Re: [WebERP-developers] FormDesigner.php

[Phil D. <ph...@lo...>]

Giuys,

I do see the advantage of the form designer, BUT .... webERP has always 
been intended for business people to be able to modify as one of the 
fundamental goals.

I have several points about this:

1. I feel that the form designer as it stands is very limited  - it is 
not easy to get the form designed exactly as you wish it to be ... there 
is a lot of trial and error and it is hit and miss - anyone messing 
around with formats using the form designer I am confident will come 
away cursing and frustrated.
2. Many businesses have unique requirements for their invoice layout ... 
say they wish to move the boxes to different places or different sizes 
with some new boxes, with different radius curves or square boxes, 
different fonts/sizes/colours have three images in different spots, with 
additional text explaining terms and conditions etc etc or put another 
way there really are the endless ways in which a business will wish to 
modify their invoice layout and the form designer ends up being a 
limitation rather than an advantage.
3. To actually achieve the customised design that the customer actually 
really wants will still entail getting into the code and the code for 
form designer forms is WAY more complicated than the existing standard 
scripts - which are nice and readable with minimal abstraction, long 
variable names  etc etc ... it is actually quite easy to modify the 
standard scripts to make the layout exactly as the customer requires 
using the standard forms as a base.
4. The data for the reports is stored outside the database in xml files, 
creating another dependency on external data files. If we were to go 
with customisable reports I would prefer the data to come from the 
database like all other company data.

Point 4 aside, I really do prefer the readable simple solution ... even 
though it appears to reduce the apparent functionality - actually it 
provides the ultimate in flexibility afforded by the much more 
approachable code.

However, the key point I think you make Jo is this:

"This then requires maintaining separate files for each client and 
maintenance/upgrades become more and more labourious."

I do agree it would be super to address this problem which is not 
limited to just the reports, with some separate directory for modified 
scripts under the companies directory - which is looked for first before 
the standard script somehow to remove this issue. I am not sure how to 
implement this but I do think this would be a great addition and the 
better way to resolve this situation rather than creating complicated 
scripts to produce reports with very limited and awkward flexibility.

Phil

Phil Daintree
Logic Works Ltd - +64 (0)275 567890
http://www.logicworks.co.nz

On 14/11/13 03:20, icedlava wrote:
> Hi Rafael,
>
> I've also had to modify most forms such as sales invoice, statements,
> purchase orders, and more, and quite significantly for clients. Of
> course quickly and hard coded mostly for each.
> This then requires maintaining separate files for each client and
> maintenance/upgrades become more and more labourious.
>
> I think use of the form designer is sensible. I have not used something
> like this for some years but it seems preferable than the editing/hard
> coding i've been doing.
>
> There are some other methods i was thinking of and used in the past.
> However, as form designer is available and works, i'd be happy to assist
> to get it working for other forms if it is wanted.
>
> I had wondered if Form designer had been left and not used for invoices
> etc for a reason, pending some other method or just for lack of time.
>
> Thanks for your work Rafael.
>
> Cheers,
> Jo
>
>
>
>
> On 13 Nov 2013, at 23:43, Rafael Chacón wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Unfortunately, in the past, I had to modify some forms such as the
>> sales-invoice and the purchase-order for an urgent specific situation
>> (I
>> hard-coded them).
>>
>> Today, I am trying to turn these changes in general purpose changes
>> (configurable settings).
>>
>> Believe that the best way is to turn the forms modifiable
>> withFormDesigner.php.
>>
>> Comments? Suggestions?
>>
>> Regards, Rafael Chacon.
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