Trying to come up with best of both worlds punch in system
May 14, 2021 4:41 AM Subscribe
We've got a new EPOS system at the place where I volunteer. The EPOS system has a built in time clock/attendance module which I was initially very enthusiastic about because it would mean we don't need to keep paying $500 a year for the current web based stuff we use. We need a timeclock to comply with covid legislation in $mycountry.
With our current web based system we can clock in from
------------------------------------------------------
An iPad (running a custom app)
Any windows desktop (accessing a specific URL)
The information about who has clocked in and out then goes to 'the cloud'.
I would dearly like to use the new integrated system within the EPOS BECAUSE it has a "killer feature" for us. Basically if a volunteer forgets to clock in to the time and attendance module, when they login to the EPOS itself, it'll automatically clock them in to the time time and attendance. This new module is local. The module talks to a firebird database but the firebird database is password protected and I have no access to it, sadly. If anyone knows a way to get in, I'm all ears!
*However*, and here's the rub, and the reason for this question, I'd also like to continue using the tablet - the reason for this is the EPOS system is at one end of the building, and the tablet is near the exit door and the cloakroom - so volunteers are logically going to want to clock out on the tablet...
The EPOS system has no means of interfacing with the tablet as things stand.
I thought about making a locally hosted web page which fires off an MQTT message to the Windows desktop to then use autohotkey to log that person in....but it's far from ideal. THe windows desktop might be in use at the time then all hell would rightly break loose when random mouse/keyboard movements took over.
So then I thought about rolling my own mysql database and building a webpage to interface with it...but I then lose the killer feature...I then started going round and round in circles chasing my own tail.
Any ideas?!?!
Thank you
With our current web based system we can clock in from
------------------------------------------------------
An iPad (running a custom app)
Any windows desktop (accessing a specific URL)
The information about who has clocked in and out then goes to 'the cloud'.
I would dearly like to use the new integrated system within the EPOS BECAUSE it has a "killer feature" for us. Basically if a volunteer forgets to clock in to the time and attendance module, when they login to the EPOS itself, it'll automatically clock them in to the time time and attendance. This new module is local. The module talks to a firebird database but the firebird database is password protected and I have no access to it, sadly. If anyone knows a way to get in, I'm all ears!
*However*, and here's the rub, and the reason for this question, I'd also like to continue using the tablet - the reason for this is the EPOS system is at one end of the building, and the tablet is near the exit door and the cloakroom - so volunteers are logically going to want to clock out on the tablet...
The EPOS system has no means of interfacing with the tablet as things stand.
I thought about making a locally hosted web page which fires off an MQTT message to the Windows desktop to then use autohotkey to log that person in....but it's far from ideal. THe windows desktop might be in use at the time then all hell would rightly break loose when random mouse/keyboard movements took over.
So then I thought about rolling my own mysql database and building a webpage to interface with it...but I then lose the killer feature...I then started going round and round in circles chasing my own tail.
Any ideas?!?!
Thank you
How does whatever you're currently using on the tablet work out who it is that's actually clocking in/out?
Is the URL that gets used from Windows person-specific, or does it just bring up a web page that subsequently allows a person to identify themselves in some fashion?
If the latter: could the same page not just be used from the tablet via its own web browser?
If the former: could the tablet be left running a QR scanner app, and staff be issued with cards carrying QR codes that make the tablet hit their person-specific URLs?
posted by flabdablet at 5:40 AM on May 14, 2021
Is the URL that gets used from Windows person-specific, or does it just bring up a web page that subsequently allows a person to identify themselves in some fashion?
If the latter: could the same page not just be used from the tablet via its own web browser?
If the former: could the tablet be left running a QR scanner app, and staff be issued with cards carrying QR codes that make the tablet hit their person-specific URLs?
posted by flabdablet at 5:40 AM on May 14, 2021
Response by poster: @nickggully - thanks - wasn't aware this was even an option! I'll give that some thought. It would end up being a tad clunky but would work, I guess. Thanks again
@flabdablet - thanks - the tablet app is this one and it works fairly well. What I like about it is that you can use both the tablet AND the windows PC.
The URL from windows brings up a webpage that allows a person to identify themselves, yes. And indeed, we could access that URL from the ipad instead of using the native app..
however...crossed wires, I think, my fault for not being clear enough:
What I'm actually trying to do is move our time clocking to the EPOS module that comes with our new till software that DOESN'T have an ipad app, nor a webpage, the ONLY way you can interact with it is via a standalone windows desktop app which interacts with a local firebird database I don't have any nuts and bolts access to.
I'm trying to add iPad/Tablet access to that application.
posted by dance at 6:05 AM on May 14, 2021
@flabdablet - thanks - the tablet app is this one and it works fairly well. What I like about it is that you can use both the tablet AND the windows PC.
The URL from windows brings up a webpage that allows a person to identify themselves, yes. And indeed, we could access that URL from the ipad instead of using the native app..
however...crossed wires, I think, my fault for not being clear enough:
What I'm actually trying to do is move our time clocking to the EPOS module that comes with our new till software that DOESN'T have an ipad app, nor a webpage, the ONLY way you can interact with it is via a standalone windows desktop app which interacts with a local firebird database I don't have any nuts and bolts access to.
I'm trying to add iPad/Tablet access to that application.
posted by dance at 6:05 AM on May 14, 2021
Remote desktop client on the iPad that mirrors an instance of that app, possibly running in a VM somewhere, would seem to be the easiest way to do that.
How local is the "local" Firebird database? Is it constrained to being on the same machine where the Windows desktop application runs, or does it allow for multiple instances of that desktop app on separate boxes to hit it simultaneously?
If the latter, path of least resistance might just involve replacing the iPad with a Surface and running the desktop app on that.
posted by flabdablet at 6:07 AM on May 14, 2021
How local is the "local" Firebird database? Is it constrained to being on the same machine where the Windows desktop application runs, or does it allow for multiple instances of that desktop app on separate boxes to hit it simultaneously?
If the latter, path of least resistance might just involve replacing the iPad with a Surface and running the desktop app on that.
posted by flabdablet at 6:07 AM on May 14, 2021
I think you'd be surprised at how un-clunky a Remote Desktop solution could be if it's set up right. There must and shall be some iPad RDP client that can be made to interact with only a single application on the remote Windows box; once that's sorted, stick the iPad in Guided mode to stop the RDP client being accidentally disabled. The user experience should end up pretty much indistinguishable from the same application running full-screen on a Surface as RDP is not usually perceptibly laggy.
Neither is NoMachine, if you can't find an RDP client that works the way you want.
posted by flabdablet at 10:26 AM on May 14, 2021
Neither is NoMachine, if you can't find an RDP client that works the way you want.
posted by flabdablet at 10:26 AM on May 14, 2021
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https://apps.apple.com/us/app/remote-desktop-mobile/id714464092
posted by nickggully at 5:17 AM on May 14, 2021