Next round of enhancements...

[Andrew Holder]

Hi.

PanelSys development has gone a bit quiet of late as I've been very
busy on a whole heap of other programming projects. However, I am
planning on implementing another round of enhancements. These may
include...

1) Allowing you the option to exclude obscure or back issue comics
from both styles of Wants List. Sometimes it is pointless taking along
a comprehensive Wants List to your local comic book shop/store as they
will only have a limited range of back issues and mainly deal in new
comics. This new functionality will optionally allow you (at the time
your Wants List is generated) to exclude a whole series or range(s) of
issues that you marked as "obscure/back issue" (in the Wants Ranges
Form).

2) The clone comic form will now default to creating another copy of
the currently selected issue.

If you have any thoughts/votes on the above -- or even new ideas then
please post it here...

Regards,
Andrew

[Peter Clark]

Hi Andrew,

I like the proposals. Personally I'd like to see some of the issue form rearranged as follows:

1.      Group the purchase information together i.e.

Ø       Purchase date

Ø       Purchase cost

Ø       Valuation date

Ø       Current valuation (new field)

Ø       Current NM price

Ø       Then existing profit fields.

This means if you update your values from an online, i.e. real time, price guide as opposed to an annual overstreet you can have an idea of how out of date your valuations are.

2.      I'd move the cover price field to next to publication date (from where you've just moved the purchase date if first suggestion is accepted). I think the cover price is more information about the comic than financial data. The cover price is usually not the same currency as the purchase price if you buy it in the UK. Also for the older books there is actually a reverse correlation between the two prices i.e. the less cents on the cover the more dollars it's now worth.

3.      Longer term I'd like to see some development around currencies and exchange rates to cope with the fact that I buy comics for £ but all the price guides are in $ and if I convert one to the other any change in the exchange rate makes that conversion worthless. I'll have to give some more thought to that.

4.      If a series switches publishers, e.g. The Boys from WildStorm to Dynamite or normalman from AV to Renegade, but retains the same numbering is there any way to keep it as one series but reflect the later issues as being from a different publisher?

5.      How about some different skins?

What do you think?

Peter

[Andrew Holder]

Hi Peter,

Thanks for your comments.. I've added my thoughts below...

> 1. Group the purchase information together....
Having a "(Last) Valuation Date" sounds like a very good idea to me.
The "NM Value" (Guide Price) gets updated in quite a few places in the
system - so I'll have a look at what needs changing. Your field
grouping seems reasonable too. However, the new "Current Valuation"
may be best left until I have more time to consider the implications
(along with multi-currency ideas - see below).

> 2. I'd move the cover price field to next to publication date...
You are quite right about "Cover Price" - it really is just another
attribute and not used in pricing calculations - so moving this field
also seems reasonable.

> 3. Longer term I'd like to see some development around currencies...
I have considered currency handling before. What is needed is a "Home
Currency" and some "Foreign Currencies". I think that there will have
to be a new screen form that holds the exchange rates (EUR / GBP / USD
etc) relative to the home currency (e.g. GBP). The conversion from
foreign currency to home currency would have to happen when it is
displayed or reported. As you say, it is probably pointless carrying
out the conversion only at the time of input. I'll give it some more
thought.

> 4. If a series switches publishers, e.g. The Boys from WildStorm to Dynamite....
Splitting a series between publishers is tricky as "Publisher" is part
of the major key. Here's a work-around off the top of my head: create
a "Publisher Code" that combines two or more names e.g. "GKIC" for
"Gold Key/King/Charlton". Assign the series the code. Then, use the
"Titles" form to include the Publisher Name in the title (up to a
specific publisher's final issue) e.g to #17 "The Phantom (Gold Key)",
to #28 "The Phantom (King)" & to #74 "The Phantom (Charlton)". At
least you will see the correct publisher's name appear when you input
an issue number.

> 5. How about some different skins?

This will become feasible...eventually. Currently the system will try
to use the Windows System Theme. The underlying programming language
that PanelSys is written in is currently being redeveloped to use the
latest Microsoft Foundation Class. This will open up a *huge* range of
interface improvement possibilities when it is finally released
(currently expected around September 2008).


Feel free to discuss any of the above further. It will help me to
refine, plan and work out what I can develop and when...

Regards,
Andrew

[Peter Clark]

Oh and synchronicity with my Palm PDA would also be great at some point!!

-----Original Message-----
From: panelsy...@googlegroups.com
[mailto:panelsy...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Andrew Holder
Sent: 29 November 2007 22:28
To: PanelSys User Group (PUG!) - For Comic Collectors

[Andrew Holder]

On Jan 30, 11:53 pm, "Peter Clark" <petecla...@tiscali.co.uk> wrote:
> Oh and synchronicity with my Palm PDA would also be great at some point!!

Hi Peter,

I have added your PDA synch request to my "future enhancements
list"...

Regards,
Andrew