The Plants to Buy feature in GA004

[ideasguy]

On the forum, Toby asked a question about the Sources tab in the Plants Profile screen GA100S36.
It led to this challenge for our members.

The feature is identical in Ideas Genie, Ideas Genie Pro and Bonsai Genie, and has been featured in IG since 2002.
I developed it originally to use during the winter months when planning what seeds and plants to buy for next year.
Unlike the Catalogs program GA040, each user can add their own favourite suppliers and catalog items.
There is a comparison feature which allows prices and buy options offered by various suppliers to be reviewed when you are ready to place orders.

Once Catalog Items are created, they can be added to that Plants to Buy list.
They can also be reviewed under the Sources tab in GA100S36, answering Tobys query.

Here's the link on the new look Ideas Genie on the Web Product support website:
http://www.ideasgenie.com/Catalogs-GA004/catalogs-ga004.html
Browse around!
 
Lets see who we can encourage to take up the challenge

[bossgard]

George and Forum Members:

The challenge ‘How to use the ‘Plants to Buy feature in Ideas Genie’ has certainly been worth while for me to take! And it’s coming at the right time of the year, because the stampede of new 2012 Spring Gardening Catalogs is coming on full blast at my house.

I’ve received catalogs covering the fall and early winter planting of spring blooming bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, etc. in the past several months. Yesterday I received my first vegetable seed catalog via mail. Many more vegetable and flower catalogs will follow. (I don’t know how they got my name and address!)

Since most of my stock is started from seed, the Ed Hume Seed website will be updating there seed rack with new picks and current pricing in early January 2012. I can then download that information quickly, by toggling between screens into the ‘Buy’ programs.

What’s so wonderful about the ‘Plants To Buy feature in Ideas Genie’ is that you are working with your own plant inventory. Not somebody else’s. These are plants that I work with everyday, be they flowering or vegetable bearing.

Having that vital information and data at my finger tips, makes it so much easier when I have to replace, re-order or propagate new stock. Those URL’s I’ve entered come in mighty handy.

It’s interesting that the information that you enter in Line 7 of the challenge makes all the difference in the world in creating your order. Check the resulting screen GA004S20 that everything is OK. For those that do not understand the letters SKU, they stand for Stock Keeping Unit.

And yes, I did get the print-out of my ‘Buy’order as covered in the Line #12 instructions.

-Toby

For those who might not know some of the ‘tricks of the trade’ for computer users, you might be interested in Microsoft’s Website for ‘Microsoft at Home’, http://www.microsoft.com/athome/ and
it’s companion sight for ‘At Work’, that can be reached through the same URL.

[ideasguy]

Well done Toby Its very encouraging to get that feedback.
As you see, I used Ed Hume Seeds as a supplier in the demo, since you made the original request
Let me know if you go ahead with an order to Ed Hume using the IG pro order form 

[ideasguy]

A special award awaits for you Toby! Laurie has been busy this morning and has proposed a new award scheme for those completing the challenges.
You have the honour of being the first to be nominated for this prestigious award
The Award of Genie Merit 

[NightHawk]

Toby,

As George promised (and he so rightly nominated you), you are the very first person to receive this new award I created.

Very well deserved 



Laurie.

[Dew]

Hello to everybody and congratulations to Toby . I see it is a nice and friendly forum. I am just newbie.
I did pass lesson above, it‘s very helpfull. But I still have a question. I was troubling George with my question already , George suggested to come to the forum, so I am here.
Who sells this  button .
This button and Who has this are in GA004 , GA027 ,GA037, they both are redirecting me to GA100S58 (Growers and Suppliers for this plant).
In Suppliers Catalog GA004S20 I have created Supplier , added a plant to that suppllier catalog , added a plant to buy list on the right . Next step - checking , I click Who sells this  and I see my plant only in Gardeners > Plants to Buy , but not in Seeds or Plant suppliers . If I remove that plant from buy list in GA004S20 and don‘t have this plant in any of my Gardens then I am not able to see it at all in GA100S58 , even if that plant still exists in Supplier Catalog . I suppose in GA100S58 I should see information I have entered in GA004S21.
What is a problem ? And what is GA100S58 for?
I would be grateful for explanation .

[bossgard]

Dew:

I’m with you!

The title on GA100S58 is GROWERS AND SUPPLIERS FOR THIS PLANT as you stated!

If I follow it through like you did, I come up with my name as a Gardener under the GARDENERS tab. Nothing under SEED SUPPLIERS or PLANT SUPPLIERS in the GROWERS AND SUPPLIERS OF THIS PLANT area. Although something should show under SEED SUPPLIERS because I think that I entered information correctly as the seed supplier for my plant selection as entered in the Top Line of the screen.

The only thing I did notice when I click on my name as GARDENER, is that the GO TO GARDENERS WEBSITE button is highlighted below. I do not have a website, but I assume it would connect me with my own site (??).

As far as the far right screen SUPPLIERS DESCRIPTION FOR THIS PLANT, I could not figure out how to add or edit text for that field. I also tried a Google search, but didn’t try the RHS.

I checked all the tutorials and lessons that I have on file, and this screen isn’t discussed anywhere.

I have never found anything that George has in his software that never had a purpose!
Do you suppose he is going to make us sweat it out for eternity, and not tell us?

- Toby

[ideasguy]

Hi Rasa (Dew) and Toby

Ive already apologised to Rasa for not replying to her question - I'm "wasting" time watching football on TV this past 3 weeks - Euro 2012. The second semi final was played tonight and the final is on Sunday, so it will be back to normal next week folk!

Screen GA100S58 is a multi purpose screen with three modes - a) Gardener, b) Seed supplier and c) Plant Suppliers.
a) Gardeners - when you add a plant to a garden , it shows up when you click any Who has this button in the Ideas Genie action programs (GA004,GA037 etc.)

b) and c) was designed for Seed Suppliers and Nurseries.
It is NOT related to the Plants to Buy feature as described in this topic.
However, you can force an entry here for Seed and Plant suppliers by using the program Reviews - GA032 (the program with the WPG-Web Page Generator).
I'll create a new topic and explain how to do that as soon as possible.