I knew I'd love my Community-Server-as-a-Business-Application project because I knew I'd be creating Community Server controls and modules like no one else, and I think a Chameleon Charge Labor app fits the bill. 

I only have time to show the final version of the Charge Labor app for now.  I've included a solution explorer image at the very bottom of the post displaying some of the classes required to build the app and reflects the Chameleon topics I hope to cover in future posts.  Those topics include populating custom list and data controls, creating Chameleon group controls, adding custom query objects, properties and value comparisons, the role of control utility classes, Chameleon forms and form actions, and whatever else we think is cool along the way.

For a general overview of what we're doing here, a data import takes the day's work schedule and adds it to the Charge Labor application.  All scheduled employees for the day are displayed when the Project Manager loads the page. The current day's tab is displayed on page load, with each hour value at "0" and job phase set to the default for that job type.  No modular windows are used for any function, with all Chameleon forms displayed in-line.  A Lightning bolt graphic (yellow at grid right near bottom) displays when the record is updated.  A weekly summary for the employee is displayed when the manager clicks on their name.  The summary report is shown on the second image below. 

The goal was simplicity in the UI and for the user.  Exposed forms on page load and a single button to perform all tasks I think achieves that.  (If you're wondering how record deletion is handled, records with 0 hours are deleted when the Update button is clicked.)  Community Server Caching is used extensively, making it very fast as well for use by managers in the field or from home.

We comped the Charge Labor app on an earlier post, and you can see how we made a few changes along the way to improve efficiency.  No modular windows or popup menus, for instance.  The Community Server-based business module we put online previously was the Detailed Job and Work Update service.  We discussed a custom Component-Art Jobs Grid which serves as the site's home page and covered the role of Community Server background tasks, exception reporting and event logging in the import of data from the company's business management database as well.

As I mentioned, there are a number of cool aspects to creating a custom Chameleon app like this.  The Solution Explorer lists some of the Chameleon Cool we may cover in future posts.

Speaking of which, I guess I better get back to charging for some labor...