Opinions on TntMPD?

Post your ideas here on new features you would like to see included in future versions of the Donor Manager.
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guitarmanvt
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Opinions on TntMPD?

Post by guitarmanvt »

JM,
Do you have any opinion on TntMPD? I've looked at it and it doesn't seem to have all the features of DM. But, there are a few nice things, too. (Like multiple pictures and an extensibility framework, albeit awkward.) Any thoughts on that and/or other "competitors" to DM?

No worries, mate. I'm still a firm supporter of DM. You rock!
jmuehleisen
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Post by jmuehleisen »

Well, I have to tell you, tntMPD is a wonderful program indeed.

There are many things that I like about it too, but some things that I like better in the DM.

I wish I could get the "synchronize with Outlook" thing working in DM (it's actually in the program now, but it's so buggy that I wouldn't unleash it on you guys ... you are my friends). It seems to work well in tntMPD, so I know it can be done.

So, as I get geared up for a major new DM update, what's on your wish list these days?
John Muehleisen
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guitarmanvt
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Post by guitarmanvt »

I'm pretty happy with DM, esp. now that PD is not my full-time job anymore. (Thank God for bringing us up to 100% pledged in January.) I've learned how to use it effectively and work around it when I need to.

Still, I'm wondering if there's a bigger issue here. (I am a systems analyst, after all.) We've got several great pieces of software out there to help with donor management/partnership development/ministry team development. Here's the big question:

Could we find a way to share the same goal and build on each others' work?

An Open Source project would be a real easy way to have lots of developers working on this at the same time. Of course, we'd have to consider security issues (esp. with the financial data), and platform and language choices. It's probably not realistic for developers to give up their own projects in favor of a new one.

However, could we find a middle ground? Could we share code (or at least pseudo-code), so that features can be "ported" to different programs? Could we work toward some sort of extensibility framework, so that other programmers can contribute code?

There's a ton of good ideas implemented into DM. Whatever direction you take with the program, I've got to say "thanks" for what you've done already. Keep up the good work, bro.
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Post by jmuehleisen »

The challenge we would run into, of course, is programming languages.

tntMPD is written in Delph. The DM is in Visual FoxPro.

I'm trying to figure out which way to go next in DM (the next major update will move from Visual FoxPro 6 to 9).

Our organization is going totally .net for future software development.

I'd love to find a way to take the DM into some environment that allows me to compile native Windows / Mac / Linux versions. I wonder if Mono will do that.

I just don't know, and since my main job is not software development, my ability to work on it is limited.

Such is life, I guess.
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guitarmanvt
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Post by guitarmanvt »

I agree: .Net should really help cross the language barrier. And, from what I've read, Mono looks like a good way to bridge the platform barrier.

I've researched extensibility frameworks (in a past life), and the best-looking one I've found was Razor:

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/architect ... orpt1.aspx

But those are all technology issues (as well as the database barrier, which you've considered, I'm sure). If we could abstract our algorithms and publish those ideas, I think we could share some very practical things, like:
  • file format specifications (for import and export)
  • what kinds of data are necessary and what they mean
  • how users (would) use this type of software (use cases)
  • instructions for how to do successful partnership development (outside the computing aspect)
  • etc.
Of course, this would all take time to extract from notes, code, and our own brains. Still, if there were some way to open the codebase for examination, then others might be able to glean insights.

Have you ever thought of hosting your source code on a repository somewhere? I'm pretty sure that you could do that and still control who had access and what they did with the code. Heck, would it be possible to post the code on the forum and only allow approved developers to view it?

Anyway, I should get back to my newsletters. Ah, the lovely taste of envelope glue... :roll:
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Post by jmuehleisen »

Mono does indeed have interesting possibilities, and I am watching it closely.

Actually, the DM source is available on request here: http://www.donormanager.com/tools.htm (although that's from an update or two back).

Some of the source is human readable with just a text editor. But Visual FoxPro puts a lot of the source code for the class libraries in databases, so you'd need a dbf reader or a copy of Visual FoxPro to dive very deep.

But, a few folks have asked for it and downloaded it.
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Post by guitarmanvt »

Dude, you rock! 8) I'm going to download it now and check it out when wife and kids permit. ;)
Gene
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Re: Opinions on TntMPD?

Post by Gene »

It would be cool if I didn't have to delete an entire month and re-input it all just because I messed up one gift, i.e. recorded an April gift in March, delete all of March and put it all back.
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Re: Opinions on TntMPD?

Post by jmuehleisen »

Gene,

I'm not quite sure I follow what you are saying here? Is this a tntMPD problem, or a Donor Manager problem.

If it is DM related, you don't have to delete an entire month to change a single gift. Or, am I missing something here?
John Muehleisen
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Gene
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Re: Opinions on TntMPD?

Post by Gene »

My apologies, I was referring to the question above "whats on the wish list." I'm going to be in the wrong thread to elaborate here, but I accidentally entered an April gift as a March gift and found no way to fix it other than delete all of March. Our organization allows us to download the tntMPD datasync files which does me no good here, so each month I enter by hand because I really prefer the DM software.
jmuehleisen
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Re: Opinions on TntMPD?

Post by jmuehleisen »

Well, 2 comments here.

You should be able to go to the partner record where the gift was recorded wrong, and just delete the gift and then re-enter it in the proper month.

If you are unable to "Edit in the grid" go to /Personalize /Editing Options /Editing Options and check "let me edit in the grid."

Now, if your organization provides you with tntMPD compatible files, support for this file format was added to the DM a version or two back. Give it a try and let me know if it works for you.

If it doesn't send me an email at john@donormanager.com and we'll figure it out by email.

Thanks!
John Muehleisen
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Gene
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Re: Opinions on TntMPD?

Post by Gene »

Double my apologies, I was using a much older version of DM. I have now successfully imported the files from G.E.M. in the tnt format. Now your program rocks ten times as much as it already did :)
jmuehleisen
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Re: Opinions on TntMPD?

Post by jmuehleisen »

Super. Glad to hear that.

I wish all of my problems were that easy to solve!

See you later.
John Muehleisen
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Re:

Post by God's Geek »

jmuehleisen wrote:I'm trying to figure out which way to go next in DM (the next major update will move from Visual FoxPro 6 to 9).

Our organization is going totally .net for future software development.

I'd love to find a way to take the DM into some environment that allows me to compile native Windows / Mac / Linux versions. I wonder if Mono will do that.
Have you considered an SQL database version with a PHP front end? Set it up to run locally and use a web browser interface. I realize that might entail packaging a minimal server in the software, but they are available freely for all platforms (Linux and Macs already have it in the OS) and would take care of the cross-platform issue.
jmuehleisen
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Re: Opinions on TntMPD?

Post by jmuehleisen »

Yeah, I've thought about that.

But I've never found a browser to be a particularly nice way to interact with a database. I guess I'm used to writing WinApps and I just can't get my head around browser based apps.
John Muehleisen
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