Progressive invoice number without "holes"

Hi Nicolas. I've installed the 2.0 Business version (with no problems in Joomla 2.5.4) to test the invoice number function, but I don't know how this function works. The only thing I see about this is a new variable in System-Config-Main named 'Invoice Number Format' but I don't know where is this var applied to the orders, and its format. Is the format configurable the same way as the order number format? Do you have a 'little user manual' about how may we apply the function to an order to 'convert' it to an invoice? Is there an 'invoice section'? Can you give a short explain about how this new function works?

Sorry for so many questions

Thanks.

Hi Nicolas. I'm testing this feature because it's very important for me here in Spain.

I've seen that if I create several orders and I if confirm one of them (the last), the invoice number is set to the next of the last confirmed invoice, which is ok, but the invoices need an invoice date too to be set in the same moment wich the order is confirmed (invoice number created), because legally (in Spain) I can't have an invoice today with number 15 and yesterday an invoice with number 16. This can happen in hikashop because I can confirm an order today with today date (number 15) and confirm tomorrow an order with yesterday date (number 16), and this is not legal in Spain.

Am I doing something wrong or this is the way that the invoice numbering system is working today?

Also I have active the attach invoice plugin, and I don't know if I must reinstall it (newer version) to have the invoice number in the invoices (I've downloaded and installed the last version), because though I have an invoice number in my orders, the number that appears in my invoices is the order number and not the invoice number.

Is this number an autoincrement value in an 'invoice number table'? How can I reset this id? Can I edit/modify an invoice number? Can I create an 'invoices report'? Would be possible that the invoice number appears like a column in the main orders section (back end)?

Sorry for the insistence, but this questions are very important for me.

Thanks.

lanzanet wrote: ... because legally (in Spain) I can't have an invoice today with number 15 and yesterday an invoice with number 16. This can happen in hikashop because I can confirm an order today with today date (number 15) and confirm tomorrow an order with yesterday date (number 16), and this is not legal in Spain.

Hi Nicolas.

I downloaded the attach invoice plugin and installed again and now the invoice number is ok.

I replaced the line in helper.php, but the invoice was still showing the created date, so I modified the file invoice.php of the attach invoice plugin too and now is showing ok the modified date (this modification must be done in the current version of the plugin to show the modified date, otherwise it shows the created date). I suppose that modifying the line in helper.php will be ok if you don't have installed the attach plugin.

My procedure is Creation->Confirm->Ship, so if I confirm an order today the invoice date is Nov-06, but if I ship it tomorrow then the modified date (invoice date too) is Nov-07 and then I lose my invoice date. Is there any way to preserve the confirm date (invoice date)? Can the attach plugin send the attached invoice only when I change the order state to shipped (last 'theorical' state)? Or a new field to store the modified date ONLY THE FIRST TIME when the state is changed to Confirmed, so I can resend the invoice to the customer some days/months later with the original invoice date. (maybe an idea for next version of this feature)

Well, sorry, I wanted to say an 'invoices listing' (separately from 'orders listing' or simply a filter to see which orders are invoiced). I don't want to replace the 'order number' column, but I want to have (if possible) the info column of 'invoice number', so I can see very easily the orders which have been invoiced (which have an invoice number).

Thanks again.

nicolas wrote: The invoice number is an auto increment for now. You can't reset it for now nor modify it.

Hi,

OK, I didn't thought filtering orders by state, but filtering by 'Confirmed' can solve me the problem.

I've added a column to display the invoice number next to the order number following the steps you gave me to modify the listing view and all is ok.

I've created a custom field named 'invoice_date' in the table 'orders' that appears in my back end, and now I have only one question: Can I add some code to the attach invoice plugin to set this field? I've thought that the plugin could set this field with the current date, ONLY if the field is empty, so I can change the state to created->confirmed later to resend the invoice to my client and don't lose the invoice date. if it's possible, Can you give me this code, please? If this could be possible I think that the invoice number procedure will be finally solved for me and legal in Spain.

Or maybe easier doing the same procedure (setting the field value) at the same time that the order is changed to 'Confirmed', and then this option is valid also if you don't have the attach plugin installed. Maybe a few lines of code.

Thanks for your help.

PD: Regarding to reset the invoice number, Is the auto field in a table that is used only for this purpose? If so, Can we truncate this table manually to get the number '1' each beginnig of a new year? Thanks.

Hi Nicolas, thanks for answering.

While waiting for your answer, I modified some parts of code and now I have a 'complete invoice number system' that is working for me. If you have no problem I could post here my steps (pdf in spanish, but I could translate it, if needed), so you could only review them (and give your OK) to see if there's something wrong, but now it's working for me.

Maybe could be useful and help other users (Spain, Italy, etc.) with same needs and/or for next versions of this invoice system.

I wait for your answer.

Thanks.

Hi Nicolas.

Please, can you review my steps and give me your ok? I want to be sure that what I've done is going to work with no problem.

I can attach a PDF.

Thanks.

Jerome wrote: We talk with Nicolas two days ago about this feature of invoice reset.
We made a design and the feature is in our TODO list for the next release of HikaShop.

Hi !

Is this function you talk about here avaliable in the Hikashop 1.6 version from september 2012 ?

If you want that the invoice numbers get incremented only for confirmed orders, you will have to wait. We're working on that but it won't be available in HikaShop before September.

Where do I enable this feature ?

I tried to locate it but can't fint it.
I use the starter version.

Ok i understand. But I use hikashop 1.6 starter.

do I have this function here ?