Setup Wizard Specifications


Overview


I thought we should start a list of things a 'Setup Wizard' should do and what would be required to make it do this. I also wanted to play with the wiki...

For easy reference, the Install instructions are here:
http://weberp.org/weberp/doc/Manual/ManualContents.php?ViewTopic=GettingStarted

General installation would still be necessary - some files have to be unpacked in a directory, a webserver & php configured, and some directories (at least reports/) made writable.
There may be some installer options available for all the required software...

PhilDaintree points out
<[
For the majority of users - windows installations - there is quite a slick installer of mysql apache, php, phpMyAdmin and a webMail server called apache2triad

http://apache2triad.sourceforge.net/

I have wondered if it would be possible to slap the webERP files into this distribution with the apache2triad default username/password, create the db and have her all up an running as part of the apache2triad install.
]>

From "Creating the Database" forward is covered here. This will be a completely web-based installer from this point forward - no files will need to be directly edited by the user.

Motivation


To generally make post-installation configuration much more simple for the user. More specifically, to help the less-accounting oriented configure the system properly.

The overall idea here is to do a lot of hand-holding during the installation to work around some of the gotchas and more difficult sections to configure (such as the GL CoA)

Additionally, I wanted to document the config options available a little better...

System Setup Steps


The installer should step the user through setting up and verifying the ConfigurationOptions for webERP. This is outlined in:
http://weberp.org/weberp/doc/Manual/ManualContents.php?ViewTopic=CreatingNewSystem

We will generally be walking the User through these steps, though will simply make all ConfigurationOptions necessary to accomodate the rest of getting the system up and running.

There will be a few general stages:
1. Language Selection, DB Connection Setup and Testing, DB Creation
2. General System Configuration

Step 1 will be controlled by:
1. Check for the existence of includes/config.db.php
2. Check for a Config parameter in the database named DBCreated . The default value will be False.

Until those items are satisfied, the user will be prompted first for their Language Selection, then taken to the DB Connection Setup script. The end result of this script will be to write out the includes/config.db.php file with the information in the #DBParameters section.

Next the user will be take to a DB Creation script. This will list the available SQL files for the selected database type and allow the user to use one to load a new weberp database. Once this has completed succesfully, the DBCreated value will be set to True in the database.

At this point, the Installer will branch off into scripts that help config the various sections (A/P, A/R, etc.) . Appropriate Section variables will be set during configuration to insure the system if fully and correctly configured before use starts. This sounds strict, but I believe some 'template' configs can be setup, such as for a Demo system that will only make this necessary when the users requests it.

We could, for example, allow:
* 'Advanced', 'Intermediate', 'Simple', 'Demo' options that would prefill various portions. Possibly also a 'use' based questioning - like a simple way to ask if you need the GL integration or not, preferably with links to help understand what things are.
* Saving progress would be a good due to the length of the setup

Language


Language selection sh0uld also be made available from the Login screen. Regardless, the first step will make the user select their Language, even if it is set on the Logon screen.

Location Information


Some spiffy things could be done here to pick the correct items with 1 selection - like US would set English-US, m/d/Y, etc.

Extra useful functionality


* ...
<Dkshukla>
Presently Opening balances of debtors , creditors ,bank accounts and inventory items are not easy to enter in new system and it should be addressed on priority to make webERP implementation easy.
</Dkshukla>
Valid XHTML :: Valid CSS: :: Powered by WikkaWiki