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Software: MPA2PMP
Applescript at it's best.
Posted on: 02-22-08
This was my first ever application. My employer was upgrading our entire AR (accounts receivable) system to a Windows-based system that would operate on our Macs with the help of a Citrix client.
As sales associates enter new ad orders into the system, it creates a text file with all of the relevant information pertaining to that ad. That information has to be transferred down into a local machine that processes it and creates a job number for our Creative Services department. They will then be able to start building the ad.
My job was to create a way for these text files to be automatically downloaded, entered, delete remotely and locally and then repeat after a set number of minutes or seconds.
The result was this application. I created a tab view for organizational purposes. The main display in one tab and the settings in the other. Once all settings have been put in place, they are written to a preference file (user defaults) so next time you launch the application, the same settings will still be in place.
I also included basic scheduling abilities. You are able to set incremental transfers based on what day it is, what time it is, and also the time between transfers.
When a transfer is initiated by the schedule or manually, it connects to your specified ftp server using the username and password you provided.
Once connected, it searches the specified folder for any text files that exist. If none are found, it disconnects and returns to Idle and awaits further action or the next scheduled transfer. If text files are found, it downloads them into the specified local folder, deletes the remote file (so no duplicates are entered), then returns to Idle and awaits further action or the next scheduled transfer.
So far, it has worked perfectly for the job. The only error I have ever received from it was when we lost our network connection one afternoon. The error just told me it couldn't connect. Imagine that!
The icon I used is the original SyncIt icon. I changed the colors and rotated 180 degrees. Nothing much to that.
Overall, it was a simple application overall, but an extremely complicated task for someone with no programming background.
There are no pictures associated with this post.
As sales associates enter new ad orders into the system, it creates a text file with all of the relevant information pertaining to that ad. That information has to be transferred down into a local machine that processes it and creates a job number for our Creative Services department. They will then be able to start building the ad.
My job was to create a way for these text files to be automatically downloaded, entered, delete remotely and locally and then repeat after a set number of minutes or seconds.
The result was this application. I created a tab view for organizational purposes. The main display in one tab and the settings in the other. Once all settings have been put in place, they are written to a preference file (user defaults) so next time you launch the application, the same settings will still be in place.
I also included basic scheduling abilities. You are able to set incremental transfers based on what day it is, what time it is, and also the time between transfers.
When a transfer is initiated by the schedule or manually, it connects to your specified ftp server using the username and password you provided.
Once connected, it searches the specified folder for any text files that exist. If none are found, it disconnects and returns to Idle and awaits further action or the next scheduled transfer. If text files are found, it downloads them into the specified local folder, deletes the remote file (so no duplicates are entered), then returns to Idle and awaits further action or the next scheduled transfer.
So far, it has worked perfectly for the job. The only error I have ever received from it was when we lost our network connection one afternoon. The error just told me it couldn't connect. Imagine that!
The icon I used is the original SyncIt icon. I changed the colors and rotated 180 degrees. Nothing much to that.
Overall, it was a simple application overall, but an extremely complicated task for someone with no programming background.
There are no pictures associated with this post.
Comments (1 comments)
Super Mike says:
Got something to say? Please be polite! (Rules)
I like the idea, design, and respect the work put into any coding, but I have to wonder about the name. I'm sure it was a name that works for your work environment but IT'S A MOUTHFUL.
REPLY:
In this office, the name makes perfect sense. If it were a open program, I'm sure I would come up with something a little more user-friendly.
The program transfers a file from our billing system, called MPA, and transfers it to our ad management system, called PMP (Production Manager Pro). Thus MPA-to-PMP (MPA2PMP).
For the record, I have around 60 hits per day which is not bad considering the size of this website.
See? :)
I'm really bored this morning. I've been thinking about opening up your code and trying to fix it.