Interview with Professional Odoo Developer

I nt er v i ew WI THADEDI CATED ODOODEVELOPER

Nowaday sonl i neshoppi ngi sv er ypopul ar .Thenumberofsuchwebsi t esi s i ncr edi bl e.So,wear egoi ngt ot al kaboutonepar t i cul arERPsy st em,OdooERP .

Wehav epr epar edsomequest i onsf orourOdoodev el operAnar .

Hewor k sont he pr oj ectr el ev antt osof t war ei mpl ement at i onoft het opopensour cet echnol ogi es and bui l di ng cust om sol ut i onsf orbusi nesses.Thepr oj ectconsi st soft hr ee di v i si ons:GI S,busi ness managementand ser v ermanagementand act i v el y dev el opsbasedonopensour cet echnol ogi esi ncl udi ngMapFi sh,OpenLay er s, Odoo, UDi g, QGI S, Post Gi s, GeoEx t , Tal endSDI , MapSer v er , GeoSer v er , andot her s.

Fi r stofal l , whydi dy oudeci det ol ear nOdoo, i t ’ snotacommont echnol ogy?

Bef or eOdooIhadagr eatex per i encewi t hsev er al di f f er entERPsy st ems, st ar t i ng wi t h1C:Account i ngi n2004.Af t ert hat ,Ihav ebeenusi ngv ar i ousmor eser i ous ERPsy st emsl i k eOr acl e’ sEBusi nessSui t eandMi cr osof tDy nami csNAVwi t h Sapt ha.

I al sohadsomet ouchi ngex per i encewi t hSAP , i t ’ sgr eatandi t ’ soneoft he mosthi ghcostandhi ghl ev el ERPsy st ems.

Bef or eOdoo, myl astex per i encewas ANAR

I BM Max i moandIcansayt hatt heyar esi mi l arwi t hOdoo, butt hedi f f er encei s t hatt hei nt er nal busi nessl ogi c( back end)i swr i t t enusi ngJav a( I BM Max i mo)and Py t hon( Odoo) .

Thet hi ngi s, t hatMax i moi scommer ci al andhi ghl yex pensi v eERP sy st em andt hecompany ,wher eIwasempl oy edbackt hen,hadsomefinanci al pr obl ems, sot heyask edmet ofindanopensour ceal t er nat i v e.Thi si show Igot t omeetOpenERPi n2013and1y earl at eri twasr enamedt oOdoo.

Att hatpoi nt , Odoo was di v i ded i nt ot wo br anches:f r ee communi t y and cl osed sour ce ( commer ci al , pai d) .

Any way , dev el opmentwi t hPy t honi sv er ycomf or t abl eandev enf ast ert hanwi t h Jav a.Af t eral l , Iwasi mpr essedbyPy t honandOdooand, asar esul t , Ist ar t edt o l ookf oraj obasanOdoodev el oper .

Att hatmomentImov edt oKy i vandnowI ’ m wor k i ngasanOdoodev el operandhadmanyi nt er est i ngpr oj ect s.

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Whatski l l sshoul dagr eatOdoodevel operhave?

Fi r stofal l ,y oucanbeanex cel l entcoder ,k now sev er alt echnol ogi esi ncl udi ng Py t hon,butOdoo i s an open ERP sy st em,so y ou woul d need t o hav e an ex per i encei nbusi nessl ogi cmodel s, i naccount i ng, i nt ax es, sal es, pur chasesand t hi ngsl i k et hat .

Wheny ouar ewor k i ngwi t hOdoot her ear emanysi t uat i onswhen y ouneedt ok nowhowt omak et hi ngsl i k et hesewor k .

I fadev el operwoul dchooseOdooast hefir stERPsy st em,i twoul dt ak esome ANAR

t i mef orhi mt ol ear n.

Themostr equi r edt echni cal sk i l l i sPy t hon, t houghy oudon’ t hav et obesk i l l edatanyaddi t i onal l i br ar i es, becauseOdoohasi t sowni nt er nal API f r amewor kandev eni t sownt empl at i ngl anguage–QWeb, soy oudon’ tneedt o l ear nJi nj aorMacr o.Then,y ouar egoi ngt of aceXMLfil es,soy ouneedt o under st andXML. Ofcour se, i nt het hr eel ev el ssy st em, y ouwoul dneedt ooper at e wi t hDBl ev el andwr i t edef aul tSQLi nqui r i esdi r ect l yi nsi dey ourcode.HTMLand Webdesi gnsk i l l sar eal soi mpor t antsomet i mes, butbasi cal l y , about90% oft he wor kr ef er st oPy t honandXML.

HowcanOdoocompar et oot herERPs? Odoohasal l adv ant agest hatopensour cemodel br ought .

I ncompar i sont oot her opensour cesy st ems, t her e’ snosuchacompl exandwi deERPsy st em l i k eOdoo i s.I tcov er sal lsi desoft hewor k f l ow ofanyent er pr i se: manuf act ur i ng, r epai r i ng, ser v i cedesk , per i odi cal ser v i cepr ov i der , account i ng, t ax es…j ustev er y t hi ng.

AsOdooi sanopensour cesy st em, y ouar enotdependi ngonsomecompanyor

ANAR

somepr ogr ammer s, t her e’ sagr eatwor l dwi decommuni t y , wher edev el oper scan findasol ut i onf oranyquest i on,anysi t uat i onf oranyk i ndofbusi ness.AsI ’ v e not edbef or e, t her ei saf r eev er si onandacommer ci al v er si onoft hesy st em.

I t ’ sa bi tf unny , buti tt ak es34mont hsf oranewcommer ci al modul et ober ewr i t t enby a communi t yf orf r ee and av ai l abl ei n opensour ce dat abase.Ev er y t hi ng i s possi bl ewi t hOdoo.Al lt hi sf r eedom i st hebi ggestachi ev ementofOdoo.Ot her sy st ems?TheSAP i sgood,buti twi l lt earal ly ourbusi nesspr ocessesand demandt omov ebyi t sownr ul es.

1Chasmanybugsandpr obl emswheny ouar e t r y i ngt ochangeoradaptsomet hi ng, i t ’ scl osedsour ceandy ouwi l l beaddi ct edt o t he1Cf r anchi se.Or acl eBusi nessSui t e, Mi cr osof tBusi nessDy nami csar equi t e ex pensi v eandy ouwoul dhav et opaynotonl yf ort hepr ogr am andt hel i censebut al sof ordev el oper s, who, byt heway , ear nal ot .

Wi t hOdoo,y oucanhi r esev er alPy t hondev el oper sandev eni ft heyhav ean ent r y l ev el , t heycanal r eadyst ar tdev el opment .

So, br i ef l y : opensour ce, gr eatcommuni t y , v er ywi desel ect i onofmodul esf orany k i ndofbusi ness.

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WhenOdooi st hebestchoi ce?

Hmm. . al way s.

Though, t her ear esomeuni quesi t uat i onswheni t ’ snot .

Li k ewhen y ouar edoi ngapr oj ectf oracent r al bankorami ni st r yofsomegov er nment , t her e ar epar t i cul arspeci ficat i onswr i t t enbyt hel obbyofSAPandy oucan’ tj ustt ak e anot herERPt oi mpl ementt hat .

I nt hi scase, y ouwoul dhav et opayl i k e$400, 000 f orSAP .

Thei mpl ement at i onofSAPERPcanr each£500mi l l i on.

Anot herpr obl em i st hatOdoowor k si nabr owser , soy ouhav easer v ert hatt ak es ANAR

r equest sandgi v esbackt her esponsei naf or m ofaJSON fil eoranHTTP document .Ther ear esomesi t uat i onswheni t ’ snotaccept abl e.Forex ampl e, whenacl i entwant st hepr ogr am t obecl osedorr unonadesk t opwi t houtany br owser s,y ou woul d need a cl i ent based sy st em.When y ou don’ twantt o i mpl ementanopenal gor i t hm andneedt oav oi dusi ngabr owsert omak ea pr ogr am mor esecur e,y oucanuseOdooonl yi fy ouwoul dwr i t esomebuf f er pr ogr am, whi chwi l luseOdoobusi nessl ogi cataser v er , Odoodat abase, butt he r esponsewoul dber eadbyabuf f er pr ogr am.I nal lot hercases, Odooi st hebest sel ect i on.

Whatcany ousayaboutt hef ut ur eoft heOdoo?

Cur r ent l y , wear ewai t i ngf orOdoo11.Ther e’ saconv ent i oni nBel gi um andmany ofmycol l eagueswentt oBr ussel s.

Weal l ar ewai t i ngf ort her el ease.

Gener al l yspeak i ng, I cansayt hatOdooal r eadyhassev er al awar dsast hef ast est gr owi ngcompany .

Thr eey ear sagonoonek newabout“ OpenERP” , t her ewasan i nt er nal communi t yandnowi t ’ sk nownwor l dwi de.

I t ’ sconquer i ngt hemar k etand Odoowoul dbedemandedi nacl osef ut ur easwel l asOdoodev el oper s.

ANAR

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