CiviCRM Community Forums (archive)

Hi guys.

I am new here as user and developer of CiviCRM. My task is to modify it into a system that is used to record the used toner from customers and calculate corresponding reward points for them to redeem coupon. The system should provide these basic functions:

1. keep customer info
2. keep coupon info
3. keep transaction of receiving returned toner from customer and add corresponding points to their balance
4. keep transaction of redeem coupon to customer and minus corresponding points to their balance

Well I guess these functions are simple enough. However, I am quite confused on how to add my own form (as user interface) and backend logic. The system is highly modulized and I cant find a entrance for me to start with.

Currently I modified the new individual page into my wanted style to keep customer info, by using "custom data" function. But for other functions I cannot find similarity with existing form so I want to add form of my own. I hardly find any tutorials or easy samples to follow so I have to ask for you guys' suggestions (I have studied "hook on CiviCRM" but still cannot find any clew to meet my case).

Thank you all guys in advance, please kindly suggest and help

Hi tclf,
have you had a look at the floss manual yet?
http://en.flossmanuals.net/CiviCRM/DevelopIntro

You will need to explain in a little more detail what...

Dear Erik,

Thank you so much for your reply. As I have mentioned, what I want to acieve is a system having the 4 functions above. For customer information, I have used custom data to modify the original form (by form I mean the actual page we've seen while we're using the system) of contact. And for other three functions, I dont think there are any existing forms I can use to modify so I guess I may need to code my own form as UI and logic. I have read through the developer manual but it seems there's no instruction on how to insert my own php and tpl file into the system.

I will keep looking for some samples or instructions. And hope you can give me more tips on my situation:)

Joe

Dear Erik:

Thank you so much for your reply again. I've read the two URLs you've given to me but unfortunately I am using Joomla as basic CMS. I dont know if the hello world example would have conflicts or incompatibility for my case. I will try it out and see if everything goes well.

For Smarty I have worked on Eventum (a MySQL project developed using Smarty & PEAR) so my experience on that is ok. But CiviCRM was not like the simple structure of one page = one php + one tpl, it was highly modulized and it's hard for me to look into the core to modify, that's why I am planning to do my own page and ask for your help.

I am totally willing to attend and tutorial session on CiviCRM but I dont know if my location would have any. I am currently in Hong Kong and this is also the first time my company dealing with system based on CiviCRM so I hardly find any useful resources to help me with my project.

Joe

I think that (IMHO) CiviCRM is not the right software for your project.  CiviCRM is specifically designed for non profit organizations and donations, events and memberships.  Trying to adapt CiviCRM to other uses will likely cost you more time and money in customization process than just writing an application from scratch, particularly if you are new to CiviCRM, which you are.

No, but that will be quite possible. I believe most developers use profiles to show their custom data rather than develop their own. BTW, do you know how to find out which template is used on a CiviCRM page?
Erik

For profile, check this page:
http://en.flossmanuals.net/CiviCRM/CapturingExposing

If you want to find out what template is used on a CiviCRM page, go to the page source and search for ".tpl". In the comment the name of the template used will be mentioned (although others might be included from that template).
Erik