want to write a program for myself

[ben]

hi
i am starting a small business offering computer help to the local
area
i would like to write my own system where i can store customer
information, and link this to orders, then print invoices
automatically.
can anyone tell me where to start? should i get a book on VB or C or
something?
or is it really a better idea to use a well known software program
like access or something?
i'd like to learn how to program in the process if possible and would
really appreciate advice
thanks
ben

 

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?Erik_Wikstr=F6m?=]

hi
i am starting a small business offering computer help to the local
area
i would like to write my own system where i can store customer
information, and link this to orders, then print invoices
automatically.
can anyone tell me where to start? should i get a book on VB or C or
something?
or is it really a better idea to use a well known software program
like access or something?
i'd like to learn how to program in the process if possible and would
really appreciate advice

Well, since you don't already know how to program I would start with
access or perhaps some pre-made system for these kinds of things (there
ought to be some available).

You could of course create one yourself but by the time you've gained
enough skill to do it you'll probably come up with some other way of
handling this task. Since it's quite an important system for your
business you don't want it to crash because you were not good enough a
system developer when you wrote it

If you still want to learn how to program, C++ is a good language and
Accelerated C++ by Koenig and Moo is a generally recommended book.

 

[Marcus Kwok]

Well, since you don't already know how to program I would start with
access or perhaps some pre-made system for these kinds of things (there
ought to be some available).

You could of course create one yourself but by the time you've gained
enough skill to do it you'll probably come up with some other way of
handling this task. Since it's quite an important system for your
business you don't want it to crash because you were not good enough a
system developer when you wrote it

If you still want to learn how to program, C++ is a good language and
Accelerated C++ by Koenig and Moo is a generally recommended book.

I would also add that you should probably use some sort of RDBMS
(Relational Database Management System) to store the orders and other
information (Access is one type of RDBMS, though there are other ones
that are free, such as MySQL or Firebird).

Integrating the database is off-topic in this newsgroup, but if you're
learning C++, the IBPP wrapper for Firebird is designed to provide a
nice C++ interface. http://www.ibpp.org/

 

[Jim Langston]

hi
i am starting a small business offering computer help to the local
area
i would like to write my own system where i can store customer
information, and link this to orders, then print invoices
automatically.
can anyone tell me where to start? should i get a book on VB or C or
something?
or is it really a better idea to use a well known software program
like access or something?
i'd like to learn how to program in the process if possible and would
really appreciate advice
thanks

I wrote a retail store pos system a long time ago in dbase III then
converted it to clipper. If it's cost that's an issue, you can download
simple ones for a low cost (did a google for retail software free download
and first link had one you could download and try and it's only $329).

If it's a learning experience you want, pos systems are database driven.
That is, the main thing is reading/writing from some sort of database
whatever it is, flat files, mysql, sql, access databases, whatever). For a
simple system I would suggest a programming language that is as easy to read
from/write to databases as possible. Back in the day dbase/clipper filled
that bill. You could do it in C/C++ but you would spending a whole lot of
time on the user interface.

I could write a pos system in C++, but it wouldn't be my first choice.

 

[jalina]

ben a écrit :

hi
i am starting a small business offering computer help to the local
area
i would like to write my own system where i can store customer
information, and link this to orders, then print invoices
automatically.
can anyone tell me where to start? should i get a book on VB or C or
something?
or is it really a better idea to use a well known software program
like access or something?
i'd like to learn how to program in the process if possible and would
really appreciate advice
thanks
ben

do this using web services and technologies.

 

[Juha Nieminen]

i am starting a small business offering computer help to the local
area
i would like to write my own system where i can store customer
information, and link this to orders, then print invoices
automatically.

Why, when there are tons of existing software which does that,
some of them free of charge?

 

[ben]

Why, when there are tons of existing software which does that,
some of them free of charge?

thanks for the replies
i have a little database experience with my sql and php. i created the
site www.cardsbylaura.co.uk (excuse the hosting ads, need to move to
another host)
so i guess the database side of things would be similar to that, but
as well as showing records i need to be able to add, edit and delete?
and i would need to create an interface. would i be better off doing
this as a webpage?
to the last poster i would like to learn some programming in the
process
thanks
ben

 

[=?iso-8859-1?q?Erik_Wikstr=F6m?=]

thanks for the replies
i have a little database experience with my sql and php. i created the
sitewww.cardsbylaura.co.uk(excuse the hosting ads, need to move to
another host)
so i guess the database side of things would be similar to that, but
as well as showing records i need to be able to add, edit and delete?
and i would need to create an interface. would i be better off doing
this as a webpage?

Maybe, depends on how good you are at making webpages. However if you
still want to make a program I would recommend that you start looking
at the different frameworks available to making GUIs, and chose one
that adds database support as well, since that will probably make some
things easier.

If you are targeting Windows you might be interested in using C# (or
managed C++) and the .Net framework, I think that might be a bit
easier than using some pure C++ framework.

 

[ben]

Maybe, depends on how good you are at making webpages. However if you
still want to make a program I would recommend that you start looking
at the different frameworks available to making GUIs, and chose one
that adds database support as well, since that will probably make some
things easier.

If you are targeting Windows you might be interested in using C# (or
managed C++) and the .Net framework, I think that might be a bit
easier than using some pure C++ framework.

well thing is i am a windows user but am close to trying linux i have
a few full versions on disc i am going to try soon.

while i'm here what are your motivations for programming, i know its a
very challenging area and can make lots of money, are they your main
reasons for learning it?

 

[jalina]

ben a écrit :

thanks for the replies
i have a little database experience with my sql and php. i created the
site www.cardsbylaura.co.uk (excuse the hosting ads, need to move to
another host)
so i guess the database side of things would be similar to that, but
as well as showing records i need to be able to add, edit and delete?
and i would need to create an interface. would i be better off doing
this as a webpage?
to the last poster i would like to learn some programming in the
process
thanks
ben

I suggest java and Netbeans (see www.netbeans.org) It is perfect for
what you want to do. A free database is included (now also included in
Java 6) The visual web pack helps you making web interface.

It is also free: you can download or ask for a free CD.

 

[dave_mikesell]

while i'm here what are your motivations for programming, i know its a
very challenging area and can make lots of money, are they your main
reasons for learning it?- Hide quoted text -

The money can be good and I like to get paid for my work, but if
that's your only goal you could do better in any number of
professions.

 

[Jim Langston]

Maybe, depends on how good you are at making webpages. However if you
still want to make a program I would recommend that you start looking
at the different frameworks available to making GUIs, and chose one
that adds database support as well, since that will probably make some
things easier.

If you are targeting Windows you might be interested in using C# (or
managed C++) and the .Net framework, I think that might be a bit
easier than using some pure C++ framework.

well thing is i am a windows user but am close to trying linux i have
a few full versions on disc i am going to try soon.

while i'm here what are your motivations for programming, i know its a
very challenging area and can make lots of money, are they your main
reasons for learning it?

=============

I program because I enjoy it. I enjoy being able to create anything I can
think of. I started programming at a young age (10) and orignally wasn't
going to become a professional programmer because I felt that if I did it
for a living I wouldn't enjoy it anymore. But it turns out it was about the
only thing I could make money doing, so I did. And I still enjoy programming
at home.

I bought my oldest 13 year old son "Learning C++ in 21 days" as his first
programming book. Going to get him a proper manual soon. He wants to learn
to program.

 

[Puppet_Sock]

i am starting a small business offering computer help to the local
area

[off topic question snipped]

The dot-com bubble is still bursting.
Socks