[TriLUG] OT:PHP Programming Projects

[Mark Freeze]

Thanks Shawn.  Call me on my cell if it's after 5.  Listed below are more
details on the project specs.  (For the first project at least...)

Thanks,
Mark.

  This is a breakdown of the process I need working:

I currently receive medical billing and collection files from various
hospitals, doctors, and medical offices.  I have written programs that break
these files down into two separate files.  The first is a name and address
file to which I assign a unique record ID.  The second file is the detail
section of the file with items like amount owed, patient number, account
number, etc... along with the unique record ID that ties it to a single
record in the first file.  I run the first file through some canned software
to update and sort the records according to US Postal Standards.  I then
laser the names, addresses, and details onto blank paper stock with high
speed lasers, then insert them into envelopes with mailing machines.
Sometimes the output is lasered onto pre-printed 'shell' documents,
sometimes the output is drawn or graphics are used to make lines, boxes,
credit card images, etc...  All of the drawing, merging, printing is done
from a software package that produces PCL output for our laser printers.

What I need is this:

I need a user login page that will allow my clients to log into a site made
specifically for them. For example, I would have the login box on my home
page.  If the user that works for XYZ company log in it would take him to
xyz.accudocsolutions.com and a user for largeco  would log onto
largeco.accudocsolutions.com.  My internal users would be directed to
different sites within the site also.  This process is pretty easy and I
could program this if necessary.

Once the user has logged in I need them to be presented with a page that
gives them several options: a static informational page, another page that
holds links to various documents, and the third page that I'll need
programmed.

This page would be a simple page that would contain only a box that would
allow users to enter a customer or patient ID.  Once entered, the code would
search MySQL databases for any instance of this customer ID.  Customer ID's
can exist multiple times in the database.  Once the data has been found the
user would be presented with two options, one: to view the data in a text or
fielded format, or two: view the data as a PDF image of the bill that was
mailed to the customer. The created pdf image should not be stored on the
system. Once the document is closed it should be destroyed.

All items on this site should be secured with session control, and available
to all browsers.  I would prefer to have this all done in HTML/PHP if
possible.  Perl scrips are also OK but I'd like to eliminate everything
else.

I am also very open to hearing any suggestions in regards to hardware,
planning, databases, different ways to handle things, etc...