
##########################################################################################
#    PHP-RESIDENCE								         #
#    Copyright (C) 2001-2009 by Marco Maria Francesco De Santis (marco@digitaldruid.net) #
#										         #
#    This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify	         #
#    it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by         #
#    the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or		         #
#    any later version accepted by Marco Maria Francesco De Santis, which	         #
#    shall act as a proxy as defined in Section 14 of version 3 of the		         #
#    license.									         #
#										         #
#    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,		         #
#    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of		         #
#    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the		         #
#    GNU Affero General Public License for more details.			         #
#										         #
#    You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License	         #
#    along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.	         #
##########################################################################################

Php-residence version 1.3.0
Program for hotels management and weekly or daily apartments 
rental.

http://www.digitaldruid.net/php-residence/en/


SECURITY
If php-residence is used in an insecure net environment it's 
advisable to activate the password of administrator user and 
eventually use ssl connections.
There shouldn't be problems if more computers access the 
database simultaneously and normal users will not be able to 
perform actions not permitted by privileges assigned to them.


WARNING
It's advisable to secure all data and make frequent backups 
of the database using the backup system supplied in 
php-residence.


REQUIRED SOFTWARE
-apache (>=1.3.26) or another web server that supports php
-php (>=3.0.18) with extension for postgresql, mysql or sqlite
-postgresql (>=7.4.7) or mysql (>=4.1.11) or sqlite
-a browser that supports html 4.01 with utf-8 encoding

The indicated versions are the tested ones, it could work also 
on the percedent ones. The program has been tried only on Linux, 
in theory it should work also on other operating systems that 
support the previous programs.
APACHE CONFIGURATION: Apache must have php support and execute 
with it the pages with php extension. That normally is the 
default for php4, while for php3 you could have to add the line: 

AddType application/x-httpd-php3 php

in the configuration file of Apache (httpd.conf or srm.conf). 
MYSQL CONFIGURATION: in order to create a user in mysql connect 
to the mysql database (command "mysql --user=root mysql") and 
execute this query:

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES on databasename.* to user@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'pass';

changing databasename, user and pass with your data.
POSTGRESQL CONFIGURATION: make sure that the postgres server 
is started with the option "-i" in order to allow connections 
via TCP/IP (in Debian 2.2 put "PGALLOWTCPIP=yes" in 
/etc/postgresql/postmaster.init, in Red Hat 7.2 put 
"tcpip_socket = true" in /var/lib/pgsql/data/postgresql.conf). 
Moreover you must have the right permissions in the file 
pg_hba.conf (normally you don't need to change the default 
ones). In order to create a user in postgresql use the command 
"createuser user_name" issued by user postgres ("su postgres" 
from root) and answer yes when it asks if it will be able to 
create a database.
SQLITE CONFIGURATION: the sqlite database is actually a file 
that resides in the dati folder, so if you're using php version 
5 or superior there is no need for any special configuration. In 
the data to connect to the database you don't need to insert the 
username, password and server name.


INSTALLATION
Copy the folder php-residence to a directory 
reachable from the web (DocumentRoot in the configuration 
files of apache), and point the browser at 
http://localhost/php-residence/inizio.php (or where you have 
positioned the folder).  The dati directory inside 
php-residence MUST have write permissions for the 
user with which the server web runs (user www-data in Debian),
also after the installation. So if you use a hosting service 
they could have to be changed through ftp: for example with 
cuteftp (win) or gftp (linux) connect and right click the dati 
directory on the server (right column), choose the CHMOD option 
and add write permissions (755 or 777).
After the first screen, where you can choose the language, you 
insert the data to connect to the database, default values are 
already filled in  that should be right in the majority of cases. 
The password is only necessary if activated in the postgres or 
mysql server. In Debian with php3 answer yes to the question 
regarding the extension "pgsql.so". After having inserted 
the data about the apartments (at least the number), you must 
create the year that you want to manage (later on you can add 
months at the end of the period you choose now, but not remove 
any). If a previous year exists you can import prices and any 
reservations in months common to the 2 years. At the end you 
arrive to the main screen, that I think is quite intuitive. 
Before being able to insert reservations the prices for the 
relative periods will need to be inserted.

To uninstall delete the directory php-residence and destroy 
the created database ("destroydb databasename" or 
"dropdb databasename" depending on the version for postgresql).


UPGRADING FROM PREVIOUS VERSIONS
Before upgrading you should make a backup of the database 
with the php-residence backup system and save backup.php,
otherwise you could LOSE ALL DATA! Also check that the new 
required software is compatible with your current one.
Leave in the folder where php-residence is installed only the 
folder dati (with write permission for the web server) deleting 
all the rest. After that, copy the files of the new version 
(except the folder dati naturally) and BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE 
access the main menu (as administrator user if the login is 
activated) and press the "update" button waiting until it ends 
to load the page. If add-on modules or themes are used remember 
to copy them too with the new version files.
It's possible to change from a postgresql database to a mysql 
one or vice versa using the backup system.

If you're using a sqlite database the upgrade to a new version 
is not supported, you'll have first to move to a mysql or 
postgresql database with the backup system.

If you're using a mysql version inferior to 4.1 it's recommended 
to create a backup file before upgrading mysql to a version 
equal or superior to 4.1 and to restore that file just after it.

If you are upgrading from a version prior to 1.1 then internet 
templates evetually present in their default locations will be 
renamed. Files with the old names including the contents of the 
files with the new names will be created too, but it's 
recommended to update the links in the rest of your site to 
point to the new names.


TIPS
-Use the buttons of the browser in order to return from the
 visualization of a document.
-Always insert numbers with a maximum of 2 decimals as currency. 
 In order to separate decimals you can use a comma or a point,
 but don't separate the thousands.
-If no method for the assignment of an apartment is inserted 
 in a reservation, the program will automatically assign the 
 apartment taking into account the number of people and the 
 priority of the apartments (lower priority is assigned 
 first).
-Already begun and checked-in Reservations are considered fixed.
 To move those already begun, an option is offered when you 
 try to move them in non empty apartments.
-the assignment rule 1 can be used for apartments reserved to 
 agencies that must be informed in case of a reservation. 
-With the assignment rule 2 you can for example associate a 
 rate called "4 people" to the apartments that can accommodate 
 4 people. 
-If you don't want the program to automatically assign the 
 apartments insert all the reservations in a fixed apartment. 
-Make a test installation in order to see how it works before 
 inserting any real data.
-You can assign a different price for each period even if there 
 are only 8 periods in the prices insertion page (insert 8 
 each time).
-If you work between 2 years don't create the new year until 
 it actually begins. You can insert reservations of the next 
 year from the menu of the current year, extra months can be 
 added by selecting the rates table and using the 'Add Periods' 
 button. When the new year arrives create it and import the 
 reservations from the previous year (to do that the same types 
 of periods of the previous year must be used and if  the 
 periods are weekly also the same starting/ending day of the 
 week). It is recommended to keep atcivated the option in 
 "configure and customize" to automatically create the new year 
 on January the 10th.
-For the apartments names use for example 07 or 007 instead of 
 7 to have ordered months tables. 
-The recommended browser is mozilla firefox or any other mozilla 
 based browser (www.mozilla.org).
-New disabled users can be added, and their selected columns in 
 the customizations page changed, for having different profiles 
 in the table with all the reservations.
-If the rooms are usually cleaned the day before the client 
 arrives, in the customization page, the time when a reservation 
 is considered to have started can be changed so it doesn't get 
 moved.
-If php-residence is used on the Internet with a dial-up 
 connection it can be installed also on the home computer and 
 subordinated (from configure -> interconnections) to the 
 internet installation.


INSERTION OF DOCUMENTS
From "configure and customize", clicking on their number, you 
can edit the texts of documents to be printed, saved or emailed. 
The texts must be inserted in HTML or RTF format, or in simple 
text to send emails. You'll find some examples of alredy usable 
documents after intalling php-residence. To easily insert an RTF 
document you can write the text in your preferred program (like 
Word or OpenOffice), save it in RTF format and reopen it with a 
text editor, then copy all the text and paste it in the 
document. 
In the documents you can use predefined variables that, if left 
empty, will be replaced by spaces to be filled up by hand. The 
document parts that are enclosed in [r][/r] tags will be 
repeated for each reservation (if these tags are not present the 
whole document will be repeated). Inside these parts other lists 
can be inserted with tags [r2][/r2] (for guests) or [r3][/r3] 
(for extra costs). For example for the list with guests data the 
variables end all with the "_guest" suffix. Some available 
variables that can be inserted are (the complete list is in the 
page where you modify the document): 

Client's data:
[surname]		surname
[name]			name
[birthdate]		birthday
[Mr]			'' (if male) or 's' (if female)
[nation]		origin nation
[city]			residence city
[street]		street
[street2]		the same as $street but if it's not 
			defined it inserts the word street 
			before the spaces
[street_number]		street number
[postal_code]		postal code
[telephone]		telephone number
[telephone2]		second telephone
[telephone3]		third telephone
[fax]			fax number

Reservation's data:
[people_num]		number of people
[extra_beds_num]	number of extra beds from the costs
[people_num_tot]	number of people + extra beds
[price_tot]		complete price
[deposit]		deposit
[deposit_rest]		complete price - deposit
[starting_date]		starting date
[ending_date]		departure date
[rate_name]		rate name
[rate_price]		price without extra costs and discount
[discount]		discount
[comment]		comment
[apartment]		apartment number
[apartment_list]	list of apartments that can be assigned 
			separated by commas
[paid]			what has been paid until now
[all_extra_costs]	list with all the extra costs and their
			respective values
[sel_extra_cost_name]	name of the extra cost selected before 
			viewing the document
[sel_extra_cost_value]	value of the extra cost selected before
			viewing the document
[today]			today date
[price_tot_p],		as the previous ones without final _p  
[deposit_p],[paid_p],	but formatted with points or commas  
[deposit_rest_p],	between thousands and decimals
[rate_price_p],
[discount_p],
[all_extra_costs_p],
[sel_extra_cost_value_p]

[repetition_error]	when not empty the current reservation 
			is not added to the document
[error_message]		when not empty its contents are shown 
			instead of the document


INTERNET TEMPLATES
Templates can be created to be inserted in an internet site, for 
example to allow the visitors to check availability and to ask 
to reserve by email. You can access the creation of the 
templates from the "Configure and customize" button on the 'Main 
Menu' page. The template that is created can be moved to your 
own internet site (always with php support). From there it will 
have to be able to access the database with the data inserted 
at its creation.
Once created the template can be edited by hand to insert your 
own html. You can insert the html at the beginning and the end 
of the file, so you are able for example to enclose the 
availability form inside a table. Editing the file you can even 
change all the variables inserted at the moment of creation and 
also the phrases used in the form.
It is recommended not moving by hand and renaming the files, 
instead you can create them directly in their final position by 
setting the target directory in "configure and customize". This 
way the templates will be automatically updated at new year 
creation and on database upgrades.
The internet templates can be viewed in framed mode by adding 
?framed=1 to their URLs, this way a simplified version of the 
template, that can be customized with an external css file, will 
be shown. This mode can be used for example to start 
availability requests from a box (iframe) inside other pages of 
the website. If you also add &blank=1 to the URL the form will 
be opened in a new window.


USERS MANAGEMENT
Users management can be accessed from the "Configure and customize" 
page. New users can be used for giving direct access to agencies 
by the owner, or by an agency for giving the possibility to the 
owners to check availability and block periods.
You can limit the apartments that a user can use in two ways: by 
allowing him to insert reservations only in selected periods of 
assignment rule 1, or by allowing him to use only rates related 
to some apartments by the assignment rule 2 and not allowing 
him to insert or modify the assignment of the apartments.
If the administrator password gets lost you can delete the file 
abilita_login inside the dati directory, this way the login will 
be disabled and anybody will be able to access with 
administrator user privileges.


LICENSE 
See file COPYING.


AUTHOR
Marco M. F. De Santis
Email: marco@digitaldruid.net
