Configuration Guides
 
Library All Configuration Guides

Common

Customer Create/Edit Receipt Customisation Emailing Receipts Statement Customisation

Purchasing/Stock

Purchase Order Customisation Send Purchase Orders Cabinet Identification Shelf Labels

Sales Processing

Capturing Return Reasons Capturing Courier Tags Payment Types

Infrequent

Using Memberships Creating Agency Stores

Advanced

Using QR Codes Custom User Interfaces Automatic Loading

Setup

Managing Lanes Installing Lanes Network Security Enabling HTTPS Automatic Updates System Backups Securing your Systems
Barcode Scanners Customer Displays Public Product List Scales
Email Accounts Websites
Pre Install Planning Creating a Franchise

Multi Retailer

Auto Setup

Addin Options

Multiple Departments Xero Accounting Stock Sync

Automatic File Loading

The utility FieldpineLoader.exe can be used to automate loading of data into Fieldpine. This is done on a constant automated basis. If you would rather automate loads so that you click an icon to upload at that point in time, see Uploading via CURL / WGET

Pre-Reqs
  • Windows 64 bit Operating System
  • At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
  • Cannot send individual files larger than 4Gb
Restrictions
  • All files being uploaded are malware scanned on the source machine before being uploaded. If your local PC reports malware in the file, it will not be uploaded
  • Large individual files may not work reliably. While there is no specific limit, this might not be the tool to use if individual files are greater than 2 or 4 Gb
  • Detection of files being changed is not 100% reliable, per Microsoft documentation. Very rarely you might see a change not updated to the server. If you simply save the file again it should be detected. This rate of non-detection is very low, unless your computer has high volume changes to the directories being watched. See configuration tips below

Configuration

  1. Open a windows command prompt (as administrator) and type 
    fieldpineloader -install
    This will install the program as a service.
  2. The service will be installed as a "NetworkService". This grants it access to network resources but is not highly privileged. You may need to run the service under a different login if you have security issues. Use the Windows services control panel to change the account it runs under.
  3. In the same folder as fieldpineloader.exe, create a file "fieldpineloader.txt" and put your commands inside (see below)

Configuration Files

The configuration file provides instructions on which folders shoud be monitored and what should be done with files found. 

system
log c:\Fieldpine\fieldpineloader.log

--------------------------------------------------
server
address http://127.0.0.1:8310
header x-api-key: ASJDJDJDJDJDJDDAAAABBBBCCCCC

--------------------------------------------------
windows
file c:\PosDocuments\Products.xlsx
dati <products>
delay 10

--------------------------------------------------
windows
path c:\PosDocuments\ProductPhotos
filter <image>
delay 12
dati <product image>
control pattern(f*%PID%*.*) orientation(front)
control pattern(s*%PID%*.*) orientation(side)
control pattern(p*%PID%*.*) orientation(portrait)

Network Drives

You can monitor network drives by using the UNC Path name rather than the mapped drive letter

---------------------
windows
file \\CompanyShare\PosDocuments\ProductPhotos
...

Configuration Tips

Put files and directories to be watched in an area with few changes and minimal sub directories. Rather than using \MyDocuments\Products.xlsx put the file in a sub folder instead. \MyDocuments\PosFiles\Products.xlsx

Fieldpine Loader monitors the entire directory and sub directories, and if these directories are frequently changing there is a greater risk of changes being missed. Do not use the root folder of a drive such as c:\ as this results in massive amounts of changes to wade through - every temporary file from any program, internet cache files and tons of other irrelevant stuff.

Fieldpine Online as the Target Server

Fieldpine Online, and secure self hosted controllers, require authentication information. This means you need three additional parameters in order to upload

--------------------------------------------------
server
address https://AX.fieldpine.com
header x-api-key: AAABBBCCCCDDDEEE
rmsystem 7,123,918,223

The value Ax.fieldpine.com is the Fieldpine server you typically connect too, such as a1.fieldpine.com If you are using a custom domain such as sydney.myretailchain.xyz then use that value

An API key can be created under the "API" menu option within Fieldpine. Be careful with API keys, the holder of an API key is allowed technical access to your system.

The RmSystem value is your unique "retailer id" within Fieldpine.

Monitoring Product Definition Spreadsheets

A common pattern with Fieldpine retailers is to maintain a spreadsheet with all current product definitions and load that periodically into Fieldpine. With Fieldpine Loader this loading can be automated so that simply editing the Excel spreadsheet causes Fieldpine to be updated shortly after the change is detected.

  1. Install Fieldpine Loader as outlined above
  2. Create a FieldpineLoader with these sections, changing the parts in bold to suit your environment 
    --------------------------------------------------
server
address http://127.0.0.1:8310
--------------------------------------------------
windows
file c:\SomePathToFile\ActiveProducts.xlsx
dati <products>
delay 0

When loading Excel files, the Loader waits until the file is closed before loading. If you simply "save" the file within Excel and do not close the spreadsheet it will not update Fieldpine immediately. This is because Excel holds a write lock over the file and while we can bypass this, doing so means there is a slight chance we could read and apply a partially editted spreadsheet.

If you want to read the Excel document and override the write lock add the line "lock none" below the "delay 0" line in the example above