Checking Existing Time/Date

[Mike Wilson]

Re: Checking Existing Time/Date

Mike,
See Post #8 below by Finian.
http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...opers&p=636972
In that post, Finian states:
As I stated in response to that post, that's the problem

Thanks for that link. I remember reading that link. Very good insight. I would love to debate this with you, but beyond the scope of this thread I'm afraid. There is one aspect of xdialog that is unattainable with standard forms. The capabilities to generate a user interface dynamically and that draws data from many tables that are not bound. I just posted an example of a dynamically generated xdialog presenting the user with 37 combo boxes for result selection.

http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...cept-selection

I'm hard pressed believing this could be built with the functionality present in one script faster and easier as a form, fixed-object-based interface. But I'm open to be wrong. It was said very few people could do this. If that's the argument I have no defense. But I really consider myself as having just average development skills.

[martinwcole]

Re: Checking Existing Time/Date

Mike, if you were entering say 250 entries every day, (and other duties as well,) and had to use a calendar vs 8A or 7.30p, you would go for the latter very quickly. It is much much much faster and simpler.

[DaveM]

Re: Checking Existing Time/Date

Mike,

1. A form can host all the variables needed for input, as you know. Those variables can be inserted in as many tables(no association needed) as one wants. That is for one of the parts.
2. via a script(s) all the data needed can be read from tons of tables and placed in variables. These can be shown on the above form.

I use a great deal of dialog and it has it's place. It is time consuming to work with, but most of the same can be done in a form much more quickly.

I do calculations on a very large scale in one app and on the form are around 40 variables. The users does not know the difference. Once the math is complete and saved, the data is dispersed over several tables. Some of these are in the set and other tables are unassociated. It works real slick, but took some work.
Point is: It would have taken much more time to do this in xdialog if it is possible.
100% vars aaaaaaa.png almost all vars aaaaaab.png

[DaveM]

Re: Checking Existing Time/Date

As far as keeping up with time and I have a vast amount of experience with that from multiple companies.

Some of those companies had very strange ways of getting the hours from employees. The best, of course, is a time clock. A bit hard to mess it up, but the clocking machine is not always available.
Even the most weird were smart enough to use the cards and let them be hand filled. This laid the responsibility and the means for employees to keep their hours straight. Turned in one time a week and then checked, added where the hours are actually written on the cards. The input becomes easy and far fewer mistakes. There is even the ability to differentiate times spent on different paying contracts, etc as needed for later billing.

I have had to explain some of this to employers as a part of my job many times, but never had one complain once they started using the system.

Faxing in once a day when you have a large number of employees and inserting daily is time consuming and fraught with errors on a whole.

I know that convincing employers that their methods could be better is a hassle, but at least I feel better by letting them know if there is a better way.

[martinwcole]

Re: Checking Existing Time/Date

In defense of xdialog, as Mike points out, it a poor boys client server. It is very fast, and as Mike points out, does not leave tables open. So, all things being equal, if one has the skill to produce an "embedded browse" - type interface for fast entry, and to handle the issue Charles originally described, I would say go for it. Unfortunately, I do not have those skills, so I use forms.

But an app, in my opion, should be designed for speed and simplicity of entry, and very user friendly.

Dave - I wrote a time clock several years ago that is built in to the main app - they clock in when coming to work, and then out and in for lunch, breaks, etc. It calculates payrol hours, over time, vacation, sick leave, bereavement - and keeps track of unused vacation and sick leave. But it does not calcualate dollar amounts. They take a report and then enter into quick books. It is currently used by three different companies.

[DaveM]

Re: Checking Existing Time/Date

Martin,
I still have one dos app that does the same as you wrote being used to date. It also does the complete payroll without quickbooks(Meaning dollars) and prints the checks with stubs. It also takes into account child support and other stuff needed. I have a partly setup application to do the same in a5, but no where near complete. There were many of these apps distributed, but only one left. As you know, it is a lot of work for payroll.
Unlike others, I don't generally have problems with tables left open. Does not mean it can't happen, but some work to keep some stuff working right.
I don't like entering data in any kind of browse. It can lead to trouble, but it is sometimes necessary.

I think Charles app is not where the people can get to a computer to log in and out?. They obviously have no time clock? Most governing authorities require a signed time card for record keeping and time cards are available for a very small amount. Most businesses recognize the value once alerted to the need and time savings in the office. That is not to mention the errors corrected.

I do use xdialog. Maybe not to the point of other, but it is there. When a user signs in to my app, it is the first thing they see. I also use it heavy for my prints in the big app I have. The difference for me is that I don't push the limits of it like some do.

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