[Phpgroupware-users] CK-ERP v.0.8.1 released

[C K Wu]

Hello,  folks,

I have posted the first release, v.0.8.1 
<file:///root/CK-ERP/SourceForge/v.0.8.1/v.0.7.3> , of CK-ERP, at 
SourceForge.Net.

This release focuses on three main areas:

a) The previous CK-Ledger is totally rewritten. Specifically, a new 
module, ck-api, is developed to encapsulate most of the common 
processing logics. Hopefully, this will speed up future development of 
new functions and features. It will also allow much faster porting of 
CK-ERP across to the new gen platform, if and when it is ready.

b) Security is tightened up. Transactions are now concurrent edit/delete 
safe. Transaction filtering is re-structured to minimize the risk of SQL 
injection. Script MD5 checksum is verified before frontline scripts are 
allowed to execute. Transaction deletion is validated before being 
executed. Full transaction post-insert, post-edit, pre-delete images are 
stored in the log table and viewable only to users with auditor's role. 
Obviously, this will increase the size of the log table immensely. I 
have done a crude benchmark. With a Duron 1800+, 1G ram, and 80G hard 
disk, response time for a log table with 500,000 records is bearly 
tolerable. Any feedback on actual performance is gratefully welcomed.

c) ck-contact. A new module models on phpgroupware's addressbook. 
Facility is provided to import contact records from phpgw's addressbook. 
This should minimize duplicate data entry effort. However, semantically 
there are some differences between data fields embedded in the 
addressbook and ck-contact. Nevertheless, if some functionalities could 
be developed to syncronize addressbook vs ck-contact, it would allow a 
combined phpgw + ck-erp to handle both frontline business communication 
and backend record processing within a unified computing environment. My 
next attention will be devoted to converting customer, vendor and 
employee record to make use of the ck-contact features. I hope members 
of the phpgw team would perhaps consider taking up the challenge of 
implementing the synchronization. By the way, the reason for not 
utilizing the addressbook data directly is that one of the design goal 
of CK-ERP (and of CK-Ledger) is that all transactions must have a 
systemwide unique id, which I think is very difficult to guarantee 
within the current addressbook.

Contribution from Jerre Cope in providing the sample school band chart 
of account is greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately, because there are substantial differences between CK-ERP 
and CK-Ledger's data structure, direct upgrade of CK-Ledger data to run 
within CK-ERP is not possible. Manual data transportation is required.

CK-ERP (with 16 modules, Admin, Contact Mgmt, Ledger, Bank 
Reconciliation, Inventory, Service, AP, AR, PO, SO, Quotation, POS for 
Cashier, POS for Manager, HR, Staff Self Service, Payroll) runs on top 
of phpGroupWare. Operating platform can either be LAMP or LAPP. It 
provides accounting and back office functionalities to SMEs and utilizes 
phpgw to administer accounts/groups. Please report error and suggestion 
to the mailing list, address@hidden 
<mailto:address@hidden> . General history and 
expected development is available at the mailing list's Archive.


Cheers,
Wu Chiu Kay, aka CK Wu, aka CK (CK is the preferred alias)
Hong Kong