13000 item stock table BETA test

[Dale Harris]

As some of you already know I am currently working on increasing the limit of different items in the stock table to 13000 items.

About 1/3 of the project is done and I have some files that could use some beta testing while I continue the project. The links is at the bottom of this post.

I am also adding some other new features that I could use some testing and comment on.

To do some testing of this version you MUST create a new folder and copy your stock table files ending with the extensions ??????.TBL and ??????.IDX into the new folder. THIS VERSION WILL REWRITE YOUR STOCK TABLE MAKING IT UNREADABLE BY THE CURRENT VERSION OF THE POS PROGRAM. So it will be a really good thing if the stock table being reformatted is NOT the one you are using.

The files that you will be downloading are new versions of the POSCONFG.EXE, FILEINFO.EXE, CONVERT.EXE programs and STOCK TABLE.XLS Download the file to your new folder and unzip / extract the files.

Start by running the POSCONFG.EXE program and using the "Stock table" feature. The first time you do this the CONVERT program will be run and it will convert your stock table to the new format.

SO WHAT'S NEW?
The first thing you will notice in the "Stock table" feature is that you will be able to select the size of your stock table from 0 (no stock table) to 13000 items in increments of 1000. Go to where the item number is displayed and press [TAB] to change it. At any time in the future you may resize the stock table either larger or smaller however if you make it smaller you will erase any items in the lines that will be deleted. If you choose zero items the entire stock table will be erased.

Press [F4] to be able to edit the stock table. You may notice that the stock number has been increased to 14 digits to be ready for the new international 14 digit barcode standard that will be implimented in 2005. "Pieces sold" and "inventory" have been expanded to 3 decimal places. There is a new column for "Sale price." There are now 3 pages to enter your items on (press [TAB] to see them) and "Stock number" and "Description" are on each page although you can edit them only on the first page.

At the bottom of the screen it will tell you to press [F8] to do something with "Prices." You will be able to either backup a price column (either regular prices or sale prices), or save, load, or erase a column. This will allow you to create a file with new prices and store it. Then when it is time for the sale all you have to do is to load the new price file.

There are a couple of steps to do this. First backup your current prices. Now erase the current prices from the screen. Enter your new prices. Save the new prices. Now reload the the current prices from the backups. If you save the new price file with a date filename in this format YYYYMMDD then when you start the POS program on that morning the file will automatically be loaded. If a "sale price" file is loaded all current sale prices will be erased first. If a "regular price" file is loaded the regular prices will NOT be erased first. In the POS program during a purchase the sale price will always override the regular price unless the sale price is zero. This means that the sale price can even be higher than the regular price.

Have fun with your new toy however if you want to go places in the POSCONFG.EXE program other than the stock table you will have to copt the CF2.EXE program from your regular folder to this new folder.

Next up is working on the POS.EXE program so that you can use the new stock table to actually ring up sales. And last will be the "Reports" feature.

And now, the link. http://keyhut.com/beta.htm

[Bobby]

I am trying this out and I cannot add any items into the stock table. The stock table, at first, behaves and acts like it should. When I go into a sale, first, it will on bring up the item by any means (sn, letter, or vn). Then when I go into the stock table, the table is a mess with all kinds of chars all over where they should not be. At the very first item the description reads VERSION♠<sun char>.

[Andrew]

Bobby- read Dale's post carefully - POS.EXE has not been updated for the new file format yet - hence POS can't read the stock table correctly.

Next up is working on the POS.EXE program so that you can use the new stock table to actually ring up sales. And last will be the "Reports" feature.

This is why you do NOT use the new version with your live data files. Make a copy of your folder for testing and put the new files there.

[Bobby]

Ok, that is what I get for not reading that!!!

Nevermind, Dale!!!

Thanks Andrew!

[Dale Harris]

This download includes the new POS.EXE program file that will perform all the new features except automatically loading dated price files. Don't worry, that's coming.

http://keyhut.com/beta.htm

Now the tough one, Reports.

[quantity field]

hi dale,

after testing 13000b version i have a few points to suggest:

- the quantity field is getting too wide for the screen.
it makes it hard to see the stock APN barcode and I find that hard to see when some varcodes might be similar to each other.

this is why I suggest eliminating the tax field completely, or provide a one character field of the Tax rate.

if this cannot be poissible, i propose changing the layout of the quantity field. I've noticed that there is one space left when entering a quantity like 999.999. I know that that space is used for negative numbers >= 100, so how likely is it someone is going to return 543.121 kilos of soil. very Unlikely.

If it does happen, it will write over the separater line. No problem and we get an extra character for the barcode.

I can go further by allow an option (I know, the word is taboo here!) of showing between 0 and 3 decimal places on the screen. POS will still be able to ring up 654.210 metres of flyscreen or 3.5 bags of potting mix or 1.79 tonnes of soil. Except, it will display the integer or part decimal quantity.

This suggestions will free up some space on the screen so it can be easier to read and understand.

Note to self: I reget lobbying for the decimal quantity. It has caused too much pain.

[barry h]

i put a few test items in for testing.

[1] One item 5.00 and One item 6.87.
First with GST of 10%, second without.
Tax INCLUDED.

Rang sale 1.
Item 1 = $5.00
WORKS OK

Changed Item 1 $5.00 -> $5.50

Rang sale 2.
Item 1 Still $5.00
Hmmmm.

I'm using standalone POS, not network.
Seem strange it is not updating.

Barry.

[Dale Harris]

Barry,

How did you change the price? Did you go to the stock table or did you change the price while ringing it up?

[Bobby]

Hi dale,

was looking in the vendor name search and it only gives you the option of searching 0-5000. is this going to be increased to 0-13000?

thanks dale,
bobby

v. 13000b

[Guest]

Barry,

How did you change the price? Did you go to the stock table or did you change the price while ringing it up?

I went directly into the stock table to change it.
I didn't change the price during the sale.

[Dale Harris]

This version http://keyhut.com/beta.htm adds the ability of having the POS program look for and load price files that have been saved with a date file name in this format YYYYMMDD

Plus some bug fixes and some minor tweeking.

[Chas]

Just tried out 6.0D Beta on a test system & can't wait until the general release comes out! The Sale On Sale off feature is Awsome and simple!! If your store has sales, this is the version you want to try out!! With this new feature you can now plan your sales well in advance and once your sale date arrives the program will automatically load your sale prices. After the sale is over all of the prices go back to the normal price in just a few steps. The ERASE feature is a time saver. No more spending hrs reverting prices back to the original price after you close your store durring a sale event.
6.0 ROCKS!! Way to Go DALE!!

Chas

[Dylan]

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
hey dale can you email me a copy of the sale version so i can test it over my spring break this week, and next week?

thanks,
JDR
aka
Dil

usmilitaryman13@yahoo.com

[ChrisKraus]

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
hey dale can you email me a copy of the sale version so i can test it over my spring break this week, and next week?

thanks,
JDR
aka
Dil

usmilitaryman13@yahoo.com

I got spring break next week too

[Dale Harris]

Dylan,

The "Sale price version" is the 13000 item version that is being discussed on this thread. Read the instructions in the first post and click on the link.