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Postcards Script ?

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Postcards Script ?
I've been asked a number of times about it, and I'm discussing it with my partners, but if I do release the script, it would have to be a licensed program, due to how it was developed.

The version I'm running on my sites now, I'd release as the "lite" version, since it doesn't track users, require log ons, and basically functions as a standard postcards script, except it uses an SQL back end, and goes through DBSQL.pm and HTML_Templates.pm so that it's look/feel and customizations are all the same as for links. No new skills would be needed, and it integrates seemlessly as long as it's passed an ID to set up the cards, or a pickup code to pick them up. It can accept more, and spit back more, but that is all it needs to "integrate" with Links. If you wanted it to run stand-alone, you just pass it the image URL, and it again generates everything. This may not be clear, but basically, it will accept anything you send it, and figure out what it needs.

I'm working on what I guess would be a "pro" version, that will handle user logons (for address verification, address books, unsending, etc). No release date is planned or expected for that :) Really. The "lite" code is looking good because it's been used for a year, and I rewrote it to install on about a half dozen sites. So, it uses standard Links integrations, nothing unique to my site, per se.

The pro version will be tailored to my sites needs, then generalized out, which is why I'm not promising anything about it.

But, the lite version does work -- it's one script -- and one table, a few templates (as many as you want, 1 or 100) and a couple of routines added to HTML_Templates.pm (standard output stuff).

Now for the gory part. Now that I've explained what it will do, and that it's an "as is" type script (bug fixes yes, features no), if I did release it would have be under license, and probably about $75. It _REQUIRES_ you to have a copy of Links SQL, or it just won't run. It goes into the scripts directory, and reads the Links.pm files, and other library routines. Only your path to perl needs to be set in the script file.

I have no idea what the pro version would be, (or when) it depends a lot on how carried away I get, but it would be a Links SQL plug-in for the next version.

If anyone is interested, please contact me via email, don't litter the forum here.

I'm posting this because while it's against my general "free software" philosophy, I'm sort of tied up on this. It's not definite I can release the program. It's up to my partners, mostly, since the business "owns" it. It also becomes a matter of is there enough interest to warrant it, and opening up the whole can of worms that distributing a program causes.

I hope this answers some of the questions I've gotten in the past couple of weeks, and why I haven't released this program or script before.

Oh... one last thing. It stores the path to the image files, as well as all the fields for the cards, so that image files can reside off-server, and does _not_ require the Links database itself for pickup (everything is stored in the Postcards database). There is no arbitrary limit to what it can do, or how many images you can have (if you pass in an image URL, the script will "send" it).

Thanks,

Robert S. Pataki, MD
PUGDOGŪ
PUGDOGŪ Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ: http://postcards.com/FAQ


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Re: Postcards Script ? In reply to
I am sure that Links SQL users would like this Modification. I will soon be upgrading my Postcard script to integrate with my Links directory/portal, so that postcards will appear below links in Categories. It shouldn't be too hard to upgrade the scripts I am using based on Links 2.0 to Links SQL.

But I think this would be a great add-on for users...although it might be easier to create the script for the NG Links SQL with the module-based system. But again, may be it would also be nice for people who will not be upgrading to NG for awhile.

Regards,

Eliot Lee
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Re: Postcards Script ? In reply to
This script is a real add-on. And, it will continue to work, as long as DBSQL.pm and HTML_Templates.pm follow along. (Sort of like 16-bit programs living along side their 32-bit counter parts). Because it's self-contained, it really only needs the old library routines, not "links" itself.

But, the new one will have a lot more capability, simply because the new Links has more capability -- better user management, and such.

PUGDOGŪ
PUGDOGŪ Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ: http://postcards.com/FAQ


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Re: Postcards Script ? In reply to
Mr. Robert
When will go you to place the for sale module postcard?Cool

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LinksSQL User
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Re: Postcards Script ? In reply to
Hello...

Here's what we've decided about the postcards script, taking into account what people have asked for.

The current Links SQL 1.1x compatible version we'll make available as is. It should be pretty bug free, we've been using it for 3+ months in this version, but we never know until other sites try to use it.

I'm going to try as my first project to port it over to the new links as a plug-in (it should be a fairly easy plug in, since it doesn't really use anything in the links database, but does use the libraries, and a standard interface would be nice.)

I'm going to hopefully complete the version 2 of the script which will be a plug in for the new version, some time in January, and at that time, we'll release "image packs" by subscription or a la carte for sites that are interested.

I'm going to set up a forum area as a link from the FAQ area, to hold discussions and support of it. Also, you'll have a chance to express what you would want in a postcards program.

Yes, there are dozens of programs out there... the advantage this one has is it works with Links, so the look & feel of your site can be maintained in a seamless manner. Plus, it's been tested in a real-world high volume network.

So, PLEASE...don't post here. Follow the links in the FAQ area, to the forum, and I'll answer the questions and stuff there. It should be set up late tonight (tuesday).

FWIW: I'm still working on the banner and shopping cart programs, though I've pushed the banner program back as a lower priority since much of it depends on the final version of LInks, and other plug ins. First step is an auction program. It shouldn't be too hard, really, and it's the first step to the extra modules necessary for the shopping cart and ecommerce systems.


PUGDOGŪ
PUGDOGŪ Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ: http://postcards.com/FAQ