Monthly Archives: May 2013

How to Create a QR Code file

There are multiple software applications that can be used to create a QR (Quick Response) code file with an extension of png (Portible Network Graphics). Click on the link below and select one of the options.

http://freenuts.com/top-10-free-online-qr-code-generators/

Once you select one of the options, you will be asked for your company name and address, email address and the URL for your website. Once the information is entered, you will have the option to create the QR file and the option to save it to your PC.

The png file must be converted to a file that can be used in Total Order Plus on the invoice format 1 (using UnForm Version 7.0 and above). There may be other options on the Internet to convert the file but we use our UnForm vendor’s website www.synergetic-data.com and select the Image Conversion option. The converter will create 2 pdf files and 2 pcl files into a zip file. You can save the zip file on your PC and perform the unzip command.

Each file type has a portrait version and a landscape version. You will need to rename the pcl files to prn extensions. For example, you can use COMPANY NAME_QR.PRN and COMPANY NAME_QR.pdf as the file names (.pdf must be in lower case). These files must be located in the TOP/GRAPHICS folder in Total Order Plus.

Notes:

You can use the initials of your company name to keep it simple. For example, Mindware Corporation of America uses MCA_QR.PRN and MCA_QR.pdf.

 

How To Capture a TOP Screen

There are a few ways to capture system messages, screen messages and error messages within Total Order Plus to send via email for a support request. You can do a screen print  to a printer if you are using a terminal emulator with that option and fax the screen print to Mindware. You can capture a screen print onto your Windows clipboard and insert the screen image from the clipboard into your email. If you have a scanner that will create the image into a PDF file, you can attach the PDF to your email.

To capture your screen image to the clipboard, press the CTRL+ALT+ PrtScrn key on your keyboard and the image is attached to your clipboard. Once you create your email, you can click on the clipboard option, highlight the image in the clipboard that you want to insert and select the paste option.  Windows automatically inserts the screen image into the body of your email.

Total Order Plus Report Writer

The Total Order Plus Report Writer allows users to create their own reports to a printer or file output from the Total Order Plus data base. The file output can be imported into an Excel spreadsheet.

Files in each module are displayed for selection. Once the file is selected, you can select a range of data or you can filter the output by any field within a file. You have options to filter the data by fields that are ‘equal’, ‘greater than’, ‘greater than or equal to’, ‘less than’, ‘less than or equal to’ and ‘not equal to’. You can select a range or filter option or both, as well as select to print to a printer or export to a file. As each field is selected for the report, the print positions for each column displays on your screen. Each TOP module has a Report Writer selection. Follow these steps to create a report:

  • Select the Report Writer from any TOP report menu
  • The list of available file names will display in the File List
  • Use your up or down arrow keys, page up or down keys, or enter a letter to select the file name

Once the file is selected, the File Description name will display on your screen.

Filter Option:

Select R if you want to select a range of items (range of customers, inventory items, salespersons, etc. or if you want to select just one customer, one inventory item, one salesperson, etc.)

Select F if you want to filter the data by selecting certain data fields within the file

Select B which will allow you to use both the Range and Filter options

File Output:

Enter a Y if you want the output to be written to a text file

Notes:

The file name will be displayed on your screen and the text file will be created in the EXPORT folder on the U drive. You can override the file name but the ../EXPORT/ and the .TXT extension must remain.

Include Heading:

Type Y to include report headings

If you selected the (R)ange option, a Print Selection window will allow you to input a range of selections, i.e. customer, vendor, salesperson, inventory items, etc. If you want to select just one customer, item, etc., the first and last code will be the same.

Cursor will continue to the Field Selection screen.

The (F)ilter option will display the Filter Selection window.

Number:

A field sequence number will be assigned to each selection. Press the Enter key to accept

Field:

You will be able to select from a Field List window, each data item you want to use to select for your report. After selecting a field, you will be prompted with specific options to apply to each field you select to filter.

Function:

Select a function 1-6:   1=Equal, 2=Greater than, 3=Greater than or equal to, 4=Less than, 5=Less than or equal to, 6=Not equal to

Value:

Depending on which function you selected, you will enter a value for the selected field. As an example, if you selected a report to print by a specific salesperson, you would enter the salesperson code in the Value field. The report will filter the data only for that one salesperson.

If you selected to do a range and to filter the data, you will do both of the steps mentioned above.

Once you complete the steps above, you will proceed to the Field Selection window to begin selecting what data fields you want to print for this report, with an option to select all fields by using the F1 key. You must keep in mind, the report cannot exceed 132 print positions when printing to a printer. The number of columns used with each selection is displayed on your screen.

Number:

The field selection number automatically display – press the Enter key to accept

Field List:

A window displays all of the fields within the file that are available to print. Use your arrow keys to move the cursor up and down the selections or press the Enter key to include a field in your report or enter the alpha letter to insert

Press F1 to select all fields in the list

Field:

The name of the field that you selected will display. If you selected an incorrect field name, press F1 to return to the Field List or answer Yes to include the field in your report.

Once you have completed your selection, press F4 to either print the report or print the report to a file.

The TOP Printer Menu displays for you to select a printer for the report or the data will be written to your selected file name and the cursor will return to the TOP Report Menu.

QR Codes and Image Files

A QR (Quick Response) code is a two-dimensional barcode that is readable by smart phones. It allows you to encode over 4000 characters in a two dimensional barcode. QR codes may be used to display text to the user, to open a URL, contain a link to a Facebook page, contain discounts at your local grocery store or to compose text messages. They can be printed out and used for tagging any real-word object. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code for information on QR codes.

There are many software programs that can be used to generate a QR code. Follow this link to see the options:

http://freenuts.com/top-10-free-online-qr-code-generators/

TOP customers can generate a QR code or any image file and have it print on their invoices. The only requirement to use this feature is to create the PDF and PRN files, which is placed in the /TOP/GRAPHICS folder on the server, and have the current version of TOP2012 and UnForm Version 7.0 and above installed on your system. The row, column and name of the PRN file is displayed in the Invoice Message Maintenance on the UM Options Menu. The C is the number of columns, R is the row number and F is the name of the QR file.

Currently, this feature is only set up to print on invoice format 1, see an example below of the information required in the Invoice Message Maintenance:

OE_QRCODE

To read QR codes with your smartphone, you need an appropriate software app installed on your phone. For Android-based devices, you can use Barcode Scanner as one example. On iOS-Devices like iPhones, there are QR Code readers available on the AppStore, for example i-nigma. On Symbian devices, you can use Mobiletag barcode reader.