Questions about BEP

Steven,

Nice to talk to you earlier. As promised, here is a list of the
points that we would like answered.

1) DB system.

I intended to access a DB from Perl. We usually use a ODBC compliant
database (Access is cheap and does the job). This would require:
* Windows NT
* Access
* Perl
* DBI (a database API for Perl)
* Win32ODBC (a Perl module for accessing ODBC databases which
interfaces to DBI)

If there is such a system (proved by having a Perl CGI script print
some results from an Access database) available when the code is written,
then the price of 1200stlg is right, otherwise we would need more work
to set this up (1/2 - 1 day : approx 150-300stlg).

Note that we can certainly use other platforms and databases : do they
already have something?

2) Timescales

It would take around 5 working days to implement this system. It will
require extra time to liase with the customer and install the finished
system on the server, which we hope will be less than 5 elapsed days.
So, we could complete the project in 10 days (depending on how quick
the customer is).

3) Graphic Design

We can easily make the screens look like any of the pages already on
the BEP's web site. Can they confirm that this is what they want?
The only extra work required from us is to create the Windows 95
style tab buttons, which is not too hard except it would be nice to
know what colour they want them! (Default grey?).

4) Technology

I see this as being done with CGI scripts and frames. If they don't want
us to use frames, then we need to know very early! We can add some
javascript functionality. I now think that we could make it useable for
non-javascript people as well, so it is not such an issue about whether
they need javascript or not - it will not be compulsory for the system
to work.

5) Data

How is the data going to get into the system? The easiest solution is to
have a large (HTML) form which allows you to enter program information
on-line. I do not propose implementing an e-mail update system (mainly
due to SMTP on NT questions), certainly for the project as it is (speaking
frankly, we'd need more money to add that - it's non-trivial). If BEP
already have this data, though, it might be nice to know what format it
is in, how it is stored, etc.

If you could have a chat with your contact and see whether they are still
interested in us doing this and to get answered to the questions above,
that would be great.

Let me know,

Myles

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• Re: Questions about BEP MylesC pp Steven Lee 5/29/98 (0)

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