BorlandTalk.com

Shaqfu · Guest

I am in the processing of architecting a POS application to run over the
internet. My major concern is speed as I have to process a certain amout of
patrons within a certain time period. Each patron has a picture as well
which will need to be displayed.

Has anyone architected a poing-of-sale application which runs across the
internet successfully. If so do you have any comments, problems faced, or
advise which may help.

Thanks

-Shaq

Registered User · Guest

The description, a POS application to run over the
internet, is rather broad. I've been handed specifications like that
before.

A couple of years ago I designed and prototyped a browser-based POS
system for a client. There were a number of issues and obstacles, too
many to describe. Practically all involved the client's part of the
bargain and many still exist today. Inspite of this the same exe is
used as the base for eleven different websites in three different
countries.

You might want to visit http://www.href.com/ and check their tools
out. (Apply all the usual disclaimers here.) There is little reason to
re-invent what can be a very complex wheel.

regards
A.G.

On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 08:49:23 -0400, "Shaqfu" <shaq (AT) bike-fast (DOT) com>
wrote:

Shaq · Guest

Specifically a point-of-sale applicaton for school cafeterias, hospital
cafeterias, military cafeterias etc... We currently have a point-of-sale
application for school cafeterias which we would like to have the ability to
run over the internet.

-Shaq

"Registered User" <n4jvp (AT) ix (DOT) netcom.com> wrote

Registered User · Guest

On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 14:35:39 -0400, "Shaq" <shaq (AT) bike-fast (DOT) com> wrote:

Wayne · Guest

We have a POS system running nicely over the internet using Datasnap,
ActiveForm running inside IE, and a back end database. We have found the
amount of data sent from the register to the back end for a single sale is
so small that performance at the rgeisters has never been an issue.

In your case being a cafeteria you will have definite peak periods. You
just need to make sure you have enough horsepower in the back. Since
Datasnap allows n-tiering you could split up the Datasnap layer to several
machines if necessary.

Our application was designed as an ActiveForm project so that we could
provide a rich user experience that makes the user fell like they are
running a true windows app and not a web app.

You must also consider what happens when the internet connection is down.
We have used the briefcase model with local datasets in case the web
connection goes down. Then when the connection is reestablished the sales
that were done during this period can be sent on to the back end.

Hope this helps.

Wayne

"Shaqfu" <shaq (AT) bike-fast (DOT) com> wrote

Shaq · Guest

Yes this does help. We didnt think it could be possible to run this through
IE. We didnt think that it was possible to generate a rich UI. You are
saying that ActiveForms will give us that power?

It is very important that we have real time data. For example, a student
may eat lunch at one school and have his account balance adjusted. Then he
may go to another school close by and purchase another meal or items. So we
need to know his current account balance to either deduct from it or charge
the sale.

Speed is a major issue as well. We need to process a few hundred kids per
lunch period. Would the briefcase model be best for this?

I appreciate your input.

Thanks.

-Shaq

"Wayne" <wloeppky300 (AT) shaw (DOT) ca> wrote

Wayne · Guest

Just a couple additional thoughts.

We started using TWebConnection to connect to our MIDAS servers, but after
suffering with constant system crashes and system hanging we gave up and
changed over to TSocketConnection. While we preferred the TWebConnection so
we could use https, TSocketConnection has worked much better plus provides
for security with the intercept feature. While researching the
TWebConnection problems I couldn't find any application of any size out that
is in the field using this component.

As for the briefcase model, all of our registers are online all the time so
sales are updated after every sale in real time. We only have the brief
case files around in case the internet conneciton is not there. If the
connection is down the sales must still be put in, just can not be updated.
As soon as the connection is reestablished any sales not already sent are
sent at that time. Care must be taken as well in how large a dataset you
need to have to work offline. Downloading large datasets of course takes
time.

ActiveForm does allow you to provide an experience like running any windows
application. Only drawbacks are it ties you to Microsoft as the OS and
ActiveForm is easier to get working with IE than Netscape. If you plan to
use Netscape you should check into what needs to be done to get that
working. We never played with Netscape but there are issues that need to be
handled.

Speed has not been a problem for us. Entry is pretty well instant, unless
they use a feature that requires a look up at the server, which may take a
second or so. Updates to the server at the end of the sales would take a
second or two for a sale with 3 or 4 line items and one payment type.

Wayne

"Shaq" <shaq (AT) bike-fast (DOT) com> wrote

Tony Blomfield · Guest

I dont have a POS situation, but I have 7 seperate Midas apps running for up
to 4 years now. These are deplyed in 5 different countries. Some of these
are Very heavily loaded. It is hard to imagine a POS app could be as heavily
loaded. If your connection is Modem, then maybe it is too slow. However, if
the connection is DSL then you have nothing to fear. The main bottle neck
for me always resolves to the Database Connection. In general My appservers
are running very low utilisation, but I am continuously upgrading my DB
servers.
For you, I think that your transaction throughput will be low, and you will
experiance no problems.
Midas (And .NET remoting) Offer many advantages over browser based apps.

Tony

"Shaqfu" <shaq (AT) bike-fast (DOT) com> wrote