NOTE: This information refers to the OFFLINE Interface only. Please see the Help file for the Online Interface instructions and guidance.
This article explains the theory as to how the interface works. The MyCourts help file contains detailed instructions on how to setup the Interface.
In essence, the MyCourts Offline Web Interface is NOT a real-time booking system.If you want a real-time Online System you will need to use MyCourts Online Web Service.
Whilst not real-time, when properly configured, your members should be able to view on-line court availability information that is no older than 5-10 minutes. Bookings submitted via the Web Interface should be processed within a time span of 3-5 minutes and an email acknowledgment in the mailbox of the person making the booking within 7-10 minutes of placing the booking. All this without any user intervention on your part ie MyCourts handles it all.
What MyCourts Web Offline Interface Needs
You will need to setup a directory on your web server that MyCourts can use to place all the web files. You can do this yourself or have your web administrator do it for you. This means that MyCourts needs to access that directory via the FTP protocol so you will need to know your login and password details. This directory must only be used by MyCourts as files located in the directory will be frequently deleted, created etc.
MyCourts also needs it's own email address so you will need to set one up for MyCourts (for example bookings@yourdomain.com). Again you will need the login name and password for the email account. You should not let anyone else use or access this email address. It's for MyCourts own use.
How it Works
Once you have configured MyCourts Offline Web Interface properly (see the Help File for details) you can start the Web Interface.
MyCourts will then create html pages as follows:
- index.html which will have html links to each Group of facilities you have configured.
- group.html files for each Group. These html pages will contain links to another html page containing a chart of all the facilities available for hire within that Group on the specified day. If there are more than one days bookings available, a separate page for each day will be generated.
- tables.html pages which will contain a table listing all the facilities available for hire on the specified day as well as cells for each half-hour booking period. Those periods already booked will be shown as 'Booked'.
At the bottom of each page listed at 3. there will be a simple form with drop-down selection boxes for your member to select the booking period and facility that they wish to book. They will then submit the booking request. You can also give your website visitors the option of selecting a link to your online website or disable both options and ask them to ring for a reservation.
Once they submit the request on the web page, an email is generated with the members request and sent to MyCourts. MyCourts will pickup this email and then process the request. If the facility is available and the member has submitted their proper membership number and a password, the booking is recorded and MyCourts sends an email to the member confirming the booking.
If the membership number or password is incorrect, the member will be advised that MyCourts could not record the booking. Similarly, if the facility is not available then the member will be so advised.
Any errors discovered in the above chain of events, or miss-use by a member/non-member are advised to the administrator of MyCourts (as defined in the Web Interface setup) via a separate email.
How does the member access the web reservations page?
As you now know, the pages are generated by MyCourts, but it's up to you to create links within your own web site to those web booking pages. In it's most simplest scenario, you may make the index.html file known to your members and have them 'drill-down' to the page they want themselves.
Summary
There are of course factors outside of your control as to how fast the above system works however, from the time the member submits his request to the time they receive confirmation can conceivably be with 2-3 minutes but is more likely to be within 5-9 minutes. The above system works and is not 'new'. All the methods are time proven and work well.
The Help File (the on-line version is available at http://www.mycourts.com.au/helponline/index.html) has a more detailed overview as well as specific help on configuration.
If you are having difficulty setting the Offline Web Interface up then please contact us and we will be pleased to assist.