For those who don’t know <strong>Python</strong> and are eager to evaluate the interface, we provide an installer with a fully functional demo for testing environments. We offer paid commercial support for those who need to ask questions, request corrections and adjustments and want to have access to the installer for production environments and upcoming updates we might release. All the source code is published in the repository of GoogleCode (http://pyafipws.googlecode.com) under GPL3 license, with all the needed scripts and installation instructions. User interface is a simple screen but it contemplates: • CSV spreadsheet reading (instead of fixed width file) • Real-time online Authentication and Authorisation • Customised PDF generation (texts, logos, lines, etc.) with picture of the bill • Email delivery to the customer of the PDF (with a brief configurable message) All these features are not available (together) in the application or web site of AFIP (some of them can be done with limitations, but not in an agile and transparent way). This application turns to show that PyRece has a concrete possibility of being developed in <strong>Python</strong> with a free Integrated Applications System (SIAP), in this case as alternative to the RECE application of electronic bill, but there are other cases where the same could have been done if web services were available (eg, IVA for DD.JJ., SICOSS for social security, etc.). FE.py Finally, we developed a tool that unifies the different webservices (national electronic bill, export, capital goods, etc.) and integrates all the aforementioned, using a database to store and exchange the information, generating the bills in PDF, enabling them to load from and to text files, deliver by email or FTP, amongst others. In general it uses PostgreSQL, but other databases can be used (PyOBDC or SqLite). The Project Finalizing the article, we have included some comments about how the project was developed. An already solved topic was the business model, especially knowing that there are other closed alternatives and we decided to keep ourselves in the path of free software, finding the right combination to be able to compete was not a minor issue. We think the result was quite satisfactory, allowing to extend and support financially the project, contributing to free software and the community with alternative and powerful tools, and beginning to create a developers group interested in the topic. The interface has thousands of downloads from the project’s web site, and many important companies hired us for commercial support. This has not been done entirely without setbacks or effort, therefore to finalize there are some comments and recommendations: • Installers and packages were critical to make people able to evaluate the products, especially for not widely spread technologies like <strong>Python</strong>, and mainly for Windows, which has been the largest market for this interface. • Documentation and examples were another strong spot, and the experience says that is a constantly deepen topic, even in cases that it seems to be enough (we include frequently asked questions, code snippets, important remarks, etc.) • Training curses and workshops are also very productive (we have had 2 in the ACP, to whom we are thankful), allowing to dig deeper on the topic and meet the interested people. • For the dissemination we’ve been helped by blogs, news, free software events, etc. As the project appeared in the search engines, its popularity and real utility for the users grew. • The community support in our case was not effective, mailing list and ticketing/issues systems were not heavily used, neither were there a lot of contributions or source code revisions, maybe for the sensitive and/or particular character of the topic (although the phisolophy of free software has not been widely spread in some environments). We hope this article will be useful for a general overview of the topic, any additional information might you need can be found in the following addresses: • Web site of the project: www.pyafipws.com.ar (http://www.pyafipws.com.ar) • Newsgroup: groups.google.com.ar/group/pyafipws (http://groups.google.com.ar/group/pyafipws)
• Commercial support and Documentation: www.sistemasagiles.com.ar/trac/wiki/PyAfipWs (http://www.sistemasagiles.com.ar/trac/wiki/PyAfipWs) • Minisite AFIP electronic bill: www.afip.gov.ar/fe (http://revista.python.org.ar/1/html/www.afip.gov.ar/fe)
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