I'm very glad to hear your plan.

Can I make a suggestion on the interface between this and digikey, etc? I
think it could be done best with a JavaScript bookmarklet or something like
that. 

I would be willing to work on that. The idea is that a little window or
frame could hold a JavaScript and user interface that would rip and stuff
data from and to the window that has digikey et all open in the other side.
So you open the page at digikey that has your order summary in it, in a
frame, and the other side of the frame has a button you push that then grabs
the data from the other window and collects it into a format that can be
pasted into ISIS.  Security issues are managed either by the server loading
the digikey page for you, or by the JavaScript page being on the local hard
drive and marked as safe.

The main reason why this is a good idea is that it allows the code that does
the actual interface to be used by MANY people. I'll use it, you will use
it, and probably about a million other people will use it. It justifies an
open source project and updates will then be made for you by other users as
the digikey page changes or to add other vendors to the system. Anyone who
wants to capture product and order information from digikey or others will
contribute.

--
James.

-----Original Message-----
From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] On Behalf Of
Philip Pemberton
Sent: Friday, October 19, 2007 23:46
To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public.
Subject: Re: [EE]: Component stock database - test version ready

James Newton wrote:
> Err... I would like to clarify a point here... That I think is sort of
> critical and that I've just realized has not actually been stated.
> 
> You are planning to add multi-user support eventually, right?

Yes.

> Or are you developing this for your own use only with our input?

That was the original plan, yes.

When I started writing ISIS, I wanted something that would run on one of my 
servers and handle the stock I had on hand, and nothing else. But multi-user

support is a really good idea, especially when coupled with the ability to 
search for other people nearby who have components to trade. "I want an 
XC95288XL/10 and I have a box of PICs to trade with" and the like. Or more 
than likely, "I see you have an XC95288XL/10 that I'd like to trade for, do
I 
have anything you want?" -- basically, a trade system.
"ComponentSwapShop.com" 
if you will.

> Are you planning on releasing it as a FOSS application for individual
people
> to use on their own systems? This would then not require multi-user
support,
> but people with a web server or even a mashup of an internal web server
> could then use.

The plan at the moment is to create a F/OSS single user version of the 
database and get all the core functionality working. Then bolt an 
authentication plugin onto WebPlatform, which gives ISIS the ability to
track 
who has what, and allow for trades.

So as far as it's concerned, the target for now is to make something that 
works for one (or a few) people managing a single stock room (or whatever).

The target for the future is to make it multi-user and allow people to
trade. 
A feedback system, etc.

> Or is this something that you plan to offer as a pay service or pay
> software?

Hell no!

-- 
Phil.                         |  (\_/)  This is Bunny. Copy and paste Bunny
piclist@philpem.me.uk         | (='.'=) into your signature to help him gain
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