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1. ladydelaluna
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #

   Okay, I'm sure this one's a "no one's heard of it" kind of question, but I'm hoping that someone will either be able to point me in a related direction, or maybe some wonderful plugin developer would be willing to do this for me (I'd even pay something if I had to!)

   I have a client who wants to have a check-in/check-out system for projects. Essentially, there are several people who may work on a project, and there needs to be a simple, easy way to track IF something's "checked out", and who last did it.

   We're trying to figure out a way to do this with wordpress, thinking in terms of each project being a post, and having the users comment with their "check in/out" as well as any changes or updates, etc.

   The problem comes in when my client wants to be able to export this all in a csv, or be able to do a "mass printing" of everything.

   Here's basically what he sent me in an email... now if someone can help me figure out how to best accomplish this (heck, even if it's not using wordpress at this point, though I'd really prefer it) I'd really appreciate it...

   "Hi Lara,

   We have a client that requires us to have a check-in checkout log for files that we place on our ftp site. Can we use the backend database on our server to have the fields:

   no, rev ,des , user, checked status, date time, notes sorted by p/n, status

   Then we would have a password protected url to enter data. Note that it is not required to link any files, just enter data. We would also want to have an export to csv capability. "

   So.... any ideas? I'd really appreciate the help with this one!

2. jwurster
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #

   You know, I was just thinking about something like that yesterday, that is, some way of keeping track of changes I would make to a post. It sounds like maybe a wiki would be an answer. I had thought that when you "edited" something, those changes were tracked somehow. But maybe I was wrong.

3. ladydelaluna
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #

   Well not just tracking post edits - this is more like just being able to export the post and all it's comments into a csv or something. I don't want them editing the post - but rather making a comment such as "Checking this file out." and then when they were done, "Checking this file in." with the timestamps that comments usually come with, and being able to export it out - but being able to do that with all posts at once, so that they can keep a running tally of sorts with daily reports.

   Hard to explain I guess - kind of like a project management system, but not even 10% as complicated.

4. jwurster
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #

   I think what you're looking for is a CVS system, a code versioning system. I wasn't suggesting that you track changes like Microsoft Word does. That was just something I was mulling over and decided wasn't a good idea. However, a system to manage files like you said is what you need. I've seen php scripts that will help you do this. Maybe you'll be lucky enough to find the one that meets your needs.

5. ladydelaluna
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #

   Thanks for the clarification, jwurster - I appreciate any and all input I can get with this... I really do!

   Here's the thing though - they're not actually wanting the files to be there. Just the notes on the files, that has fields for: no, rev ,des , user, checked status, date time, notes sorted by p/n, and status (whatever those abbreviations mean, i'm unsure, but they're more for referencing OTHER files, held elsewhere)

   I think the solution for this is so simple, that everything else seems complicated to me... if I just knew what the solution was.... *sigh*

6. jwurster
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #

   Now that I have re-read your initial and your client's request, it sounds like they want a simple file management system. They want to manage the transfer of files to and from their ftp site. Without a true spec from your client, you are guessing at what they want. I deal with multiple software requests every day. You really need to get more detail in writing from your client. What would also help is them describing a couple of scenarios. (and you need them to define the fields of information they want to track).

7. ladydelaluna
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #

   Thanks again for the input!

   It's not that they want to manage the files themselves in any "recorded" manner - they just want a place where you can list the file or project, and the people working on it can make statements as to whether or not they've "checked it out" and MAYBE what changes have been made.

   Example:
   John wants to work on fileABC
   He goes to this "system" and locates the info on the file, and "checks it out"
   He FTPs the file down, or whatever, from wherever it is, does his work, and finishes it.
   He goes back to this "system" and locates the info on the file, and "checks it back in"
   At the end of the month, Supervisor Bob can download everything from the "system" in csv format so he can make a spreadsheet and give it to the client.

   I don't think the fields above and what they are is necessarily that important - it's just what they want to have as fields to use for each piece of information on a file.

   I think your idea is on the right track, but again, think it's even simpler than that...

   Got anything else? You're really helping me work this through...

8. Chris_K
   Administrator
   Posted 3 years ago #

   Yeesh, and now you've reinvented a source control system a lot like MS's Visual Source Safe or Subversion.

9. ladydelaluna
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #

   bad news is i've never even heard of those... :(
   am i jumping in over my head here?

10. jwurster
    Member
    Posted 3 years ago #

    Yes, we use SourceSafe where I work for VB and we also use a similar system for our legacy Fortran code. I think more what is needed here is a document management system. However, in your case, there is one more big question. Does the client want to be able to see all the different versions of the document? Or is the simple notation by the user of what he did, sufficient?

11. ladydelaluna
    Member
    Posted 3 years ago #

    No, they don't need to be able to see all the different versions (the company is a product design company - basically who you go to for a prototype of your idea - stuff like that).

    Just a way to check and see if a file is checked out by someone else (so no one overwrites anyone else's work) and the ability for the user to make "comments" about what he did while having the file checked out.

    Does this help lighten my load any? *begging*

12. jwurster
    Member
    Posted 3 years ago #

    After doing a little search, I found 2 free scripts that could do what you want: http://www.hotscripts.com/Detailed/51638.html (seems to have php5 issues) and http://www.pluggedout.com/index.php?pk=dev_cms. There are others. These might be overkill for what your client wants, but its a start. You'll have to read the documentation to see how they could work for your client.

    And I just found Kaf's http://guff.szub.net/2005/04/28/download-manager/. That might really be the simple solution you're looking for.

13. ladydelaluna
    Member
    Posted 3 years ago #

    from the pluggedout.com one -

    "Document Management
    You can store documents within CMS for easy access within web pages, and keep associated metadata alongside them along with all the functionality you would expect with a document management system - document types, checkin, checkout, document security and so on."

    That sounds exactly like what I need - even more than what I need, but it would work.

    Thanks for your help, jwurster - you've been invaluable to me... now if I can only figure out which one to use - I'll be good to go.

    THANK YOU!

    Edit - just saw the updated plugin one - going to check that out too. THANKS AGAIN! :) :) :) :)

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