Resource Information and Control Corporation


Exhibitor Interface

Getting There: Accessing this application is done by double clicking on the Exhibitor Interface icon in the Exhibitor Work Orders main menu.



Purpose: Exhibitor Interface is used for two major purposes. 1 - To import names from third party sources and; 2 - for managing Exhibitor Work Order forms from user's Internet web sites.

HINT: You can position your mouse pointer over any of the icons below to see a brief text-only description on that application.

Import Name Data Event Setup Send Forms Receive Forms Interface Control Internet Analysis

Exhibitor Interface Modules Overview



Import Name Data is used to add names to the database from a third party source. You can also use this option to read electronic names from another application or other source, reformat them for ConCentRICs, and load them into the Exhibitor Work Orders database for a particular event.
Security Level: To access and use - Advanced.

Double clicking on the Import Name Data icon will bring up the Import Name Data dialog box.


This dialog box controls the entire import process.

The following is a break down of the dialog box:

  • The list box shows all of the import file formats defined to the system.
  • The Edit External File button is used to edit or view the import fomat.
  • The New External File button is used to add a new format.
  • The Event Search button is used to find an event by number or date.
  • The Input File Pathname: field is the name of the file that is going to be imported.
  • The Start with record: field indicates where to start in the file.
  • The Review each inport record before updating the database check box, if checked, will allow you to check all data to see if it has been coverted properly.
  • The List Specs. button will produce a report for the currently selected file definition.

    • Clicking on either the Edit External File button or the New External File button, will bring up the External File Definition dialog box.


    This dialog box controls all aspects of defining a file to use to import information to the Name and Address database from another application, or even another computer system.

    The following is a break down of the dialog box:

  • The File Description: field is the unique name for the file definition.
  • The Header Size: field is only used for input files.
  • The Include Headings check box, if checked, will add an appropriate header line as the first record in the file.
  • The Start Record field will be the symbol placed at the beginning of every record.
  • The Field Delimiter field will be the symbol used to indicate where one field ends and another starts.
  • The End Record field will be the symbol that is placed at the end of every record.
  • The Choose list box will contain all of the fields in the database that are available for transfer.
  • The Selected list box will show the fields that are used on the file definition, in the order they appear on the file.
  • The Move Up / Move Down buttons are used to change the position of the highlighted field.
  • The Upper/Lower case combo box will contain all possible case changes.
  • The Fixed Value: field is used to override a value on the import file with a specific value you enter.
  • The Input Line: field is only used if the import data is on multiple lines.
  • The Optional check box, if checked, will indicate that this input line may or may not exist in the various input records.
  • The Fixed Length: field is only required for fixed length files.
  • The List Specs. button will save the current file definition and produce a report for the definition.




    • Event Setup is used to control which events will be made available for Internet entry. The system can be set to select the events for posting automatically.
    Security Level: To view - Read Only. To change - Privileged. To delete - Manager.

    Double clicking on the Event Setup icon will bring up the Event Setup dialog box.


    This dialog box controls which events will be displayed for the report.

    The following is a break down of the dialog box:

  • You must enter a Start and End date for the report.
  • You can choose to sort by Event Id , Event Dates, or Event Name.






    • Click on the button and the Event Setup Report will appear on the screen.



    This report displays the events that fall within your specified date range.




    Double click on the event you want and the dialog box for that event will appear on the screen.


    The following is a break down of the dialog box:

  • The First Posting Date: field is the first date you want the event to appear on the Internet.
  • The Last Posting Date: field is the end date you want the event to appear on the Internet.
  • The Last Advance Date: field is the last date that the event will offer Advance Rates.
  • The Last Date for Credits: field controls when the form will reject negative numbers.
  • The Client's Logo: field if for entering the name of a file that contains an image of the logo that this client uses.
  • The First Exhibit Date: field is the first date day-by-day services will be requested.
  • The Exhibit Days: field is the number of days that the exhibits will be open.
  • The Rate Code: combo box will only be active if you have multiple rate codes in use.
  • The Effective Rate Date: combo box will only be active if you have multiple rate codes in use.
  • The Settlement Category: combo box will show each of the categories that have an equipment or service associated with it.
  • The Equipment/Service List list box will show each of the equipment and services that are defined in Exhibitor Work Orders.
  • The Re-post to Web site check box, if checked, will force the event to be re-posted.




    • Send Forms is used to generate the web pages that will be posted to the Internet and to transfer those pages to the web server. This option also allows you to control different aspects of the form generation and to set the style, colors and text to use.
    Security Level: To access and use - Privileged.

    Double clicking on the Send Forms icon will bring up the Send Forms dialog box.


    The following is a break down of the dialog box:

  • The HTML Page Prefix: field is what will used at the top of the Exhibitor Work Order HTML pages that are generated.
  • The HTML Page Suffix: field what will used at the bottom of the Exhibitor Work Order HTML pages that are generated.
  • The Ftp Web Server Address: field is the address of the server that hosts your web site that you want FTP to use.
  • The Web server Username: / Password: fields are the Username and Password that is used on your web server.
  • The URL to access CGI: field is the complete URL path that would be entered into an Internet browser to get to the specific directory where the executable (CGI) program resides on the server.
  • The URL to access Html: field is the complete URL path that would be entered into an Internet browser to get to the specific directory that the HTML forms and documents required for this operation will reside.
  • The Path from CGI to Html: field indicates the internal directory structure relationship of the GCI-Bin Directory to the HTML document directory.
  • The CGI-BIN Directory: field is the actual directory name on the server for the executable (CGI) programs.
  • The Internet Server File: field is the full path and filename for the resulting web server's link page.
  • The Link to use when done: field is the address of the page you want exhibitors to be returned to when they are done with the form or if they quit in the middle of making one.
  • The Optional Backup Directory: field is the directory name the system will write a copy of all orders to a backup file in a different directory on the web server.
  • The Labels, Format and Color button allows you to change the text, style and colors used by the generated pages.
  • The Start FTP Transfer checkbox, if checked, will automatically start the FTP transfer after the pages have been generated and will setup all the appropriate pages to be transferred.
  • The Force all pages to repost check box, if checked, will transfer every page and file that should be on the Internet.
  • When you click on the OK button, the forms will be generated.

    • Clicking on the Labels, Format and Color button will bring up the Labels, Format and Color dialog box.


    This dialog box controls the appearance of everything that is shown to the exhibitor on the Internet.

    The following is a break down of the dialog box:

  • The Title: field is the description or name for this feature, such as, Exhibitor Work Order Forms.
  • The Date Format: field is the date format that will be in the Event List when the exhibitor is asked to pick an event.
  • The Box with borders option will draw thick lines around the outside of the list and thin lines between each line and column.
  • The Striped Box option will show every other event line in a different color, giving the list a striped effect.
  • The Borders with stripes option will combine both of these features giving you striped event lines within the borders.
  • The Alternate Attributes optional combo box allows you to set your own font controls for various areas of the form.
  • The Stripe Colors: fields are for setting the color of the striped boxes.
  • The Event List Heading: fields are for entering text for column headings.
  • The Instructions: fields are for selecting colors that will be used for the Instructions and any notes on the form.
  • The Form Columns: fields are for setting the labels used for each column.




    • Receive Forms is used to retrieve the current order file that has accumulated on the web server. You can delete the web file after it is retrieved, start a new empty file on the server and process the collected file.
    Security Level: To view - Read Only. No maintenance is associated with this option, so no other security is required.

    Double clicking on the Receive Forms icon will bring up the Receive Forms dialog box.


    The following is a break down of the dialog box:

  • The Deposit Number: / Date: fields are for entering a deposit number, (Date defaults to today's date).
  • The Input File Pathname field is the name of the file that will be or was retrieved from the Internet that needs to be processed into the system.
  • The Retrieve button will start the FTP transfer and will automatically retrieve the current file from the Internet.
  • The Delete file after retrieved checkbox, if checked, will cause the file on the Internet to be deleted after it has been retrieved.
  • The Name Conversion Method: combo box is for choosing the upper/lower case settings for names.
  • The Additional Mail Addresses: field applies to confirming e-mail messages.
  • The Minimum Booth Size: field indicates how many characters should be in the booth number.
  • The Minimum Name Ranking: field indicates how incoming names will be matched with the names already in the Name and Address database.
  • The Start with record: field indicates where to start in the file.
  • The Send Confirming E-Mail checkbox, if checked, will generate an automatic message that will be sent to the exhibitor if an e-mail address was provided..
  • The Review each import record before updating the database checkbox, if checked, allows you to make sure the data looks reasonable and that is has been converted properly.
  • The Delete the file after processing has completed checkbox, if checked, will automatically delete the input file after it has successfully processed.
  • The See Pending Orders button will show you any orders on your web site that are ready to be processed.




    • Interface Control is used to set all parameters to operate Exhibitor Work Orders on the web.
    Security Level: To access and use - Manager.

    Double clicking on the Interface Control icon will bring up the Interface Control dialog box.


    The following is a break down of the dialog box:

  • The Days before in date to start posting: field is the default number of days that an event will be posted on the web prior to the start of the event.
  • The Days before in date to end posting: field is the default number of days that an event will be removed from the web prior to the start of the event.
  • The Days before in date to end credits: field is where you enter the number of days prior to the first show day that orders are started to be filled.
  • The Days before in date to end advance: field is the number of days that is usually set for the advance/floor rate changeover.
  • The Picture Height: / Picture Width: fields indicates the size, in pixels, that a picture will use on the order form.
  • The Section Links per Row: field indicates how many links will be put on one line.
  • The Facility Logo file name: field is the name of the file that contains an image of your facitlity's logo.
  • The Rate Code: combo box will only be active if you have multiple rate codes in use.
  • The Effective Rate Date: combo box will only be active if you have multiple rate codes in use.
  • The Output times in AM/PM format checkbox, if checked, will show confirmation times in an am/pm format.
  • The Offer links on Order Confirmation and Receipt checkbox, if checked, will provide links on the Order Confirmation, Order error and the Receipt pages.
  • The Separate Forms for Each Event checkbox, if checked, will provide each event with it's own unique form on the web site for the exhibitors to fill in.
  • The Setup not required to post events checkbox, if checked, will cause the system to automatically select the events that will be posted on the web site with no human intervention required.
  • The Last Date for web site testing: field is used to test this feature on your web site before releasing it to the public (highly recommended).
  • The Password: field is the password that will grant access to this feature.
  • The Nature of Event button allows you to select which types of events you would like to have posted to the web site.
  • The Item Restrictions button allows you to select any item(s) that you do not want posted to the web.
  • The Date and Time Items button will bring up a dialog box [not shown], where you can set up any items that you want to have in Date/Time mode.
  • The Payment Restrictions button will allow you to block any payment type you have from being valid for web forms from being posted to the web.
  • The Payment Authorization button will bring up a dialog box [not shown], which will allow you to set any special conditions that are required for automatic payment authorization.
  • The Item Pictures and Details button will bring up a dialog box [not shown], which will allow you to to enter unlimited details or a picture for each item on the order form.
  • The Notes on Form Sections button will bring up a dialog box [not shown], which will allow you to add or alter the text that is used in the page generation.




    • Internet Analysis is used to view the statistics that have been gathered on Exhibitor Work Order forms. When ConCentRICs processes the data entered on the Internet, it records the number of forms processed, the number of items processed and the total amount of the order. You can then produce a list of statistical information and generate a chart or graph from the report.
    Security Level: To view - Read Only.

    Double clicking on the Internet Analysis icon will bring up the Internet Analysis dialog box.


    You must enter a Start and End date to run the report on.

    The following is a break down of the dialog box:

  • The Analysis by Day option will show you daily statistics.
  • The Analysis by Week option will summarize daily figures into weekly summaries.
  • The Analysis by Month option will summarize daily figures into monthly summaries.
  • The Analysis by Event option will show the totals-to-date for each event.
  • The Report Title: field is the title that will be used when the report is displayed and printed.
  • The Show entries with zero values check box, if checked, will show all intervals of the analysis regardless of activity in the report period.

    • Click on the button and the Internet Analysis report will appear on the screen.











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    Last Modified: Saturday, January 02, 2010 at 12:00 AM.