I build several small tools for myself or to make my work easier, I do that in several different languages, also depending on what is available.
I use Manager since yesterday and I noticed that it’s based on HTML, when I looked a bit further, I see I run a local web/sql server… what is an awesome idea ! And of course makes it very platform independed.
So to learn on how this is build and how you managed to make such a great application, I want to ask if it is possible to see the source code.
Of course it’s not my goal to copy the whole application, it’s to see how you managed the “back-side” of the application, so with an “hello world” html-page with a single sql select to an empty database is enough, just as example… It’s also not my goal to use it in a commercial way.
As spandan mentioned, Manager is unlikely to ever be open-source due to its nature as a commercial application.
However, there’s nothing stopping you from creating an application using the same technique. It looks like it’s a web app as you mentioned, wrapped up in a Windows / macOS / Linux executable so that it can be easily installed on each of those operating systems. The back-end database is SQLite.
I don’t know enough to suggest how it could be done - it’s not something I’ve ever looked into with much detail.
The developer (@lubos) may be able to provide some tips on how he achieved this. It would be interesting to read up on the development / deployment process that he uses, if he’s willing to share that.
I indeed never asked for having the whole source open, I even don’t want a copy of the collection of webpages. My curiosity is on how the seperate parts works together, because for what I see the engine itself is small and I recognise some parts like indeed SQLite what is very visible, I even found for instance what jQuery modules are used in the ManagerServer.exe as a lot of files are readable compiled.
But @lubos, if you can just point me in the right direction, I would be very thankful as I really like the method you have chosen.
Desktop edition just wraps up web-browser + web-server into simple integrated package so it looks like standalone program.
The reason I made it this way is that the same code which runs in desktop edition can be re-used in cloud/server editions. It works very well.
Electron framework works on quite similar principle like Manager. It’s not the same because Electron apps have to be written in Javascript and emphasis is on cross-platform desktop but I imagine if you are careful, you can write Javascript app which can run on top of Electron or as standalone server using Node.js.
I migrated from using another accounting package to Manager last Nov-2018 and it took me 2 days to setup and go. I found it interesting on its clean structure, ease of use and follow accounting explanations from the forum. I’m also interested in the principles / approach of its development and deployment to use in my next project.
its not worth for now because none of the versions are free to test and run and make amendments for the developer groups . why pay $690 dollar. manager here is an open community where desktop version is free and users as developers has benefits to make or raise changes which will help them and other members in the group. but in case wisej , member has to pay $690 upfront to get the developer version.
sorry, but i m really happy to be with manager where learning is free with basic source code which are essential. And the best part is nothing is hidden here and @lubos answer almost all the questions here wheather its a question from free version user or paid version user. and thats called equality.
Personally, I don’t know if “source code” would be needed, but if there were a way to license the application for use within a company’s custom ERP type solution, or CRM solution, like OnlyOFFICE, that would be a slam’n good thing for everyone. I like manager.io so far in regard to the desktop version, but as I’m pushing toward getting everything cloud hosted so I can work from anywhere in the world, this would be a huge value-add to the ERP/CRM solution, which is needing a billing feature badly. If we could get that far, the only other item I’d then look into would be to wire-up for online payment(s) of invoices and/or be able to script monthly subscriptions to a 3rd party gateway… but that’s my $0.02 on the subject… ymmv, etc.
“Localisations” are currently used to generate interface files to submit information to various countries tax departments. This is typically done via a third party data communication supplier for simplicity. The concept could be extended to transmit other information for other applications such as you describe above. How likely probably depends on how much a specific application requires changes to Manager, vs doing it your self in a localisation.
Sorry, I need to check-in on this forum more often… can you drop a few articles and let me take a read? (On the localization stuff)… my other thought was to “white-hack” the c# dlls and see if I can build a utility around them.