Declare hardware

You have to declare some hardware scanners in Odoo.

Go to "Warehouse > Configuration > Scanner Hardware" and create a new record.

The "step type code" sent by the "sentinel.py" client at start-up is the IP address of the hardware, if connected through SSH.

If needed enable Login/Logout

The module come with 2 predifined scenarii for Login and Logout. The functionality is disabled by default and the user to use in Odoo must be specified in the .oerp_sentinelrc file used by sentinel and can be overriden on the Scanner Hardware definition in Odoo.

If the Login/logout functionality is enabled, when a user start a session with sentinel, only the Login scenario is displayed on the screen. The scenario will prompt the user for its login and pwd. If the authentication succeed, each interaction with Odoo will be done using the uid of the connected user. Once connected, a Logout scenario is displayed in the list of available scenarii and the Login scenario no more appear.

The Login/logout functionality enable you to specify on the scenario a list of users and/or a list of groups with access to the scenario.

To enable the Login/logout functionality:

• Go to "Settings > Warehouse" and check the checkbox Login/logout scenarii enabled.
• Create a Technical User 'sentinel' without roles in Human Resources and with 'Sentinel: technical users' checked.
• Use this user to launch your sentinel session.

Be careful, the role Sentinel: technical users is a technical role and should only be used by sentinel.

The timeout of sessions is managed by a dedicated cron that reset the inactive sessions. The timeout can be configured on settings. "Settings > Warehouse"

Autoconfiguration feature

The sentinel.py client has an autoconfiguration feature, used to automatically recognize the hardware being connected. During initialization, the sentinel.py client tries to detect an SSH connection, and sends the terminal's IP address as terminal code. If the IP address is found on the code field on a configured hardware in the database, this hardware configuration will automatically be used. If the IP address is not found, the client will ask the user to type (or scan) a code.

This can be used only if the Odoo server and the connected hardware are on the same network.

Creation

The preferred way to start the creation of a scenario is to create steps and transitions in diagram view.

Once your steps are created, you can write python code directly from Odoo, or you can export the scenario to write the python code with your preferred code editor.

In the python code of each step, some variables are available :

• cr : Cursor to the database
• uid : ID of the user executing the step (user used to log in with the sentinel, or user configured on the hardware, if any)
• pool : Pooler to the database
• env : Environment used to execute the scenario (new API)
• model : Pooler on the model configured on the scenario
• custom : Pooler on the custom values model
• term : Recordset on the current scenario
• context : Context used on the step
• m or message : Last message sent by the hardware
• t or terminal : Browse record on the hardware executing the step
• tracer : Value of the tracer of the used transition to access this step
• wkf or workflow : Workflow service
• scenario : Recordset on the current scenario for the hardware
• _ : The translation function provided by Odoo (useable like in any other python file)

Some of these variables are also available on transition conditions execution.

As stated previously, the step must always return:

• A step type code, in the act variable
• A message to display on the hardware screen, in the res variable
• Optionally, a default value, in the val variable

Step types

The step types are mostly managed by the client.

The standard step types are :

• M : Simple message
• F : Final step, like M, but ends the scenario
• T : Text input
• N : Number input (integer)
• Q : Quantity input (float)
• L : List
• E : Error message, like M, but displayed with different colors
• C : Confirm input
• A : Automatic step. This type is used to automatically execute the next step

Import

Scenarios are automatically imported on a module update, like any other data. You just have to add the path to your Scenario_Name.scenario files in the data or demo sections in the __openerp__.py file.

Export

The export script is in the script directory of the module

A scenario is exported as a set of files, containing :

• Scenario_Name.scenario : Global description of the scenario (name, warehouses, steps, transitions, etc.)
• A .py file per step : The name of the file is the XML ID of the step

Using a test file

When developing scenarios, you will often have the same steps to run. The sentinel.py client allows you to supply a file, which contains the keys pressed during the scenario.

You can define the file to use in the configuration file, on the "test_file" key. This file will be read instead of calling the curses methods when the scenario is waiting for a user input (including line feed characters). When the file has been fully read, the client exits.

A sample test file can be found in the "Step Types" demo scenario.

Special keys : For special keys (arrows, delete, etc.), you must write a line containing ':', followed by the curses key code.

Valid key codes are :

• KEY_DOWN : Down arrow
• KEY_UP : Up arrow
• KEY_LEFT : Left arrow
• KEY_RIGHT : Right arrow
• KEY_BACKSPACE : Backspace
• KEY_DC : Delete