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- Inventory Program v7.5, (C) Cardiology Department, Royal Melbourne
- Hospital, by Peter Summers <peter@cardiology.medrmh.unimelb.edu.au>.
-
- USES OF VERSIONS PRIOR TO 6.0 SHOULD REFER TO UPGRADE NOTES BELOW.
-
- The purpose of this program is to track stock levels of consumables. We
- use it because our consumables are expensive and we don't want to keep
- more of them in stock than neccessary, but we also don't want to run out
- of them.
-
- The program stores data which includes the number of items in stock, the
- number on order, the number required in stock and the reorder quantity.
- Items are referenced by a manufacturer's catolog number, which should
- be displayed on the packaging. Items can be removed from the database
- by blanking out their catalog number.
-
- The system needs to be set up initially by typing all the details of
- stock used into the database (Maintainance menu / Enter item). This is
- time consuming and a pain, but there's not really any way around it.
-
- We developed this program to use in the storeroom attached to our
- operating theatres. The nurses enter delivery details of items into the
- computer when they are delivered. During the day, they tear labels off
- items as they use them and then enter the catalog numbers into the
- machine at the end of the day. They then use the software to generate
- new orders for them (Summaries menu / Orders pending). The system has
- been running since 1989.
-
- The program now supports a keyboard wedge barcode reader with options
- available under the Maintenance Menu.
-
- In most parts of the program help can be obtained by pressing the F1
- key, and Esc should always get you back to the main menu. Most of the
- features of the program are really pretty obvious, but a few notes may
- help with some of the more obscure ones.
-
- The summaries menu generates various lists of items that the nurses have
- said they wanted over the years. For some lists, the program prompts
- for manufacturer or item type. Just pressing Enter selects all items.
-
- Daily backups on floppy disks can be enabled under Xtra features / Setup
- stuff. This is useful on single user machines and allows a daily backup
- to be made by non-computer literate staff. Also under this feature, the
- user can select american or british date format.
-
- Function keys F2 to F9 can be programmed to enter specific commonly
- required strings. This is found under Xtra features / Define F keys.
-
- Account numbers can be attached to items. Account names are attached to
- these numbers in the Xtra features / Name accounts option.
-
- Running totals of usage can be kept over a period. These totals are set
- to zero using Xtra features / Zero totals.
-
- The system implements file and record locking and should run on any
- network. It also responds intelligently to user's rights, locking out
- inappropriate features if the database can only be opened as a
- read-only file.
-
- If the database is unavailable, the program will exit with the
- errorlevel set to 1. If it exits due to some other problem, the
- errorlevel will be set to 2.
-
- This software may not be sold (beyond a nominal media cost) but may be
- used free of charge.
-
- UPGRADING FROM VERSIONS PRIOR TO 7.0
-
- Version 7.0 uses a new field to support barcodes. To copy your old data
- into the version 7.0 format database, install the database and run it,
- select Xtra Features, Add from disk and enter the directory of your old
- program.
-
-
- VERSION HISTORY (since I started keeping one):
-
- 5.2d Fixed a problem which caused the program to crash sometimes after the
- Xamine Database option in the Xtra Features menu was used.
- 5.2e Fixed a problem with printing item details, and corrected an incorrect
- example of how to set up printer codes in one help screen.
- 5.2f Now compiled in Clipper 5.01.
- 5.2g Better error handling, should now be able to run from the clipper path
- if required. If the use has write but not delete privledges, he can
- alter the database but not the settings file.
- 5.2h Various cosmetic changes.
- 5.2i Made the orders print out again! (Clipper 5 handles reports slightly
- differently.)
-
- 5.3 Completely recoded the way the user selects an item with an incomplete
- catalog number.
- 5.3a Now exits the credit screen as soon as a key is pressed.
- 5.3b I can't remember what this one was.
- 5.3c Turned snow suppression and insert mode on.
- 5.3d Turns snow suppression on only with colour graphics boards,
- because it hangs with Hercules boards.
-
- 5.4 Allows selection of currency symbols other than $.
- 5.4a Unlocks the file properly if printing fails during an order printout.
- 5.4b Recompiled the same code with the 5.01a patch applied to Clipper.
- 5.4c Recompiled the same code with the fix to the 5.01a patch applied
- to Clipper.
- 5.4d Sets the errorlevel if the program exits with a problem.
-
- 5.5 Allows a choice of printer destinations, and works more neatly
- with network printer capturing (shouldn't require timeouts).
- 5.5a Fixed a bug with checking the wrong printer before printing.
- 5.5b Fixed a bug with trying to pack or reindex when the database was in use.
- 5.5c Centred the "database in use" error message.
-
- 5.6 Beautified the menu, put a timeout exit on the menu function and
- allowed the Escape key to exit the program.
- 5.6a Bolds the trigger keys in the menus.
-
- 6.0 Enhanced summaries functions.
- 6.0a Reports are now sorted by item type.
- 6.0b Imposes a 50 item limit on uregistered versions.
- 6.0c Reports are now sorted by catalog number.
- 6.0d Minor screen alterations.
- 6.0e Now compiled in Clipper 5.2d.
-
- 7.0 Supports barcodes and entry via a barcode reader.
-
- 7.1 Allows adding records from a backup database with any path.
-
- 7.2 Uses a FoxPro index file.
-
- 7.3 More sensible handling of unrecognised barcodes during usage entry.
-
- 7.4 Allows recording of deliveries by barcode, cosmetic changes to barcode
- entry handling.
- 7.5 Same as 7.4, but it is now available free of charge.