PLS HELP... ABOUT DEVELOPING INTERNET CAFE TIMER SYSTEM

[JANSEN13]

Does anybody tried to developed internet cafe timer system using VFP.. please share the basic technik how to do 8... thanks

 

[Mike Lewis]

Jansen,

Your question is much too general. You can't expect people to show you how to create a complete application. By all means ask specific questions to help solve particular problems, but that does not include "how to write an application".

Mike


__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

My Visual FoxPro site: www.ml-consult.co.uk

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Additional to Mike's objection, there surely will be hardware involved in such an application, eg you will decrease the available time on the chip of some card etc. I was once offered to do such a project and rejected it, because of the complex issues and reliability the software should have and the legal stuff.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[Imaginecorp]

Hello Mike, Olaf & Jansen13

Sounds extremely interesting… If I understand this correctly, it’s all about billing the usage of the Cafes network. Calculate the time from the connection of the laptop to the Router to the time of Disconnect. Why should VFP care about cards, chips etc. The café, I am sure knows and has the capability to connect “n” computers to the internet.
If it can be figured out when a customer connected and disconnected, that is the whole timer app. (simplistic)

Somehow binding to Windows messages… Would windows know when a wireless or wire connection has taken place?

 

[Imaginecorp]

Jansen13:

Please tell me in detail what you are trying to do. Does the cafe has its own computers? Is it wireless or wired?
If wireless, how is the password handed out?

Do you want to check the time someone connected to the internet via the cafe's router and when they disconnected?

There are API calls that you can use, the one that comes to mind is: InternetGetConnectedStateEx, this tells you how someone connected etc.

But I need to know more...

But, like Mike said, no one will write the app for you, (unless you pay them) but would be happy to pass ideas...

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Hi Imaginecorp,

sorry, I had a too narrow idea about a cafe with computers with some attached hardwar to insert coins or cards (ecash or something like that), not something like a hotspot.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[mexicali2]

a customer ask me to develop an app like that.. i give up its not hard but complex and.... kind a boring... so i look in internet and find one complet and cheap its name its ANTAMEDIA INTERNET CAFFE....i dont remeber the page buy its easy llok in google for that name... hope help u

 

[Imaginecorp]

Mexicali2:
Good idea; Antamedia is only USD 299.00 / EUR 299.00 so not worth the time and effort.

Olaf:
The reason I am interested is, like you, years ago we were asked to do something like this. With the advent of Internet connections at the work place, employers wanted to know how much time their employees were spending on the internet rather than working.

I feel Installing spy ware on every machine or even this Antamedia, where you have to log in separately etc is too school boyish and IMO insulting to the good employees who may genuinely have a need to connect once in a while.

It may be a good idea to write a module in VFP with API calls and incorporate it into our app. I have asked one of our guys to look into it... Yes, I know its fluff, but I am betting Employers will love it and pay a few extra dollars for it...

 

[JANSEN13]

thanks for all your worth reponse, i started a small internet with 15 units connected with wired and wireless router and i'm using a dsl line.. I have scouted some internet cafe timer to bill my clients but thing is there are a lot of issues coming up which i could not arise from them.. Its so challenging in my part to develop such a system using our own very own VFP so that we are so proud VFP user to prompt others that our language is capable and robust to developed such that kind of system.
Features of the system.
1. Connect to the server via wireless and wired (auto time when the user log / log by the staff or admin
2. Can transfer user from one pc to another pc carrying the time consumed
3. Can continue time consumed in case the pc hang up
4. Can limit time use by the user
5. Can block windows key for restarting pc

i hope u can add some features and guide us to design such kind of system. thanks

 

[Imaginecorp]

As I see it; you have your own hardware, (15 computers & server) you have total control. When windows starts, start VFP with a login screen. Enter Start time and end time in a table. That should tell you how much to charge. To limit time, include a timer, once time bought is reached, display a message to give the customer an opportunity to purchase more time. For Power failure get a good UPS. etc.
My advice to you would be, as you are running a cyber cafe, look into Antamedia or others like it, it seems to do everything to manage your business.
What we are planning to do is Far too simplistic than your requirements...
But as always, if you need help in design etc, I and, I am sure, others here would be happy to help...