Inventory and job logging database

Over the years I have been working, I've realised a searchable database of jobs done and using which inventory items would be very useful for both large organisations, and also for individuals as well.

The important things to log are (in no particular order):
When: Time frame
Who: The person or persons involved
Where: the locations involved
What: The objects involved
How: The process that was performed (e.g. replace, fix, switch off and then on)

What the database would require are:
Time
People
Places
Objects
Processes

One other aspect of this database that would be useful is booking equipment. But this could be thought of as a process?

Time:
Start time
Predicted end time
End Time

People
Login Name
Contact Details

Places:
Geographical
Room Number

Objects:
Serial Number
Make
Model
Specifications

Processes:
Type of process


An few working examples to help design the database:

A new iMac has just been delivered to the college and is put in a computer suite:

1. The database is logged onto with Username and Password
2. A process is selected called: Add item to inventory
3. User adds:
1. Make
2. Model
3. Serial Number
4. Organisation made Serial Number
5. Specifications
6. Room

A student would like to borrow an iPad:

1. The database is logged onto with Username and Password
2. A process is selected called: book out item
3. User selects
1. type of item:
1. Make: Apple
2. Model: iPad 2
2. Time from: Today at 12:15
3. Time until: Today at 16:00
4. User is show whether any iPad 2's available for that time
5. User confirms booking
6. User sees instructions

Well, just having another look at the database and found this nice little helpful question and answer about querying a database to find 'free' items. Also describes the database very nicely using MySQL (need to learn this)

I'm thinking about making it in Access and then exporting it to MySQL? Or perhaps I should just delve straight in?



Ready made alternatives:

Here is a list of starting points for different systems:
Drupal - Merci module - this looks good!!
Drupal - Resource booking
Drupal - Resource conflict

Drupal Backup and Migrate - how to (in progress)

So, I have a drupal website. I'd like to write down the process of backing up and then restoring upon a complete failure.

So, to backup just use the default backup and set to download. Save these somewhere safe. Just to be safe I also did the same for Public Files Directory and Private Files Directory.

I guess thats the easy part. For the next part I've found it hard to find any documentation on restoring from a complete failure. Here's what I have found:

http://www.anexusit.com/blog/how-restore-backup-migrate-file-using-drush
http://drupal.stackexchange.com/questions/40490/how-to-restore-a-site-from-a-backup-done-with-backup-and-migrate-module-using-dr

Both are related to drush which is a command line shell and scripting interface for Drupal.

My best guess for restore is to install drupal, install drush and run the restore command line.

If you also lose files, then you have to make sure you have backup of all files as well.

I think what I'd really like is the backup utility used with Joomla, Akeeba. This is much easier. I don't even think you need to install Joomla to reinstall. And it backs up all files. There must be a reason it isn't as easy. Oh well.

equipment booking system

Well, going over my previous post about booking systems it looks like my requirements are a little too niche. It appears there is no 'out of the box' solution. I shall review my needs below:

• booking multiple equipment at a time
• book day and time for pick up and drop off
• view availability
• 4 time slots per day
• all through online interface
• active directory logins

it appears jomrez is almost there, but lacks time slots and multiple items.

The only one which hints at all this is R&R, which is more of a custom build. No pricing up front, but they do demos. I shall chase this one up.

Sharing a MS Access database

So I've got an inventory database but have about 8 people who need to use it. Thought this wouldn't be a problem but turns out this stuff is more complex then it appears. When more then one person opens it (it's on a networked drive) a message keeps popping up about permissions. I did a quick search and found Microsofts help page here and there are a few options:

• Put it on a network folder
• done this which is where the problem is
• Split the database to front end and back end
• Use SharePoint
• Use a Database Server

The ideal one would be a database server. But unfortunately I lack the knowledge to create the queries and forms for the web.

Next best is either SharePoint or splitting the database. Here's an article on SharePoint but I'm unsure whether we have SharePoint enabled somewhere and also how to do it.

My favourite option is Splitting the Database. Basically have the tables in on database (the backend) and the forms, queries and reports in another (front end). Heres a quick forum post on how to do it.

Inventory Booking mechanism for Inventory

Now I'm getting into Joomla, thought I'd check out a few inventory booking extensions. Found one which looks excellent - JomRez

Here's a demo of it on their servers.

With this system I can visualise the situation working as follows:

1. Browse to the correct webpage
2. log in
3. if your a student:
1. search for the resource
2. book it out if it is free
4. if your staff
1. add resources
2. check booking status
3. sign back in
4. search for free resources

Questions

1. could it use Active Directory logins?
1. Yes, I think so. Found this forum on the topic although couldn't look at it
2. does it manage assets?

One thing I have read is that it is good, but to get it really customised you will probably need to buy the extensions. These generally start at £9.99 and go up to £29.99.

The next thing to do is to test it:

1. install MAMP
1. make a new database in myphpadmin
1. I named it "inventory"
2. install Joomla
3. download JomRez and install
1. found this article on how to install
1. download Download jomres_webinstall.zip or just jomres_webinstall.php
2. Place this in the root of the joomla
3. run the jomres_webinstall.php in the browser
1. this came up with:
1. We are unable to comunicate with the updates server, you might have a firewall preventing your server from communicating with the jomres.net servers. You should create some rules that allow your server to communicate with the domains "updates.jomres4.net", "plugins.jomres4.net" and "license-server.jomres.net"
2. I could ping all of these from my machine?
2. So, might as well just install it manually
4. Nope, can't find the manual install zip.
5. installed it on a server using the webinstall and worked fine
4. add assets
1. as it's geared for hotel bookings the only way I've thought of doing it is to add each asset as a room in a hotel.
2. I'd have to go into the database and find the room type and add a different room type for each different item we had.
5. test asset management
1. can't really manage assets
6. test booking mechanism
7. test logins

Well, to conclude, if I want this to work as an inventory management utility I'd need to buy plugins. It's ridiculously restricted.

The way I can concieve to make it work is to have the college as a hotel, and it have 'room types'. You can have a number of each room type, each bookable. Too confusing.

Had another look on Joomla and found only paid things! Doh! Can't get everything for free. I shall go back to Access Databases.

Adobe Creative Suite 5 - keeps asking for serial number

I recently installed Adobe CS 5 on a Windows Vista laptop. During the initial stage of the installation it did ask for a serial for which I put in the correct numbers. It told me everything was fine and installed.

I then tried opening Adobe Photoshop and it came up with the a dialogue box asking for the serial. I put it in, it gave me the green tick and told me everything was fine. The dialogue box disappeared and then reappeared wanting me to put in the serial, in a continual loop.

I tried serveral logins' including the administrators but none worked. I also tried a reboot.

I must mention that this laptop had Adobe CS3 installed previously which had stopped working due to a licensing error.

After trawling through the internet I initially found this post, and he posts again to say he has found a forum and found the only fix was to delete a database file. He failed to say which file, or even which post he had found!!

After some more looking, specifically for Adobe CS databases, I found this post. It mentions deleting:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Adobe PCD\cache\cache.db



I found the file, renamed it and tried Adobe again. Put in the serial and it works beautifully.


My conclusion was that this file had either gotten corrupt or had the wrong permissions.

Uploading/transferring joomla

So I want to make a joomla site, but I use multiple jam-a-lam jazzy jeff stuff, yeh?? is you dizzy blood?!!

cannot believe how hot it is ya know! like 16 degrees yeh on wednesday!! gonn be real hot and sweatey wagwan, so get ya tshirts on and in the pool bitches! :D

So I found this wiki based on joomla 1.5. I shall read sometime.

So there are basically two ways:

1. manually uploading files and database
1. Copy joomla folder up to server via ftp
2. using myphpadmin on local machine export database
3. somehow import database into server php?
4. edit the configuration php file and change details
2. using akeeba
1. backup joomla using the akeeba extension
2. I assume you upload a joomla site and import this jpa file somehow
3. Here's their quickstart guide which looks VERY helpful.

So I did it!!

1. I backed up using akeeba
1. I downloaded the backup file
2. upload the backup file to the new server root
2. on the new server make sure there is a database ready
3. I used akeeba kickstart to restore!!
1. heres some documentation (very helpful)
2. download kickstart
3. unzip
4. put kickstart.php and en.ini file in root of server
5. goto the webaddress http://yourserver.com/kickstart.php
6. go through the wizard
4. Done

Transferring from blogger/blogspot to joomla

So, I'm hoping to make a website for myself, which I want this blog to be a part of. But how to do it. Well, at first I thought I'd just have it as a feed, but actually I want to incorporate it fully into the joomla site. So.... here's what i found on the amazing thing called the internet:

Found on this forum

1. Export xml from blogger
2. import to wordpress
3. export from wordpress to joomla

Looks like wordpress is the go-between. Not found anything more recent then 2009, so maybe there is a straight blogger to joomla extension?

Found a how to website with information on the wordpress to joomla conversion. Need to install JoomBlog extension.

Also found this blog on how to do it. Costs $15 to by feed2post though

Just had a quick search on the extensions directory for joomla and found this PLo Blogger, which duplicates blogs on your joomla site onto your blogger site. This would be a good way to have them both up and running, and not loose any followers and such.

The question is: Is it worth the hassle? Perhaps keep blogger going, and make a new blog for other things on the joomla site. Might be the best thing to do?

Joomla notes

Thought I'd best take some notes because I might just forget how I ever did it. So:

• Make a module for everything you want to place on the page, with exception to the articles
• Theres a Banner module
• theres a search module
• theres a menu module
• etc
• These modules require you to designate them a position. This is set out in the template you are using. If you change template you'll have to change all the position. (there always named differently)
• To view the positions, I found this forum. Basically in templates, go to options, switch on "preview positions" then whereever you are on the actual site, just put "?tp=1" without the speech-marks.
• When in the menu manager you can assign different menus to different modules. I think this is so you can have a few different menus for different areas. All you'd have to do is make another menu module and put that in a different position.
• To edit a templates stuff, I saw on a tutorial that there are lots of options which come with every template. I couldn't find these with Beez template, but with all you can edit the html, and also the css. So it's totally changeable!

I shall add to this list of useful hints over time.

Lending Library Database Template Current Lending Issues

Well, I do believe that I have a previous post describing my want of a booking out system, and having found the "Lending Library Template", posted here. I've started testing.

One problem found was that if you viewed a persons details (Contact Details form) and clicked on "Current Lending" tab, it would list ALL off the items being lent out to EVERYONE. This of course wasn't the intended design I can imagine, and so is a slight fault.

After doing a few google searches I found two people with the same problem, and the second of which was lucky enough to get talking to an expert. He found the problem to be with the table in the tab. It simply needed "Link Master Fields" to have "ID" and "Link Child Fields" to have "Checked Out To" in the properties.

Change "Linked Masters Fields" to ID and "Linked Child Fields" to Checked out to

This worked a treat. Thank you HiTechCoach

Putting photos in access records

So, I'm doing the staff photo boards for the whole college, and being as it is so large I'm going to be efficient and use a database. The first step of creating a database and putting all people in it, with the time and date of every photo taken down, so we know which photo is for which person.

Embedding the photos is not practical because apparently it converts them to bmp files which takes up a lot of disk space. So linking is the way to go. It means I'll have to have a folder for each photo shoot, which is always next to the database.

I found a nice little article which looks very simples. http://bytes.com/topic/access/answers/189710-linked-pictures. Basically, drag the photo into the field, then if you want to display it in a form you put:

on your form, create an Image object, and in Form_Current() place something like: Me![ImageFrame].Picture = Me![fImagePath]

2 hours later....

Tried this on a test database and it was a success. Wasn't quite sure what he meant by "image object" or "Form_Current" and the rest of it, so with a little bit of trial and error I succeeded! So here's what to do:

1. Make a text field in the table where you put the location of the picture - i.e. c:\pictures\my picture.jpg
2. Next make a report based on the table. I used the wizard, added the fields I wanted and went into design view.
3. In the Detail section (middle bit) is where the data gets displayed. Along with the description, I put an "Image Box" found in the Controls section in the toolbars.
4. It will want you to specify an image, just click "cancel"
5. Click on the image container and on the right, you want to edit the "Control Source"
6. I think I just selected the field with the photo location data in. Although I do remember putting:
1. Me![ImageFrame].Picture = Me![Photo Location] - but I'm not entirely sure? Photo Location was the field I created in the table

Just got to work out how to tile it horizontally and vertically on a page.

Also, by default it "zooms" the image, so that it fits inside the box (no stretching). If you click on the image and set the format "Size Mode" to clip, it crops the image!! Yes!       - No!, on second thoughts it puts the image up at the size the image specifies if you go on zoom and crops almost all the large images. So I put it on zoom and put no border and seethrough background. Just have to make sure all the images are the same size.