Introduction

PostBooks is a fully open source accounting, ERP, and CRM system that shares a code base with the OpenMFG commercial product. It is released and managed by xTuple, the new name for the company formerly known as OpenMFG.

PostBooks is a client-server system, with a GUI client built with Qt, and most of the business logic in the PostgreSQL database (in the pl/pgsql procedural language).

Audience

This kit is intended as a first reference for the new developer. This document contains step-by-step instructions which the first-time users should follow sequentially.

Scope

This document is a consolidated repository of PostBooks information . In general it tries to find answers for most of the project’s "which, what, when, where, and hows'".

Where do I start?
How do the components work together?
What is the database structure?
Which technologies are used?
How is the source code organized?

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Overview

This document has the following sections:

<blockquote> * Pre-installation( of PostBooks)

Installation of PostBooks
Exploring the source code(Database and GUI)
Building PostBooks
Making changes to the source code
Submitting bugs and code contributions to PostBooks
Additional Information

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Pre-Installation(of PostBooks):

Recommended system Requirements

CPU -32 bits CPU

Operating system Windows XP/Mac/Linux

User Interface

Before we go into the nitty-gritty of a system it is a good idea to read its user-guide http://www.xtuple.com/docs/userguide/

Also, there are hordes of demo-videos available at http://www.xtuple.com/demo/video

Install PostgreSQL

PostBooks uses an OpenSource database PostgreSQL( usage Postgres) as a key technology.The PostBooks Applications make heavy use of Postgres' embedded procedural language, called PL/PGSQL.

Before starting on PostBooks we must first have PostgreSQL 8.1.x or later installed and properly configured.

Before installing Postgres do read theseFAQs - <link>http://pginstaller.projects.postgresql.org/faq/FAQ_windows.html</link>

For downloading and installing PostgreSQL refer http://www.postgresql.org.#!wiki note The xTuple applications use encryption for credit card processing which requires the PostgreSQL pgcrypto module. Be sure to include the pgcrypto module when installing PostgreSQL.

For more guidance on Postgres installation you can refer 'Getting started with postgres on windows' at http://www.charltonlopez.com

Initialize PostgreSQL for xTuple

Once we have the PostgreSQL server running, the next step is to establish the user 'admin' and the group 'openmfg' on PostgreSQL instance. This is done by executing the 'init.sql' script<link>(link to init.sql) </link>#!wiki note The 'init.sql' script must be loaded by the 'postgres' superuser.

Create a database

Having finished executing the init.sql script,next we create a new PostgreSQL database to contain the xTuple Database schema. We can name the database anything we want. Shorter names that are easy to remember are preferred.

Installation of PostBooks

Download the latest stable release from http://sourceforge.net/projects/postbooks/ . Extract the files in a local directory and follow the instructions in installer_readme.txt.

Download and Restore PostBooks Database

Once the database has been created, you are ready to load the PostBooks schema into it. There are several starter schemas to choose from:http://sourceforge.net/projects/postbooks/database

Download

empty.backup - This is an empty database with no data, but all the tables and structures created.
quickstart.backup - This database contains a basic Chart of Accounts and also the Account Assignments required to run the full range of transactions.
demo.backup - This database (if available) contains a suite of sample data built on top of the 'quickstart' databaseBR BRRestore BR BRLike the init.sql script, the database schema can be loaded on the command line. Alternately, you may use GUI tools like pgAdmin III to execute the script and load the schema. The '.backup' format of the xTuple Database schemas is a compressed format used by the pg_restore binary. This format may be loaded seamlessly using pgAdmin.BR BRTo load a .backup file using pgAdmin, connect to the database you created.BR BRRight-click on the database object and select the option 'Restore'.BR BROn the resulting screen, use the ellipses to navigate to the location of the .backup file on your local machine. With the .backup file selected, simply click OK. To learn more about the psql utility or the pgAdmin application, please consult the PostgreSQL documentation. link :command lines

Database Structure

Setting Development Environment

Once the database is loaded and PostBooks is connecting to it , the next logical step is creating a local postbooks checkout. For doing a checkout it is necessary to have a working knowledge of Subversion(SVN). The following documents give us details about the environment settings. Read them in sequence. Also, DevelopmentEnvSetup.pdf contains instuctions for Windows/ Mac/Linux. Follow the ones' applicable to you.

<link>-DevelopmentOverview.pdf </link>

-<link>DevelopmentEnvSetup.pdf </link>

download from http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=196195&package_id=240539

This will have three pdfs , two mentioned above and the third one in next section.

Making Software Changes

The following document gives an overview on how to make software changes.

- <link>DevelopmentProcesses.pdf </link>