Customizing project management system, add custom menus and reports, integrate with database

The 3f Software Planner application is divided into 3 sections, the menu (including icons), the tree view and the work space as shown on the image below. You may customize all 3 sections. The tree view and the menu are customized using the 3f Software Planner Menu Maker. The workspace is customized using your favorite development tool.

You may also modify the 3f Software Planner database by adding custom objects such as tables, views, triggers and stored procedures. If you do so be careful to read the section in the SDK relating to the database. That section explains which prefixes you must add to your custom objects so as to prevent them from being removed when the 3f Software Planner main program is updated. Finally you may also customize existing, or add new skins if you want the application to have a different look and feel. You will find more information about that in the SDK.

You can use any programming language you like, the only condition is that the language is capable of accessing a Microsoft SQL server, access a regular COM dll as well as reading session variables. Examples of languages that can be used: ASP.NET, C# and ASP. It does not matter if the language you use is compiled or interpreted.

The secret behind everything is that when you develop a new page or report, the 3f Software Planner acts like a container for your new page or report. The only thing you need to do in order to make the new page or report available to users is to create a new set of menu XML files. That is done using the 3f Software Planner Menu Maker (a part of the SDK). You simply add the URL to the menu maker and it then creates a new set of menu xml files that link(s) to your custom pages or reports.

When you click on a menu inside 3f Software Planner the URL is called and the page is loaded in the Work Space. The actual accessing of the database, presentation, handling of user rights, validation etc. is done within the page or dll(s) you create.

This is the reason why you can use almost any programming language you want to customize 3f Software Planner.

Due to the flexibility of the 3f Software Planner you can pretty much place your custom pages on any server you like. There is nothing that prevents you from having 3f Software Planner installed in the Vancouver, Canada and having your custom pages and reports installed on a server in Paris France. At least this is true from a technical point of view. Whether you would ever want to do that is another question.

The 3f Development Framework is a library, an ASP file and a JS file that you must install on the server where your Add-On is installed and or developed. The framework has a few functions (documented in the SDK) that you can use. These are functions related to security and handling of the the right mouse button. You can download the 3f Development Framework installer from the SDK download section. For more information on the framework go to the framework section where you also can see the version history.

There are some session variables (documented in the SDK) that you may use. Session variables are read only! Altering the value of a session variable may have dire consequences and side effects!

Ideally you should have a 3f Software Planner server installation on your development machine. If this is possible then you can easily create a setup that allows you to view your changes instantaneously. You can also develop straight off your production server. If you do that, you must be very careful not to make mistakes that interrupt your users.

Note: 3f Software Planner can be installed on Windows 2000 Professional and or Windows XP Professional. However, in doing so you may run into problems with the IIS due to antivirus programs, spy ware programs etc. Some technical knowledge may be required to get it to work on these operating systems.

This is the tool you use to crate new menus for your 3f Software Planner installation. To read more about the 3f Software Planner Menu Maker