Summary of Enhancements/Bug Fixes

Week/Month-End Reset

Solution

Add the capability to reset specified files other than on a daily basis.

You can now specify which files you would like to reset on a week-end or a month-end basis. Configured the same as Exports in the previous version, a "W" indicates week-end , an "M" indicates month-end and space/blank/nothing indicates daily, as before.

Week/Month-End Poll

Solution

Add the capability to poll specified files other than on a daily basis.

You can now specify which files you would like to export (poll) on a week-end or a month-end basis. A "W" indicates week-end (determined by the configuration of the new "Last Day of Business Week" field on the "System Parameter" screen), an "M" indicates month-end and space/blank/nothing indicates daily, as before.

Running .BAT files

Solution

Currently only searched for .EXE files when setting up polling paths. Need to add capability to also run a .BAT file as your polling program.

Implemented in Version 2.1 (also .COM files)

Modem problems

Solution

Still occasional modem/COM port problems.

Fixed in Version 2.1

Location Numbers

Solution

Store/Location numbers currently were non-zero, but the need has arisen to be able to use the number 0 (zero) as a location number.

The program will still give you a message if you use a zero (0) as your location number, but it will let you do it if you need to have it that way. However, you will get the message everytime you go into the Location Maintenance screen.

COMM problems

Solution

If you are resetting terminals from ProfitPoll in a multi-store situation, and you have polling problems in one store, all subsequent stores will poll ok, but then they will not reset.

This has been fixed in version 2.1

Auto App Execution

Solution

Will always run the specified application (and it comes pre-installed set to run 2700 Report Module), regardless of whether or not that app has been chosen to be polled for.

Now, Version 2.1, will only automatically run the specified application if the app was set up to be polled.

Audit Trail Report

Solution

Under certain error conditions, the Audit Trail's printing of the PC/IF error file may not be entirely accurate.

Fixed in Version 2.1 ... the errors should display correctly in all circumstances now.

Year 2000 Compliance

Solution

Make date recognition be Year 2000 compliant.

Polling will now indicate a full 4-digit year.

Site License

Solution

Change in pricing structure. Base price of software covers polling for 3 sites. Additional sites will cost extra.

A menu option has been added in order to get authorization for additional sites.

Auto App Execution

Solution

Need the capability to automatically run the associated application if the user wishes to.

An additional option and a new screen has been added in order for the user to specify which apps to automate and the paths to them (this can be used to run batch files also, if desired).

COM problems

Solution

Some people report intermittent COM port problems (DOS error messages, etc), specifically the DOS error (abort, retry, fail) when the PC2700 utility runs just fine.

Fixed in version 1.32 for non-modem access of the cash registers. Could still be a problem if using modems or a code-operated switch.

Audit Trail Report

Solution

Change the way the Audit Trail Report files are named. It's accumulating too many files and there is no purging mechanism from ProfitPoll (although the user could purge manually thru DOS if he wanted to).

Prior to creating the PPdd.AUD, ProfitPoll will make backups of any existing audit files for that polling day only (any audit files from last month's polling will be deleted). The backups will be named PPddXmm.AUD, where the mm indicates the number of times ProfitPoll has been run for that polling day.

Structure tables

Solution

Develop structure databases for generic recreating of database tables.

Done in Version 1.3

Index table

Solution

Develop an index database for generic reindexing.

Done in Version 1.3

Copying AutoSeq Rpts

Solution

The Micros AutoSequence reports are overwritten every time they are run. Some customers would like the capability to save these reports for a week at a time in case there are problems with the printing of them.

In order to use this feature, you will need to create a batch file called COPYRPT.BAT in the ProfitPoll directory which contains only the following line: COPY \"microsdirectory"\*.RPT \"microsdirectory"\*.%1 where "microsdirectory" is the directory into which your AutoSequence reports are being generated. This batch file copies all your RPT files to files with the day of the week as an extension (i.e. .MON .TUE etc.).

Micros AutoSequence

Solution

RM2700 is not returning to DOS after it completes the AutoSequence report.

RM2700 requires an additional parameter (/EXIT) to kick it back to DOS after it completes the AutoSequence report. Fixed.

GetTest Not Found

Solution

An Error Message sometimes occurs when changing Export Commands, "Variable GetTest Not Found".

Intermittent error. Fixed.

Waiting for Polling

Solution

The "Waiting for Polling ..." message when running with the /W switch has caused confusion among some users because of the time that is shown.

The message has been changed to "Waiting for Polling on mm/dd/yy" with no time shown.

Modem under Windows

Solution

Windows doesn't allow direct reading from the COM Port and generates an "Error reading from device on COM2" error message when the program attempts to verify the modem's return code.

After making changes to remedy this problem, I discovered that it was not a problem when running under Windows for Workgroups 3.11. If you are running Windows 3.1 and need to connect with a modem, I recommend either upgrading to Windows 3.11, running the polling from DOS or trying the following: Start PFTPOLL with a switch to indicate that you are running under Windows AND polling via modem (if polling under Windows, but directly connected and NOT using a modem, this is not necessary). PFTPOLL /M or PFTPOLL /MB or PFTPOLL /MW etc.... There is no guarantee that this will work, however, since it appears that PC2700 also has trouble accessing the COM port under certain conditions, and I have no control over PC2700.

COM Port Init Error

Solution

I discovered a strange memory problem while polling on my laptop (which only has 4meg RAM). There was no problem running Test Communication from the menu, if that was the first thing that I did, and any subseqent polls after that went fine. But if I attempted to poll first (without using Test Communication from the menu), it came back with an "Unable to initalize device on COM port" message. It turns out that memory was down to practically nothing right before the call to EndOfDay, and that affected the COM Port initialization.

Cleaned up memory and now there is plenty.

Batch Date Verify

Solution

Currently the batchmode date verification will not work in the the "wait" batchmode.

Software has been updated to handle this now. To specify the use of batchmode date verification, use the "V" switch. PFTPOLL /BV [date] or PFTPOLL /WV [date] or PFTPOLL /V [date] The date is optional in all cases.

Audit Trail Report

Solution

The naming convention for the Audit Trail Report file needs to be changed because PPmmdd.AUD could result in 365 files if the user never purges them, which is a bit of overkill.

Changed to PPdd.AUD. Also, if run more than one time on the same day, PPdd.AUD will still be the most current report (rather than PPddn.AUD, where n is the number of times it was run).

Micros AutoSequence

Solution

Enhancement. Add the ability to run RM2700 specifying the AutoSequence reports to run.

Three applications have been added: "Micros 2700 Daily AutoSeq" "Micros 2700 Payroll AutoSeq" "Micros 2700 Monthly AutoSeq" 4 "files" are added to the list of exported files. They aren't actually files, but are the commands needed to run the above RM2700 AutoSequence reports, plus an additional "file" for running a short X-report to test communications. These specify the RM2700 AutoSequence report number, the Step number and the ID for each of the above "applications".

Exported Files

Solution

When looking at the list of the exported files, there is no easy way to tell which files belong with which application.

Added "headers" to the list of exported file names so that each app's files are grouped together under each header.

Poll Immediate

Solution

If the user has specified a time of day to poll, but sometimes wishes to poll immediately, the time must be changed (deleted), then the polling done, then the time changed back. An easier method for doing this is needed.

Added two new options to the menu ("Immediate Poll - All" and "Immediate Poll - Select").

Larger File Numbers

Solution

Currently, file numbers are only 2 digits. This poses a problem if the user has several different applications that he is interfacing to, and the file names for each app are so different that the user would just like to export the file several times with different names and/or paths. A problem could arise because the file numbers have to be unique, and the user could quickly run out of numbers. Plus, it's nice to keep the numbers corresponding to Micros' numbering scheme.

By making the file number field larger, the user can have similar numbers for the same files being exported. Example: exporting file number 13 for two different applications with different naming conventions, the user could call one #13, and the other #1013. A version upgrade is not necessary, this only affects a few tables and there are no programming changes.

Export File Names

Solution

Currently there is no easy way to change the exported ASCII file names or the directory into which they should be put ... the actual .DBF table must be editted from the File Manager. This was to have been part of the system from the beginning, but because of time constraints in getting it workable in a short amount of time, I figured I'd add it later.

Added a new menu option, File Names/Paths, to allow all of this to be done. Also enables user to choose which files should be exported for which applications.

Week/Month-End Reset

Solution

Add the capability to reset specified files other than on a daily basis.

You can now specify which files you would like to reset on a week-end or a month-end basis. Configured the same as Exports in the previous version, a "W" indicates week-end , an "M" indicates month-end and space/blank/nothing indicates daily, as before.

Upgrade modem inits

Solution

Need to upgrade modem init strings at the minimum. Maybe a popup picklist of modems to choose from? Need more info on modems for that.

PC-to-PC capability

Solution

Develop another module to handle PC-to-PC communication.

Other Polling Module

Solution

Add capability to poll other brands of registers besides Micros.

Currently working on an Omron Polling Module --- it has been completed and is considered a beta version.

Menu item changes

Solution

Add the capability to upload menu items, make changes to prices, names, etc. and then download changes back to the register.

2700 Reset Problems

Solution

PC2700 reset commands give an error message "System Unit Status Error" between the Family Group resets and the Time Period resets ... I think it's the FG that's causing the problem. Registers seem to be resetting ok though ... need to find out what the error message means.