complete 48 hours ago.  ACK

I have had enough with companies claiming 24x7x365 support, and wish all of 'em would either own-up and say that we will support you as we can, or hire enough staff so that when I call in at 6:00 PM EST, that I can speak with a "LIVE" support technician to get the information I need to complete a task!

Deal Processor 1.4 Getting close to Alpha

With getting close to an alpha release of 1.4 (not to be confused with the rest of the preview releases that have been used internally, but this is the first one that could potentially be given to an end user to try out), the thought of having an open, available download is still freaking me out.

I know through my own trials of other software products, I appreciated the idea that the author of the package was kind enough to give me this form of access of the software before I handed over my hard-earned cash to them so that I didn't see an ugly watermark, but I just don't yet know about this little project.

Deal Processor has a few pain points in it that need to be rectified at some point (creating a quote or contract template is one of them). When we were first designing the thought of how to print a quote or contract, the immediate first-reaction that I had was to use Microsoft Word, with some code-behind, so that the data could be placed in from the software, and the end-user would have a familiar experience for designing how they wanted the contract to work.

After thinking about the full ramifications of this idea, the thought of releasing an end user to have the ability of editing the Word document AFTER the data was merged sounded less attractive to me, after all, dealprocessor was developed to make the life of a sales rep and shop owner easier, and not harder. Also, if we were to have used Word, we would not have been able to mark the one item that we actually lock down in the software with licensing... the printed document.

Why am I discussing this? it is because we are working on having an available download of dealprocessor 1.4 so that anyone interested in the software can download and install it before they hand over their hard-earned cash. The software will run in its entirety, but will have one fatal flaw, it will put a nasty watermark over the printed document until you purchase licensing.