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1. Company Support
1.1 How to choose an ERP Solution
A. Define your company's needs.
B. Define your company's budget.
C. Consult the ones who will be using the ERP application inside your company.
D. Try to combine the results of the above three steps to a final decision about...
- Whether to buy an out-of-the-box application or develop one inside the company.
- What are the modules the application should have.
- The functions the application is required to have.
- What are the parameters of your company's operation that the application should monitor.
2. Developers Support
2.1 Basic Programming Tutorials
> Please click here to view a tutorial about what programming is, how one should start programming, from where one must begin his quest in software development etc.
> Another small and high-level tutorial for the development of software with today's available programming tools (from machine language to HL languages) can be found here.
2.2 Web Services
Web services are a way to deploy applications through the Internet for others to use. In essence, web services are classes (i.e. C++ classes) which are made public at a World Wide Web location in a way that they can be discovered by applications. Then the applications can use these classes (called "web services"), in the same way they use a dll located in the local PC. In no way are web services meant to interact with users, instead they are meant to interact with applications.
How to develop web services
One can develop a web service in many ways. One very simple way is to write the code needed in Notepad and save it as an .asmx file (.asmx files are the basic files of web services developed in C# - note that web services can also be developed in Java). Other more elaborate environments can also be used, such as the Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2005.
Web services are not limited to any programming language. They can be developed in C# as well as Visual Basic or Java.
How to deploy a web service
In order to deploy a web service, one must first find a location that will host that service. Once that location is found, then the only thing that has to be done is to copy the related files to the location.
How to consume web services
One should add a reference to a web service in order to be able to use (consume) it. For example, in Visual Web Developer 2005, one must first create a new web site project, then go to the solution explorer, right click the site's title and select "Add web reference". Then the only thing remaining is to find the location (i.e. the URL) where the web service to be consumed is located, and select the service to consume. When the VWD 2005 discovers the service, just enter the name with which you want it to be called in your code ("Web Reference Name" text field) and click the "Add Reference" button. The VWD 2005 will automatically create many files concerning the web service to be used (such as a .disco file for the discovery of the service).
The only thing remaining for you to use the service in the web site's code is to add a reference to that wervice with a 'using' statement in the beginning of the code and then simply create new instances of the service's class in the same way one creates new instances of any class in C# or VB.
If you want more specific help on how to invoke web services, visit the ASP.NET-Web Services page and take a look at the Add web service.
Please note that there are many details not covered by this article and one must search the web and read some books in order to be able to master web services concepts completely.
2.3 Commodore Application Development
In order to develop applications for Commodore, you must first have a Commodore emulator. Search in the Internet for one, or download the VICE (excellent emulator for Commodore 16, 64 and 128) or CCS64 (one of the best Commodore 64 emulators) emulator.
Then, create a blank D64 image (actually a 'container' for the programs that you will develop), by using a utility like the D64Editor (search the web for other similar utilities), by using the emulator's capabilities (i.e. VICE emulator allows you to create a new D64 image), or just use an already existing D64 image you already have - it doesn't matter whether it contains other programs or not).
After that, load the D64 to the emulator (see the emulator's manual on how to do that - in CCS64 just browse to the D64 by pressing F9 > Device 8 > Load the D64 image).
You are ready to develop a new program: just write it (i.e. in Commodore's BASIC editor) and save it to the D64 image (by writting SAVE "TEST",8,1).
> WHY DEVELOP FOR COMMODORE: If you are able to develop programs in a system with just 64K RAM, then you are ready to do anything! Just as plain as that!
> How to save your old programs from Commodore diskettes to your PC: Get an XE1541 or similar (like X1541) cable, connect a Commodore 1541 drive to the parallel port of the PC, save your files to the PC with a utility like StarCommander.
2.4 Useful Links
Below we list some useful links for software developers...
Ι. CodeProject
II. ASP.NET
III. Java Main Page
IV. Microsoft
V. wxWidgets [cross-platform software development]
VI. Mono [cross-platform software development]
VII. MSDN Library
VIII. c64.org [Commodore Portal]
IX. Official Commodore Site
X. World of Commodore Expo
XI. Various Commodore products
XII. Commodore Emulators
XIII. COMMODORE MAIN SITE
XIV. Open Source at Microsoft
XV. Port25 Open Source lab
