[ale] Order Processing Application

[sababeach at cfl.rr.com]

First timer.                                                                   
                                                                               
Thought some of you might be interested in the results of                      
my software project. If you need to perform the traditional business           
functions of Order Entry, Invoicing, Accounts Receivable, Purchasing,          
Accounts Payable, and Inventory Control I invite you to stop by                
www.sababeach.net (66.240.125.18) and run my toolbox for distributors.         
If you want to try it out on your own desktop or server you can                
download the toolbox for either FreeBSD or Linux.                              
                                                                               
The toolbox has been running as an application server since 2002 on            
several intranet servers, as an application package since 2003 on              
many desktops, and as an application service since 2005 on my                  
Internet server.                                                               
                                                                               
My motive for posting here is simple: self-preservation. I've                  
written a business application which works and which I support.                
I've built, in my neck of the woods, a business around this                    
application. My business depends upon FreeBSD and Linux                        
penetration of the business community; which in turn depends                   
upon the availabilty of business applications. This list's members,            
are not, probably, in my woods. So I contribute this package to                
help the penetration and benefit the application.                              
                                                                               
More users = more suggestions = more coding = better application.              
                                                                               
tim                                                                            
                                                                               
P.S. Common Questions                                                          
                                                                               
Why do I require you to fill in an Authorization form? The single              
letter you entered as the Authorization Name is available to a cgi             
program as an environment variable. I use this to distinquish multiple         
browser sessions from the same IP. For example: you are a counterman           
with two running sessions from your computer to my server. One sessions        
has as it's Name 'a' and the other 'b'. You are taking an order over           
the phone and writing the order in 'a'. An in store customer comes up          
to you and wants to checkout. You switch to browser session 'b', write         
the invoice then switch back to session 'a' and continue taking the            
order. I have my own login form which includes a password so I have no         
use for the Authorization form's password.                                     
                                                                               
Why do all your URLs end in '.exe'? All my URLs are cgi programs;              
'.exe' is my arbitrary extension to the program's name.                        
                                                                               
What is the software license? After you login click on Logoff, then            
click on one of the Download... links. I'll display the license and            
installation instructions.                                                     
                                                                               
Why is the presentation so archaic and dull? Beginning in 1982 on an           
S100 Bus microcomputer running the Oasis OS, I've written, installed,          
and supported 6 custom Order Processing systems. The biggest hurdle to         
overcome for a successful installation is acceptance by the users.             
Based upon the background, experience, and motivation of the average           
employee/user I've trained, this presentation requires the least               
training and highest acceptance. I grant that the presentation does            
little to 'sell' itself; but, I'm not selling, I'm giving. A powerful          
incentive to a business owner.                                                 
                                                                               
How often do you make changes? At the Foundry, everyday. I post new            
downloads on the 20th of each month.                                           
                                                                               
What do you do with the 'Lotto' names? Nothing. They go into the bit           
bucket.