Project Based Invoice System - HELP WANTED

[Dr. Evil]

This solution helps tie the real world to the data world by allowing a project to be open, active and span any length of time while having the capability to invoice Assignments as be become completed.

Goal is to build an iron clad project based invoice system. This file is a good solid start.Tho this file is raw and the interface is not done, the structure is pretty much established. Tho I believe some of my coding, relations and scripts are dodgie and could be a lot cleaner and sound.

Please play around with this file, take a look on how it works and make some suggestions on how I can make this better.

Thank you so much for your time!!!

project_invoice_model.fp7.zip

[jamesducker]

Haven't had much time to play with it, but you could eliminate the ugly go to last portal row, copy, paste in your 'create' script by:

1) creating a new relationship which is a copy of PRJ~invoice`portal

2) defining it to have a sort in the relationship which will return the desired record (ie the last one in the portal) first

3) using one 'set field' step to replace your go to field, go to portal row, copy, paste.

Hope that helps. Have subscribed to this thread and will be interested to hear any followup comments.

Yours

James

[Dr. Evil]

Great tip, your advise helped me clean up that mess and use a $variable. I have attached a updated file for review. I also added some locking features to Assignments so once thay have been billed they can no longer be edited or deleted.

Thanks! Keep the feedback coming.

project_invoice_model_v2.fp7.zip

[Søren Dyhr]

When I look at ASM~assignment'invoice layout, does a 3NF ring bell inside my head. Are invoices expected to cover several projects - Or does every project release an opportunity to issue several invoices? Or even worse are the project/invoice ratio 1:1?

--sd

[Dr. Evil]

3NF?

To answer your question: A single project can create one or many invoices. Depending on the size and the span of the project... a Project may only need to create one invoice and project could be closed. ... or if the Project is large and takes many months to complete Assignments you can create an invoice ea month for Assignment completed. And bill unfinished Assignment next month or when ever they are completed.

The Project is the parent of assignments.

Invoices are linked to assignments creating a stored report if you will so you can recall an invoice at any time. The invoice script uses this relation to check what has been billed, when billed, what Invoice id, etc.

Hope this help clear things up, if not, of course let me know.

THANKS A HEAP!

[Søren Dyhr]

The fastest way to see what 3NF is about is probably the example shown here:

http://databases.about.com/od/administration/l/bldef_3nf.htm

...a read of this wouldn't go amiss:

http://fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/210827/fromsearch/1/tp/0/all/1/

--sd

[Dr. Evil]

This model file was to test an idea on a project based invoicing system.

Get some feedback on if it is sound enough to put to actual use.

Tho it could be cleaned up I think it is ready to implement into my actual working solution.

What do you think? Any last words before I code this into the master file?

Thank you all for your time and comments.

[Søren Dyhr]

This model file was to test an idea on a project based invoicing system.

Get some feedback on if it is sound enough to put to actual use.

Well even the flattest structured, might fit in here - wouldn't it? Try just for hell of it to open the templates accompanying older versions of filemaker and have a laugh over what people apparently can get away with!

--sd

[Dr. Evil]

Try just for hell of it to open the templates accompanying older versions of filemaker and have a laugh over what people apparently can get away with!

Yeah its crazy, the pre built free templates are VERY basic. They are not ideal for a complete solution that works the way you do.

[lobonacci]

I am interested in helping develop this solution because I am hoping to use something like this myself. I have done some work already by combining and modifying two of the templates included with FMPro10 and would be happy to share, but maybe adding to yours would be better. Can you give any instructions or a little summary of this solution? You can PM me or email me at [email protected]

Just to set the stage for my usage of something like this, I intend to use this solution to manage some projects fixing up a house. I have receipts from purchases I make for this project and would like to keep them in a database. I also have several workers on the project, i.e. a painter, tile guy, electrician, etc. For example, I have a painter who quoted me $1100 plus materials to paint the interior of this house. I paid him $200 already and would like to enter that in the db leaving a balance of $800. Then, I spent $170 so far on paint and plan to have another big purchase tomorrow. I would like to look back at this project in the end and be able to see all my expenses. I would also like to be able to check it at any point along the way and see what I have left to pay for labor, etc.

I will do some modifications, but I wonder what your intended use is and how you came up with the current status so far, how you defined the variables, etc. Thanks,

Ernest

[Dr. Evil]

I read through your message, and correct me if I'm wrong, but sounds like you need a Project Registry. Not an Invoicing system.

I have attached a file that may help you, check it out and let me know if you have a questions.

My intentions on the Project Invoicing System is;

Its for a graphic design company.

A project will be created and may span any length of time but would be billed at any time or at end of ea. month even tho the project may be open for many months.

Advantage to this system is you never have to enter a line item twice, just once in the Project and the Invoice feeds off it.

The file you may have saw was very basic and simple. I have since modified it and implemented it into a very complex full solution.

I posted the file just to see if anyone objected to the idea.

Through my research I learned that an invoice should be separate record (tho can be related) from a project and that an invoice should never be allowed to be deleted.

Upon an error of an invoice i should either be voided (set to null so it does not effect billing in anyway) or another invoice should be created to compensate for the error.

Thanks, hope the file helps you out!

project_manager_sample.fp7.zip