MERCI for Dummies?

MERCI (don't know it) obviously depends on a couple of other modules, i.e. those modules have to be installed and enabled, too. From a quick glance I can tell you that most of the missing modules are part of CCK, Date and Calendar. Download those and enable them and the necessary submodules and you are good to enjoy MERCI.

I'm having the same issue. I installed all the requested modules accept Content. That one is suppose to be natively included in Drupal... but I can't fine it to save my life. I have the latest version of Drupal installed locally. Not sure how to get around this one.

Bob

Ok, phase 2 of Merci for dummies.... Adding equipment. You are right that the documentation is really thin.... and I'd like to help with that. Written a few things like this before... tutorials and the like.

Is Merci really stuck with this process:
- click on Create MERCI Inventory Master
- enter data for one piece of equipment
- save data
- click on Create MERCI Inventory Master again,
- add another piece..... etc.

Most inventory systems have a few buttons on the equipment add screen like
Save
Cancel
Save/Add another of the same type (this one is a huge time saver. It keeps all but the serial/ID/barcode number fields filled in from the last piece of equipment.)

I have over 250 pieces of grip, lighting, camera and camera support equipment to enter. Data entry is painful by nature, but the current process is way painful.

Second thought is the layout of the equipment entry window. It would be mucho better to be more like a form. All the fields open all the time (no expanding areas to show more fields). The user then could tab from field to field and not have to scroll down the page. I wear bifocals so I appreciate the larger type, but want a more compressed data entry format.

I designed an equipment inventory and rental system years back so got an eye/ear full on what users like to see. I'm not a PHP coder so I can't help in that area, but I can mock up the layout for those who can do the coding.

Third thought.... contextual help buttons. I use an open source LMS called Moodle. They adopted a very nice help system that is editable. Each field has a question mark icon next to it. Click on that and a small window opens up with info about that field. If someone will create/enable something like that in Merci, I will sure make an attempt at filling in those help fields as I figure out (or get how-to information from others) what everything does. Like the idea of a "bucket". The current documentation give a warning on setting these up, then tells you something about it but never an example or more than a simple, not to useful, bit of verbiage .

Want to help if I can. Sorry for more than one concept or issue per post. But the first one will get the ball rolling. Data entry, piece by piece.

Thanks