Main screen, logged on

FB Employee Spent (FBESpent) is a simple application used to track/record benefit usage by entitled employees, from which can be produced the needed report.

Features

• Simple, small, no installation just extract the zip, database using SQLite
• Clean designed and easy to use (screen shot below)
• Report template can be customized, added (as long as the needed already in database)

Installation

• Download the file from Download part below, save “FBEmp2.zip” to your download folder
• Do backup your existing copy of FBEmp2, or just proceed if you are a new user
• For new installation, extract FBEmp2.zip to any folder that you wish, then create shortcut to “FBEmp2.exe”, remember that all files should be in the same folder.
• For updating existing installation, extract file to FBEmp2.zip to temporary folder, then copy only FBEmp2.exe to your existing FB folder, if you accidentally replace your database “FBESpent.s3db”, then your data will be gone forever !
  That’s why it’s a good practice to have backup, and do a backup just before installation

Usage

• There are two users in default blank database:
  1. User / Password: OPR/OPR
  2. User / Password: ADMIN / ADMIN
• After login, you have to fill/input datas in table, as below:
  1. Input data in tables “Transaction Type”, “Employee Class”, “Outlet”, “Department”
     because table Employees and Transactions depend on those table
  2. Input employees in “Employees Maintenance”
  3. You are ready to track employees benefit usage, input datas in Transaction
  4. Do report from module Report, included are two report templates
  5. Done, repeat as needed
• It’s a good practice to backup your data, close FBESpent application then copy file “FBESpent.s3db” into a safe place; and do this at least weekly, but the best is at end of day

..

Screenshot

Download

This program is free from any malwares and ads, already tested and work as intended; this program is freeware, so we can not be held responsibles for any damages that may occure because of this application, in other words, all risks are yours.

Download

I create this label manually because the labels will have different words in each label, while one produced by label maker application will have the same words, as it replicates the master copy the one that we design before.

Back to our label, now, let’s get started.

First launch the OpenOffice 3.0

For this example we will create label for DLT Tape Backup, although sample of Labels for DLT and LTO Tape Backup available to download at the end of this article.

From OpenOffice Welcome screen, click Text Document to create a new document

OO Welcome Screen

Insert Frame into document, to create base of the label an empty bordered box.

Insert Frame

Modify the Frame property, see screenshot below, don’t forget to set Anchor to “As character”.
DLT label is in inch, note also in a ruler, 1 inch is divided into 16 strips, so half an inch is 8/16 converted to decimal notation as 0.5″.

Size of DLT label is 36 x 16 strips, converted to decimal:

• Width : 36/16 = 2.25″
• Height: 13/16 = 0.81″

We enter those values into Size Height and Width fields of Frame property.
Try to compare label on screen with the actual one, if you set OpenOffice screen zoom to 100% you will find that Frame size we just created will be about the same size with the actual label. It is truly WYSIWYG, well, almost

Frame property

You can also set Borders and Background as you want, but for this example I will set “Spacing to contents” to 0.04″, and Background set to default white color.

Frame property, border

After the Frame is set, we can start to fill the blank frame/ label with a logo for example, you can Copy from graphics editor, like MS Paint, then Paste inside the Frame

Paste a graphics

then add text box as many as you need,

Add text

That is it.
Now you need to replicate the label to fill the whole paper, all you need is just the old Copy / Paste. You can edit each text in each label as you see it fit.

Replicate label

Using this simple technique you will be able to create any label, or CD/DVD Cover, or jewel case, or kids name’s label, etc…

I actually use both label for Tape Backup DLT and LTO, and print them using Color Deskjet on A4 Self-adhesive paper.

Download

File available for download was checked and clean from viruses, malscripts. File is FREEWARE, use it as it is fit, give credit where due, but remember that we can not be held responsibles for any damages that may occur because of this file, in other words, all risks are yours.

Sample Labels for DLT and LTO Tape Backup for download

• Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.
• Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

I already used it for daily use, but for spreadsheet I still use Excell after bad experience with OOo, which a simple COUNTIF() gave me wrong result because after little more test, seems OOo doesn’t support ‘wildcard’, but well, back to Lotus Symphony, LS Document is ok, though it’s nice if we can configure shortcuts; LS Presentation, maybe just me, full screen is not full screen, Windows’ taskbar still visible.

I just downloaded Lotus Symphony Windows Beta 2, and will check the spreadsheet.

Available to download from:

• IBM Resource, you will need your IBM ID or register for free
• Softpedia, no registration to IBM required to download

If you install Lotus Symphony after OpenOffice, almost all extensions will be redirect to LS, without notice

It seems the interface much differ with other office suite, but I guess I will like it just let see after use it for more times.
Btw, after installation it will take over all OpenOffice’s .ODT. I don’t remember whether it asked me to replace it or not.

Forgot to mention, in Windows, time needed to launch Lotus Symphony just about OpenOffice, if not faster a little. I will use it parallel with OpenOffice and maybe with MS Office 2007.

I just downloaded Lotus Symphony beta, not yet try it, and I am not sure whether it’s free or no; yet at the website I don’t see link about pricing.

So far we have some Office Suites,

• Microsoft Office, the well known, seems the de-facto standard. For Windows and OSX, but run uner Linux via Wine or Crossover
• Kingsoft Office, a China product with almost 100% compatibility to MS Office even the spreadsheet is like Excel, yet much cheaper and claimed to be faster in some areas. Windows only
• KOffice, from The Kompany, run on *nix flavour and for Windows is still under development. I don’t use much, as it’s quite different with other suite
• StarOffice, by Sun, the paying version of OpenOffice, but cheap, with some enhancements. Also has a User Portal site with some resources for OpenOffice, for most platforms including Windows and *nix
• Lotus Symphony, by IBM, not tried yet, but it should be good, and available for Windows and Linux