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The Settings screen is reached by activating the menu entry File |Settings and requires that the operator has owner or manager privileges. This screen is also displayed at start-up if no database is found. It will normally be the first screen encountered after installing the program. If you have not installed MySQL via XAMPP, freely available from the "Apache Friends" website, then do this first.
The Settings screen is divided into three separate tabs: server, hardware, and shop.
The Server tab holds all the required settings for connection to a database (MySQL). First there is the server name, the database name, the MySQL user name and password. The default for these are localhost (for a server running on the same computer), till, root and blank. These need to match your own setup of MySQL. For an online database, we have (for example) www.proffittcenter.org, proff2_till, proff2_test, and the password, which needs to be entered twice.
The backup gmail address and Gmail password are for the automatic backing up of the database. Fill in your own gmail email address (including @gmail.com) and the gmail account password, and every time the program is closed on the machine with the server running, an email will be sent to your Google email account with an attached sql file. This can subsequently be run to reconstruct the database if something should go wrong. If you do not have a gmail account they are free from google.com and currently hold 7.5 GB of data. The program will work without this information, but for safety, always back up you data.
The gmail address can be your normal address, or one specifically created to hold these emails. If it is your normal address, then set up a filter to move these emails directly to a separate backup folder, skipping the inbox. This will ensure that they are archived and thus save some space, as well as keeping your inbox clear.
If you do not provide an email address it is essential to make alternative provision for backing up the database on a regular basis.
It is always necessary to click the 'Test connection' button before the main 'OK' button is enabled.
If an empty database engine is found, additional buttons will be enabled on the Server page to install the database, and then install tables, and these must be clicked in turn, before proceeding to the main OK button.
The Hardware tab hold values for a specific hardware setup. Select an available port and then click the 'Test' button to see if the connection works. The code table and select font drop down box can be set as required. Here, in the UK, the UK setting, and the Page 19 (PC858 EURO) setting proved useful. Click 'Touch screen' if you want to use that facility. The 'Invoice printer' is for the use of an attached Windows printer instead of a receipt printer. (Not reccomended)
The Shop tab hold values specific to a particular shop, such as shop name and address. Note the pound and penny symbols: insert your own for local currency. Select the character set Cp850 for a start.
The tax regime for the UK, the choice is between unregistered (for VAT), registered and wholesale registered. The difference is that for wholesale, selling prices are quoted excluding VAT, and the VAT is added to the total. For retail, VAT is included in each price.
Then, there is a check box 'Receipt always' and 'Print receipt if greater than:'. Check this if you want a receipt to be issued for all transactions, or increase the value from zero if you want printed receipts for larger transactions only. You can always print receipts on demand by pressing the 'Print Screen' key.
Set 'Autoclear in minutes' refers to the locking of the sales screen if left for an extended period. Set the value to zero if you do not want this feature.
The 'Float value' allows for a fixed float to be set. Leave this at zero and you will be asked to enter the float for the shift.
Till ID should be zero for the back office, and any low number for sales stations.
Unchecking the Newproduct? box will disable the creation of new product in the sales screen.
Remember, if changes are made on any page, it is necessary to click the Test button on the Server tab to enable the OK button which will save the changed values. The program will then shut down and needs to be re-started.
To set up with an online database, the following may be helpful.
I use Lunar hosts as my provider, using CPanel.
In CPanel click on MySQL databases. Then click Create Ne Database and fil in database name.
Then create a user:
Then add user to the database you created:
When you click on Add, you get a chance to grant privaleges for this user's account:
Having made a note of all the relavent valuse, go to File>Settings on the Server tab:
Then the normal process will create the database and empty tables.
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