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Planning for Sahana activities @ FOSS.IN 2008

FOSS Workouts by Ajay Kumar

Main Objective:

  • To extend the current SMS/Messaging module and add features to enable public information access using SMS as a medium.
  • Add the feature of effectively managing KEYWORDS sent and User session from a particular cell phone.
  • Build a hierarchical SMS menu management feature and compare timestamps for session logging to DB.
  • Add Missing Person Registry [MPR] “People Search”
  • Add “View Latest CAP Alerts”

The proposed work for the work-out would involve implementing a modular, reusable hierarchical menu structure, written in PHP, that handles user-state based on Caller ID and SMS timestamps to calculate session expiry, and that works as a module to the Sahana core.

Agenda to achieve the objective:

Work to be done before the event:

  • Understand the key metrics for Missing Person Registry Search which can be input/accessed over an SMS. For e.g. Search by Last Name, First Name etc.
  • Locate the Sahana functions that perform the MPR search functions.
  • Figure out how to devise a generic SMS validation library to check for incoming SMS formats.
  • Understand the DB Structure and changes to be made to enable time based keyword/menu state logging based on Cell number.
  • Plan the end user SMS Menus and output messages to be sent in response to input.
  • E.g. User sends “SAHANA” to 56682
  • The main SMS Menu is sent to the user

“Welcome to Sahana Public SMS Information System
Choose the following menu options by sending they keyword:
1. Search Missing Person [SEARCH]
2. Check Latest Alerts/Updates [ALERTS]
3. HELP ”

  • We keep track of the cell number the keyword SAHANA was sent from and save the time.
  • The user responds with a SMS Keyword “SEARCH” or “1” for “Search Missing Person”
  • Sahana responds with the Second Level hierarchical menu for Missing Person Search.
  • “Welcome to Missing Person Search. Choose search criteria:

1. Search by First Name [FNAME]
2. Search by Last Name [LNAME]
3. Go back to Main menu [MAIN]
4. HELP

And so on, asking the parameters to be passed in in the subsequent messages.

Work to be done at the event:

  • We release Sahana code for SMS Public SMS information system to enable people to search for missing people and check recent alerts at the event.
  • After freezing on all the above mentioned plans we try to have the following deliverable at the event of before:
  1. Time based logging of Keywords maintaining session state.
  2. MPR Search working.
  3. Recent CAP Alerts displayed to users.
  • Based on the number of contributors interested we can add more features which are a part of the wishlist, to be planned. Based on interest and inputs from volunteers of course.

Pages and Codes to be familiar with:

Tools required:

  1. Sahana 0.6.2 installed from the CVS, Apache, mySQL, PHP follow install instructions here http://wiki.sahana.lk/doku.php?id=doc:nwhome
  2. SMSTools v3 installed and configured [actual hardware not needed though, emulating is possible mentioned in above wiki pages]
  3. CVS for checking out the latest code from the repo.
  4. Any favorite PHP editor/IDE of your choice.
  5. mySQL adminstration tool, for e.g. phpMyadmin.

Special Hardware/Software Requirements:

  1. For Windows you need cygwin to run SMSTools v3 details on the GSoC project page above.
  2. For actual testing, in case you have a GSM Modem or phone that supports AT Commands for both Sending and Receiving SMS connected to your PC. [optional]
  3. The speaker will bring in 2 phones for the same purpose which can be used during the session for real time testing.

Pre-requisites:


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