Web interfaces to xTuple
With the launch of this new xtuple.org website we're also launching the first web-based interface to xTuple ERP. It's our CRM Support module, a tool that allows us to display CRM data from the xTuple database directly on the web (sorry, only authorized customers and partners have access to the online support portal!).
This is the first of many ways we can expose xTuple functionality on the web. We are working on others as well, including an osCommerce-based application store called the xChange, as well as a front end for distributing sales leads to our partner network. We will continue to develop web-based functionality that integrates with the back-end xTuple database, and we will document those efforts in the Web-Based Tools section of this site.
Our approach is to create web interfaces where it makes the most sense--we are not currently working to replace the GUI client with a web-based interface, but rather to expose specific functionality to the web, where it would be useful to have additional inputs from customers, partners, etc.
We'd love to hear from our community--has anyone else out there built web interfaces to an xTuple database? Let us know what you're up to!
- BC Wilson's blog
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Just a quick thought based on what I've read here and on your web client plans page today:
http://www.xtuple.org/WebClientPlans
If you're moving to an XML model, it might be handy to have a 'hide' flag available for controls. That would make for a very easy way for me to customize our installation of xTuple so our users have simpler forms with just the features we need visible.
And in fact you could take that a stage further. By storing common sets of often hidden controls, you could implement custom views relatively easily for the forms. These could be industry specific, or something more general like 'beginner, standard, advanced', with companies could define their own named views too, and you could have 'custom' being an option.
If you implemented it in this way, you can simplify the appearance of forms without making any feature inaccessible to a user, as they could just change the view if needed.
@myxipix,
Thanks for the suggestion. We're working on the spec for our next interface overhaul and I'll throw your ideas into the mix.
myxiplx,
Are you aware that much of what you're describing can currently be accomplished today with Javascript? See the video at http://postbooks.sourceforge.net/videos/AdvancedTopics-Application-Scrip... and the documentation at http://www.xtuple.org/docs/developer-zone/extensions-overview
Regards,
Ned
