New software idea..

Cableguy

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Being alone at home, after a morning of shopping...for the last time with my wife....(Yeah, I'm getting divorced....So what....life must go on....)
One of my long lost app ideas arouse from the dead...
I will be having a "bit" more free time, especially at night, so, why not make something with it...?

I once started working on a shopping list app, for the device, but due to some time and familiar constrains...:)confused:), i ended up giving it up...
My access to a desktop computer with Internet will be somewhat limited, so I decided to satrt this thread...

How should your "dream shopping list" aplication be and work?
How would you present it grafically...?

Any, and Every suggestion will be welcomed...


Thanks...
 

Mr_Gee

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just came back myself from shopping, and when I sat
down i thought $%%^^ I should have bought this, I should have wrote this down...

I would like to see an application that can show the items you need this time, but also the stuff that you might need (separate tab or something)
You know when you are at a friends house and you say "this tastes very good, what is it?" that you can write it down somewhere, just so you have it

would be nice to have

btw. good luck with the divorce...
 

bdiscount

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iT SHOULD HAVE A db of all items alpha and by catalog ie cleaning prods, paper goods, vegs, meat, elctronics etc
 

Cableguy

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just came back myself from shopping, and when I sat
down i thought $%%^^ I should have bought this, I should have wrote this down...

I would like to see an application that can show the items you need this time, but also the stuff that you might need (separate tab or something)
You know when you are at a friends house and you say "this tastes very good, what is it?" that you can write it down somewhere, just so you have it
would be nice to have

...

Nice Idea... I think I'll add a suggestions tab...

iT SHOULD HAVE A db of all items alpha and by catalog ie cleaning prods, paper goods, vegs, meat, elctronics etc

I was already planning on using an sql database...
But i must inquire...
A pre-made DB or give the user the option of creating one from scratch..?
 

Mr_Gee

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A pre-made DB or give the user the option of creating one from scratch..?
how about an build in ftp/http tool that can download/upload
the DB to a specific place, that way you can use multiple devices
maybe even a desktop version
 

Cableguy

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My concrete plans are to include/create a "desktop companion" were the user could create and edit the shopping list...
The device wiould also have this funtionality, but it would be a bit more complex to manage and create/edit new DATABASEs...
So I would end up with a "Shopping manager" in the device, wich the user would effectivelly take shopping, and a "List manager" in the desktop, were the user would generate one-off lists, and manage the "current-use" lists...
Still allowing the user to create a db from scratch seems a "shot to the foot"...
I'm thinking of providing a "Custom items" db, wich the user can then choose from and "create" his custom shopping lists...
 

LineCutter

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If you're going for the "special" factor that a computer / PPC brings then I'd suggest
  • Recurrent items, with specified intervals for auto adding to the list.
  • The option to defer an item to the next list (if your auto add is premature or the item is out of stock on the day you shop)
  • Favourites, on a quick list (user manageable) for easy addition
  • Maybe a context option to allow filtering -> hardware shopping & food shopping might be needed for the same trip to town, but not in the same shop
  • Non-specific items. e.g. picnic lunch - you'll know what you want when you see what's in the shop
  • Recipes: click the meal & add all the items to cook it to the list
There are probably more, but I'd better leave some for someone else ;)
 

dennishea

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Some how the ability to choose the cheapest store for the item listed. I use 3 or 4 stores to grocery shop at. Might want to include coupons also.

Denny :)
 

Scubaticus

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A few years ago, I ran across a site on the Internet where you could see who phoned in, rang the doorbell etc.

There was a nice feature. Every piece he bought in the Mall was scanned at home and when he throw the empty product away he scanned it again. So he knew exactly what was in his fridge.

After some time you can even tell how long a product stays in the fridge so you could get a notice something is going to be replaced soon.

It would also be nice if you could attach a small thumbnail to a product.

When you finish your program, don't forget to put "a new wife" in your shopping list. Keep in mind that 50% of the marriages ends up in a divorce. That's why I live together with my partner and didn't marry her ;)

Good luck and I hope the next one will have more understanding for your time consuming hobbies. When you've got it behind you first enjoy your new freedom!
 

Cableguy

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Thank you all for your sugestions...

Here are the main features I will try to include in the program...

B4X:
DeskTop App:

Create custom simpler DB from a complete(?) item DB...
Create a Store DB...this will require more user input...
Add the possability to have icon related to the items...
"Export" the BD to the device app


Device App

Create custom shopping list based on the custom DB...
Enable e-mailing of the generated list to another PDA...Example your wife...if you have one, e-mails you the list, containing both Items and stores from were to buy...

This is a very basic features list...but with time may grow..
I have left cupons out in purpose has I have still to figure out how to implement that...

I will start working on this one in a few days or weeks depending of my..."Home" status...
Has all my other projects, this will evolve in a very slow way, as I will no longe have access to internet at "Home".
Again, thaks for the features sugestions and all other "chin-raise" comments...
You guys rock!!!
 

Scubaticus

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Oh I just forgot a very very important feature.
Don't forget to add GPS for those who never visited the mall before ...
 

JesseW

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A shopping list program I wrote a LONG, LONG time ago incorporated pricing. Realizing that pricing does change from time to time, I still included it to give the wife an idea of what to expect the total to be at the checkout.

Another neat feature might be some kind of coupon manager that you could integrate into the above feature to incorporate the savings into the total to expect at the checkout.

Another might be savings tracking, with sales and/or coupons, so your wife could say, "Guess how much money I saved you this month!?!" (that question always made me nervous, maybe we should leave it out :) -just kidding)
 
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