Some Server Ideas For Our Contest

I thought I'd prime the pump with some ideas for browser server ideas that might interest some of you intrepid server designers out there.

Remember that a burgeoning market for software of this sort that runs on hand-held smart phones and the whole host of tablet devices that will be hitting the market in 2011. Even if some of these things have been done before, aiming for this new platform may just give an old idea new life.

Schedule Software:

• View Work Schedule
• Personal Time Scheduler
• Personal Reminder (enter event and it phones you or emails you when the event is close)
• Meetings Scheduler

Work/Travel:

• Expense log
• Sales Call Updates, Reports

Maintenance:

• Machinery Maintenance Updates, Reports
• On-Line "Honey Do" list

Store:

• Software Web-Store
• Specialty Items Web-Store
• Digital Photos Web-Store
• Item Made to Specification Web-Store (eg: Made to Measure garment)
• Digital Audio Web-Store
• Digital Video Web-Store
• Tickets to Event Web-Store

Blog

• Personal/Business Blog Engine (small format for smartphones and tablets)

Customer Support

• Version of CHT Support Forum with small format interface for smartphones and tablets (self adjusting by device detection)
• Product Information Lookup System

Software Delivery

• Secure, Interactive Software Delivery Server (using browser as client)

Clubs

• Bowling Club scheduling, scoring,
• Golf Club scheduling, scoring

Surveys

• On-line Survey Taker, Results Displayer, Reporter

Reports

• Ask for dynamic PDF reports with input query parameters (best for computers not smartphones)

Advertizing

• Classified Ads Server (eg: http://toronto.kijiji.ca/)
• Display Ads Server (like Adwords, ads of various sizes that can be requested for insert by other web sites)

Telephone

• On-Line specialty Phone directories

Ok, that's a start.
I'm personally going to:
1) Add a second set of interface scripts to the CHT Forum Server
2) Add a forum server that serves up a smart-phone version of the CHT Forum
3) Add a software web-store server (I'll be able to use this to resell all the servers you guys write) ;-)

Feel free to attach other ideas as you brainstorm.

Cheers...
Gus

ANNOUNCING: CHT Browser Server Design Contest

Between now and March 31, 2011 you have an opportunity to earn some money and prove your worth as a CHT Browser Server developer.

I'm looking for some peripheral products to add to our lineup and one of the classes of product I want to offer is a pre-designed, stand-alone, browser server ready to go, but having a user-customizeable web interface that performs some less that every-day ordinary task.

The server is not aimed necessarily at a Clarion developer, preferably directly at some end-use, that as I indicated, is not going to be easily found out there on the web. So the idea is as important as the implementation.

When I say "user-customizeable web interface" that means the server functionality and data design is fixed but the user interface can be customized via configuration and via CHT Scripter to represent the customer's company, business, or organization.

Components of any individual product sold this way will be:
1) A browser server application built with Clarion 6 or 7 (preferably 7) and CHT templates only (no other 3rd party templates)
2) A set of web scripts built with CHT Scripter to act as the user interface (customizeable by the end user)
3) A copy of CHT Scripter (which I will supply as part of the package along with CHT Scripter documentation in PDF and video format)
4) Any documentation that you feel is necessary to document the server's use, setup, and maintenance.

The server is intended to be run on an in-house computer via a half-decent, fixed-ip connection not on publicly rented web space, unless it is a dedicated machine (reacheable by RDP) that the user controls and on which he/she can run one or more Clarion applications (your server being one of them).

There will be 3 prizes First ($500), Second ($250), Third ($100) in cash paid via Paypal. I reserve the right to not hand out any prizes if the submissions are unworthy as re-sale products. Any accepted products -- whether they win first, second or third or not, will be offered for sale on CHT's peripheral product website. All sales from here of your product, the income will be split 50/50. If you want to ALSO offer the product for sale on your own website that's OK with me too - if you cut me the same deal on the income split.

Anyone who needs help developing their server product can ask for help from myself at no charge as long as the time involved is reasonable and I don't end up doing all the work. ;-)

There is no contest entry fee. The only requirement is that you are a CHT subscriber. If your project is internal and cannot be packaged and sold on the open market, it is not eligible, again for obvious reasons.

You can express your interest by replying and stating your interest on the CHT Developer Support Forum which you can reach from any of our Clarion Templates.

Cheers...

Gus Creces
The Clarion Handy Tools Page
http://www.cwhandy.ca