LoMag for Android working online with SQL database using WiFi (or 3G / 4G)

Our application for Android "LoMag MSSQL Warehouse Program" allows you to convert almost any phone or tablet (with android) into a professional barcode scanner. The data is saved and read in real time envirnment to the LoMag database. With the Android system for online work based on the application, we can also use professional data collectors.

1. Requirements and Installation of the Application

The minimum requirements include phone, tablet or collector with android system version 4.1 or advanced. To efficiently read bar codes, it is recommended to use the device that must have a camera in Full HD (1920 x 1080) with the Autofocus function or a built-in barcode reader. In the case of dark rooms, it is recommended to light the bar codes by the flash.

The application is downloaded using the Google Play platform. To download the product, click or run the "Play Store" on your phone. In order to download the application you must have a free Google Play account and run the "Play Store" on your phone:

After approval, we select "LoMag Warehouse online + MSSQL" from the list and press the INSTALL, ACCEPT and OPEN button:

2. Configure the Connection of the Android Application to the LoMag Database

The LoMag database uses Microsoft SQL Server 2005 or newer libraries. In order to establish the connection between Android device and the database, these libraries must be installed and configured accordingly. The easiest way to do this; is to use Windows for LoMag. The program installer automatically installs and configures Microsoft SQL Server libraries on your computer. If we already have LoMag for Windows, then run 'Settings', move towards the network tab and select the third option. The computer acts as an "Authentication SQL Server". Please note the server name from this window:

If it was a standard LoMag installation along with SQL libraries, you do not need to change the login and password and other parameters. The LoMag program will automatically make the database available on the network, open the firewall port 1433 and confirm the completion of the configuration as below:

If at this point the program displays a message that the settings can not be changed, you must reinstall the SQL libraries or manually configure the SQL server to make the LoMag database available to the network. In case of problems, please contact us at service@longint.pl

After configuring the access to the database, we can run the application on Android and enter the name of the server that we noted earlier:

It is worth to mark the "save settings" and do not enter the server name again in the future. In addition, connect the device to the WiFi network. Press the "Connect" button:

After a few seconds, the login window should appear in front of user screen, only if the administrator has given some access, otherwise LoMag window will be opened.

If at this point the program displays the message that there is no possibility to connect to the database or logging in takes more than a minute, check the following:

• It happens that anti-virus programs block access to the server. Please turn off the firewall and antivirus program for a moment and try again.
• Press the search button next to the server name and check if the application finds the server behind the SQL database
• Try to use the server's IP address instead of the name.

2.1. Checking the server's IP address

In the console window, enter the ipconfig command and press enter. The IP address assigned to the corresponding network card will be displayed. If we have several cards and have been configured correctly to connect with the network, then the ipconfig command will display all currently available IP addresses.

2.1.2 Checking the IP address in the network and Internet settings

To display the settings window, right-click on the taskbar in the Internet connection icon (Wi-Fi) and select the Open network and Internet settings option.

The above operation will display a new window of settings in which the option to 'view network properties' should be selected.

In the network properties, find a connection named Wi-Fi and then read the value for the IPv4 address parameter in order to know the IP address of our computer in the network.

2.1.3 Connecting to the server using the IP address

Knowing the IP address of our server, enter it manually in the field Server name, the second option is to search for all available IP addresses in our network, and then select it from the list - you can do this by clicking on the search icon.
NOTE! We can configure internet networks in various ways. Sometimes it happens that after restarting the computer it will get a different IP address than it had previously. In the event of a connection error, check the current server address as shown in the instructions above.

2.2 Configuring the Firewall

By default, Windows has the enabled firewall function. The task of this software is to filter outgoing and incoming data to a computer via a network or the Internet. It may happen that the program will block connections for the device with the android application. The following step shows you to configure system firewalls for Windows 10 and 7.

2.2.1 Configuring the Firewall in Windows 10

There are several ways to run firewall settings in Windows 10, this manual will present the easiest method, in which you should use the search engine for Windows, located in the menu bar, and then enter the phrase 'firewall' in the search option.

Windows should return the results in which the first item will be an application called "firewall and network protection" - clicking this application will open a new window with the possibility to configure the security system for Windows 10.

Find the advanced settings item and start it.

With the standard installation of LoMag software, the Windows 10 firewall usually does not create rules so that the SQL database can accept external connections. For this purpose, in the Windows Defender settings for 'inboound rules', set a new one as shown below;

In the new rules wizard, select the program option and then press the next button.

The default installation of LoMag and its SQL database allows you to enter values ??in the path of the program '%ProgramFiles% (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.SQLEXPRESS\MSSQL\Binn\sqlservr.exe' - if you installed the SQL database in a different location, you must use the browse button and find the appropriate application on your computer's hard drive. To go to the next step, click Next.

In order for applications from the android system to be able to connect to the computer, you must allow the connection by selecting the first option in the next window and confirm the decision with the Next button.

In the next window, select all applications for the rule (set by default) and go to the next configuration step by clicking next. The last step is to enter the name and possible description. By clicking the save button, our filter will be added to the incoming rules for the Windows 10 firewall.

In this way, the position configured by us for the program with the specified location path has been added to the list of incoming rules

In the same way, add a second rule for the program with the path % ProgramFiles% (x86) \ Microsoft SQL Server \ 90 \ Shared \ sqlbrowser.exe by setting only another final rule name. Adding these two rules will enable the LoMag application for the android system to connect to the server with the still active firewall for other malicious software.

2.2.2 Configuring the Firewall in Windows 7

In the Windows 7 operating system, there are two methods for adding a rule so that the program can connect through the firewall. The first simplified way is to go to the control panel by clicking in the lower left corner of the start menu screen and selecting the Control Panel option. A new window will appear, in which you should click on the word System and security.

In the next window, use the 'Allow programmers to access via Windows Firewall' button.

Find the program you are interested in on the list and select the option of connecting to the selection field by passing the firewall for the selected network. If the program does not exist on the list - you can add it by clicking the appropriate button, which will open another window with a list of available programs. You can also enter its exact path on your computer's hard drive by using the browse button.

You can open the same window to add a new connection more quickly. By clicking on the start menu, then in the search field enter the firewall and click on the option 'Allow the program to access through the Windows firewall'.

The second way to add a rule to the firewall in Windows 7 is to click on the Windows Firewall option in the system and security window.

The current firewall status and connection properties with the current network will be displayed. We can enable or disable the firewall by clicking the appropriate button on the left. To go to the advanced firewall settings, select the last option on the left side of the menu.

Performing the above operation will allow a user to start a window from the firewall configuration instructions for Windows 10. Check whether the settings for the rule are correct or in the absence of it, add it in the same way as in Windows 10.

3. Description of available functions in the Android Application

After connecting the program with the database, enter the login and password defined in the LoMag for Windows program in the Users / User list menu. If users have not been defined press [OK]

In the next step, we choose the warehouse in which we will work. If we have only one warehouse, the following warehouse selection window will not be visible.

The following is a view of the main application menu of the Android application after logging and selecting the stock level option. Some options may not be available in the menu if a given user does not have defined rights to a given function:

3.1 Menu and Stock level Finding

In this window you can search for goods by barcode or fragment of the name as shown below. By clicking on the code icon, we can scan the product code to find the product precisely.

In order to add a new product to the warehouse, use the 'Add stock item' button to display the window as shown below.

All mandatory parameters for the new product should be filled, additionally we can manually or automatically (by clicking on the scan code icon) add the product code and clicking on the camera icon, which launch the camera in the phone to take a photo for the product. After filling in all the data, clicking on the save icon, which will add the product.

In order to edit existing goods in the warehouse, we click on the 'Edit' icon, which will display the editing window in which we will be able to correct the wrong data for the selected product. To delete goods, click on the delete button.

After choosing the option to remove the item, the LoMag application for Android will show the window presented below. In which you should mark the boxes for the goods that we want to remove from the warehouse, and then in the bottom right corner click on the remove icon. In order to withdraw from the selected option - you can always go back to the previous window using the back arrow in the upper part of the window.

ATTENTION! All actions performed in the LoMag application are constantly updated in the database on the computer and vice versa - this is due to the fact that the programs connect to the same database. This means that if, for example, we remove a product from the magazine on the phone - it will no longer be visible in the LoMag warehouse program on the computer.

4. GRN and GIN documents

In order to issue a GIN or GRN document, you must click on the documnet icon in the application menu of LoMag. The description of issuing documents has been presented by considering the example of GRN, the GIN document is issued in the same way as in the example below.

To add a product to the document, first select the customer by entering its initial name and selecting it from the drop-down list shown. If you want to add a new client, click on the 'Add' icon LoMag.

The above action resulted in displaying a new window in the LoMag application in which you must define data for the new customer. After entering all mandatory data, save the settings by clicking the save button.

The next step is entering the document number (it can be left unchanged - it will be given the next number according to the numbering template set in the LoMag software). The application user also has the option of entering comments for documents. By clicking the add icon, a window will open, in which you can add goods to the document.

There are two ways to add an item to a document. The first is to select the item by entering its initial name in the "Item Name" field, the second to enter the bar code - you can do it manually or scan the item code by clicking the icon. Both fields depend on each other, which means that filling one will fill the other. Enter the quantity of the received goods, price or value (the fields will be automatically calculated after entering at least one value). The current status field informs us how much goods we have in the current warehouse before accepting the document. Additional options are enter the expiration date for the item (to disable this option, uncheck the box), enter the serial number manually or via a scanner, and place comments for the item.
In order to add another item to the document, click on the 'add' icon, which will display the same window that is currently open - in order to configure the addition of another item to the document. Once the document is ready and we want to save it, use the 'save' icon.

In the same way, we can generate GIN documents.

5. Review and Editing of Existing documents in the Database

When verifying our newly saved document in the fourth point of this manual, click on the 'document' icon in the main menu of the LoMag application on android. This will display all available documents in the LoMag application.

The application allows you to find the right document by scrolling the list using your finger on an Android device, or by entering its number in the search field. To edit a document, use the edit button.

In the edit window we have only the option of browsing the goods on the document and removing them. To delete a product from the document, click on the delete button.

In the case when the user of the LoMag application forgot to add a product to the document - it should be used in the document list by clicking the 'add' icon. This will open a window familiar to us from point 4 of this manual - in which it is possible to add missing items.

6. Inventory

To create a new inventory document, in the main application menu, click on the icon LoMag- a new window will be displayed in which you must enter the document number. In order to place the goods on the document, we use the add button.

The next step is to add the goods to the document. For this purpose, in the manner known to us from this manual, enter its name or bar code. In the Quantity field, we should provide the current inventory, which will cause the applications to recalculate the price fields and the values ??that are non-editable. In order to add more goods, the user should click on the add icon in the LoMag. Click on the 'save' button, a new window will be appeared in front of user screen.

Using the first option which is "Show goods that are not in inventory" will display a list of goods that are not currently included in the document, using the plus button will open a window with the possibility to add it with the filled name and barcode for the selected product.

Using the second option, which is "Add missing goods with their current status", all items omitted by us will be added to the document along with their current stock. To generate a document, it remains the user of the LoMag application only by clicking on the save icon.

Choosing the third option, ie "Add missing goods with zero status", will add to the document all the goods we have on the current warehouse with the state 0. Differences between states are highlighted in green. On the document below you can see in the summary that the old value of current states in the warehouse is 1405.00 and in the document that we want to generate will be 1.00, the same applies to the summary of the value of goods.

By saving the inventory document, you can view it and edit it in the documents section. You can find it by sliding your finger on the Android display, or by using the search engine by entering its name or fragment. To view the document, click on the edit icon. You can delete or add items to the document by using the add and delete icons, respectively.

7. Transfers between Warehouse and Warehouse Change

In order to transfer the item from the currently opened warehouse to another, the owner of the LoMag application must use the 'Interbranch transfer' icon in the main menu. The implementation of the above guidelines will open a window in which, as a standard, we must complete the basic data, including the document number. The most important step is choosing the warehouse to which we want to move the goods that we can specify using the add products button. In the example below, we chose an archive magazine that is supposed to hit 1kg of lemon.
In the window of adding goods a preview of deliveries for a given product is displayed. In order to add another item which is to be moved to another warehouse, use the add button, after entering all the goods that are to be transferred to the archives, click on the save.

If the item is moved to a warehouse where it does not exist, a message will be displayed if we want to copy its file from the current warehouse. Use the yes button.

7.1 Changing the Warehouse in the LoMag Application

To change the currently open warehouse, in the main menu, click the back arrow icon in the upper left window of the application. Performing the above action will cause the LoMag application user to be withdrawn to the possibility of selecting another warehouse. In our example, the productS was moved to the archives and displayed below.

After selecting the warehouse to which the product was moved, you can check the results of the operation. In order to check the correctness of the carried out transfer between the warehouse, in the main menu, click on the 'search' icon, which will result in displaying a new window in which you can see that the product has been correctly transferred to this warehouse.

8. Application Settings

Using the setting icon in the LoMag application, the LoMag user on the Android operating system can go to the application settings.

The first option on the list is the ability to enable / disable price support on documents. To do this, select or deselect the check box. Another option on the list is to enable / disable the possibility of manually entering bar codes for goods - if this option is disabled this will only be possible through a code scanner. In the previous parts of the manual, there were presented the possibility of adding goods to documents with the price function enabled, therefore the following screen shot shows the document editing view for the above-described option.

Parameter select the type of codes to be scanned, allows us to select the types of codes to be handled by the application by using the scanner.

By clicking on the item number in the settings window, the application user can set the default value that will be displayed in the release documents. The screenshot below shows the display of choosing the current status (all goods that we have in stock in the current warehouse are placed on the document).

9. Enable / Disable the function of Batch Numbers and Expiration Dates

To enable / disable serial number options and expiration dates for a product, go to the settings window in the LoMag software using the computer platform in the main tab named documents select or deselect the option to use this function.

In order to view the changes in option to be noticeable for users of the LoMag application in the Android app, it is necessary to connect to the database again, otherwise the user will always use the old settings. To do this, you can close the application using the power button in the upper right corner, and then restart the application on your phone. Or retreat to the main settings window by clicking the back arrow button several times.

The effects of enabled or disabled option for handling batch numbers and expiration dates are shown in the screenshot below.

10. Warehouse Locations

The commissioning and configuration of storage locations are described in the previous manual. The following section will only show you to use this function in an Android application. If you have made changes to the software on your computer while using the application, you must re-log in to make them visible. When you issue an admission document, you can see a new field called Storage location. You can manually enter an existing location, or define a new one using the plus icon.

By clicking on the Save button, the new location will be automatically added to the SQL database of the LoMaG software with which we are connecting and supplementing the storage location with the new value.

11. Support for Serial Numbers in the LoMag Application for Android

To start servicing serial numbers, display the LoMag settings window by clicking on the settings icon. The next step is to switch tO the items tab, in which you have to select the option "Serial number support" and selecting from the drop-down menu one of two options of uniqueness Global or For commodity. The following instruction is presented for the Android system - in order to read the general instructions for serial numbers, please use the previous instructions.

The LoMag application for Android supports the function of serial numbers on an 'always or never' basis - this means that the operation on old goods (eg downloaded from a computer database or added without the N / S support function enabled) will not work, and goods that we added on the Android system with serial number support enabled - will work properly.
When issuing an acceptance document for a goods warehouse that existed prior to the serial numbers function activation - it will not cause any changes in the view and the way of entering the goods. The situation is different when the N / S function is on and we add the item to the file for the first time. Changes in the functioning of the application will be seen when we want to issue an acceptance document for exactly the same product - for example, we added a 'orange' product to the warehouse. When you try to save the item on the document or attempt to go to the next one, a window will be displayed in which you must enter the number of serial numbers we have declared in the document.

To enter N / S, enter its value manually in the text field or use the code scanner on the scanner icon. Then the add button will be activated - pressing it will enter the number into the list below this button. The save button is not active until the user has entered the required number of serial numbers. The cancel icon is used to go back to the previous window - adding item to the document. We can also skip entering serial numbers using the last option on the list.

12. Change of Warehouses and Permissions for the User of the Application

To change the user permissions of the LoMag application to use selected warehouses, in the program on the computer, go to the Users module and select the same option from the drop-down list. A edit window will appear in which clicking the icon opens the possibility to modify user parameters. To change its access to warehouses, select or deselect the selected item, and then save the settings with OK. In the example below, we change the user's access to only have two warehouses.

Now open the android application, a login window will be shown:

In order for the changes to be visible in the Android app, you must log in again. To do this, use the back arrow, or restart the application, and enter the login data of the user for whom the changes were previously made. After logging in, you will notice that a given user has access to only two magazines.

12.1 Changing the Permissions for the Selected Role

In order to change the permissions for the selected role, use the Users module on the computer and select Roles from the drop-down list. The next step in the newly displayed window is to select the name of the role to be modified on the left. In the previous section of this manual we used the account with the client log, which has the role of a warehouse keeper, therefore we mark this position again. On the right side of the window, you should select or deselect specific permissions that the role should have. In the example below, we completely removed the rights to modules for goods, reports and accounts. Click the OK button to approve the changes.

As in the case of changing access to storage, you must log in again to see changes in the application. After selecting the warehouse, you can see that the main menu of the application has been significantly reduced.