Access to and understanding BlueBox2.0 bbsetting_'s

Underlying the BB2.0 framework is a powerful set of settings, known as the bbsettings.

These are configurations which allow the system administrator to change the behaviour of BB2.0 modules without needing to apply any code.

An example of a bbsetting is bbsetting_module_name. This determines how the module is 'seen' and 'named' across the system. This way, for a specific installation, Sales Orders can become known as Internal Sales, for example, without impacting the formal class structure or the data structure.

An example of a more impactful bbsetting is bbsetting_email_on_add which takes an array in the form of

to=myemail@mydomain.com,

and optionally:

to=myemail@mydomain.com,
subject=This is a sample subject for this auto-generated email,
body=This is a sample message for this autogenerated email. The dosument just added has an id of (#_id#)

This hugely powerful bbsetting allows the system adim to drop in email triggers into any module which will email a specified or dynamic list of recipients with data pertaining to that specific new data entry.

This weekly blogging process is supposed to contribute to our internal 'sharpening of the axe' process, which is a weekly discipline to put 2-3 hours into 'fixing stuff' rather than continuing week after week with a blunter and blunter axe.

So, in this post, I am identifying a few imporvements for bbsettings which I plan to work on over the next few weeks:

• If system admin is logged in (or a user with pseudo-admin rights), they should be able to see all settings for a specific module when they are in the module, without having to go to the Module Settings module.
• This list of settings should allow them to edit the settings and view the options for each setting.

So, having decided on my next sharpening excercise... watch this space!

BlueBox2.0 Sharpening

Having just set up another BB2.0 system, I am reminded that the following areas of development are going to smooth the process significantly:

1. An easier way to kill session data on-the-fly without having to log off and back on again.

2. A more fluid permission granting process which allows the admin user to log in as another user, experience their permission blocks and then simply add the required permissions as they arise.

3. A replacement forms engine which allows for more bespoke add/edit forms based on a user's profile.

BlueBox2.0 Blue Sky Strategy

Part of this blogging process is to produce the space for 'blue sky' or creative startegy which will allow the team at BlueBox to 'sharpen the axe' - to quote a cliche.

This week I have applied my mind to what 'sharpening the axe' for BlueBox2.0 really means. What are the 'blunt edges' of our business that we pound out day after day, getting less and less effective as time goes on?

If we can identify just a few of these areas, and we then act upon those thoughts, we are sure to start a refining process that leads to business process optimisation.

So here are my top 5 'sharpening' wish-list items for BlueBox2.0:

1) Intuitive SQL Report writing:
A tool that will allow us to build sql statements visually, while also allowing for the creation of a filter for various elements of the query. The results will be tabular, but can easily be switched to widget/graphic mode.

2) Better GUI interface for tablulated data:
A neater way of tabulating data so that we can sort, filter, search, include columns, exclude columns, export, import, print, dump to pdf etc.

3) Better visibility for bbsettings
These settings are so critical to the running of BB2 systems, but very often the settings and the options they provide are hidden from view. It would be great to see what is available for any module as you view it.

4) A forms designer
A dragable form designer which allows us to layout the input/edit forms which are currently quite rigid in their layout. This engine would take into account required fields and allow different forms to be stored for each user group/business unit as required.

5) Updade the FCK Editor to the latest version.

6) A better PDF rendering engine

7) A better page-to-print feature

8) A 'print template' editor which makes designing the output/print view of modules easier.