115 - Customer Information Import/Export: PSCUSTIE
The complete PSCUSTIE package includes this document and a single PSCUSTIE.EXE program file. Ensure that you have a copy of PSCUSTIE.EXE that is current and compatible with your BreakPoint program.
The PSCUSTIE program can import or export Customer Information to or from BreakPoint at any time. These processes can be performed in real-time, ie. EVEN WHILE CASHIERS ARE ACTIVELY OPERATING THE BREAKPOINT TERMINAL. This capability of BreakPoint, to be importable or exportable 24 hours a day without cashier notification or intervention, represents an extraordinary facilty for large multi-lane stores, 24-hour operations, or for stores that must perform Customer Information management from a remote location.
The PSCUSTIE program is simple to operate. First, you must ensure that the PSCUSTIE.EXE program file has been copied into the BreakPoint directory. Once you have copied PSCUSTIE.EXE into your BreakPoint directory, you may call up the program by typing PSCUSTIE followed by the correct parameters for the operation you wish to have performed.
Operation parameters for PSCUSTIE include:
+export This option indicates you wish to have Customer Information exported.
+import This option indicates you wish to have Customer Information imported.
+init This option indicates you wish to have a new Customer Information file created.
+verbose This option indicates you wish to have a screen display of PSCUSTIE progress.
+all This option indicates you wish to have all Customers included with Export.
f=filename This option specifies the filename to be used for Import or Export information.
p=pathname This option specifies the path of the BreakPoint System Files (used only when the BreakPoint program is not in the current directory).
An example of a PSCUSTIE command line:
PSCUSTIE +import f=custdata.dat +verboseThis particular command will invoke an import operation using the file CUSTDATA.DAT as the import data file. The +verbose option will cause PSCUSTIE to provide a screen display of the progress of the import, ie. it will display a record counter screen so that we can view its progress.
In this case, we are assuming that a file exists called CUSTDATA.DAT and that it contains proper Customer Information Import records. The format of the Customer Information Import File is documented in detail in the Technical Newsletter entitled "CUSTOMER INFORMATION IMPORT FILE: CUSTDATA.REG".
Another example of a PSCUSTIE command line:
PSCUSTIE +import +init f=c:\inv\custdata.dat p=d:\bp101\This particular command instructs PSCUSTIE to perform an import operation using the CUSTDATA.DAT file of the C:\INV directory as the Customer Information Import File. The command also instructs that the BreakPoint files that should be imported to are residing in the D:\BP101 directory and the +init instructs that the Customer Information File should be created as a new file. This type of command might be used when the operator wishes to create a completely new Customer Information file for BreakPoint, eliminating all Customer Information which might have existed previously.
Notice that there is no +verbose option. In this case, there will be no screen display produced while the process is performed. Leaving the +verbose option off is useful when running PSCUSTIE from within other systems or during overnight production runs where there are no operators to watch the program.
The PSCUSTIE utility is incredibly versatile for 24-hour or remote management of Customer Information. By using PSCUSTIE in conjuction with modern communications equipment, such as phone modems and file transfer software, it is simple to set up automated routines that will send Customer Information update files to a BreakPoint terminal at any time of day through the phone lines. That same automated routine can then update the BreakPoint Customer Information File with new balances or customer information additions and deletions, and can do all of it while the cashier is operating. There is never a need to interfere with a cashier, interrupt a cashier, or even notify a cashier that Customer Information is being transferred down or updated.
The PSCUSTIE utility can also be extremely useful in networking environments. Let's say you have an Accounts Receivable system with a Customer Information Update File called CUSTDATA.DAT already prepared on your local network drive C under the directory INV and you have two BreakPoint terminals also on the network under drives D and E and directories BP101 and BP102. A sample batch file for the automated update of the Customer Information would look like:
CD \INVBy removing the +verbose option, there will be no screen display or operator prompts during the import processing. The operator who is working at the backroom network terminal would now be able to make Customer Information update changes at anytime and send them to the BreakPoint terminals using the batch file above. There would never be any need to notify the BreakPoint cashiers that the backroom operator is performing this process.
PSCUSTIE +import f=custdata.dat p=d:\bp101\
PSCUSTIE +import f=custdata.dat p=e:\bp102\
PSCUSTIE is used most often for import operations. However, it can also be used with the +export option to extract Customer Information from BreakPoint. This might be useful for initializing a backroom Accounts Receivable or database system with Customer Information that is already entered into BreakPoint. The export file format is exactly the same as the import file format and is documented in detail in the Technical Newsletter entitled "Customer Information Import File: CUSTDATA.REG".