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shopMaster connects to your local SQL Server database to track and sync product changes. You can authenticate using Windows Authentication or SQL Server password authentication.

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Connection settings

Navigate to the Settings page in shopMaster to configure your database connection.
1

Enter server details

Provide your SQL Server connection information:
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Server Name
string
required
The name or IP address of your SQL Server instance (e.g., localhost\SQLEXPRESS or 192.168.1.100)
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Database Name
string
required
The name of the database containing your product table
​
Local Table Name
string
required
The name of your product table to sync (e.g., Products, Inventory)
2

Choose authentication method

Select your preferred authentication method from the Security dropdown:

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Windows Authentication

Uses your Windows credentials to connect to SQL Server. This is the default and recommended method for local installations.
# Connection string format (from helper.py:12)
connection_string = f"mssql+pyodbc://:@{server_name}/{database_name}?driver=ODBC+Driver+17+for+SQL+Server&Trusted_Connection=yes"
Windows Authentication requires that your Windows user account has access to the SQL Server database.

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Password Authentication

Uses SQL Server login credentials. When you select Password from the Security dropdown, additional fields appear:
​
Username
string
required
Your SQL Server login username
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Password
string
required
Your SQL Server login password (displayed as asterisks)
# Connection string format (from helper.py:10)
connection_string = f"mssql+pyodbc://{username}:{password}@{server_name}/{database_name}?driver=ODBC+Driver+17+for+SQL+Server"
3

Test your connection

Click Test Connection to verify your database settings. shopMaster will:
  • Attempt to connect to your SQL Server database
  • Validate your Digible account credentials
  • Display a status message for both connections
# From main.py:184-195
local_db_url = createConnectionString(server_name, database_name, username, password, security)
local_test = test_connectionString(local_db_url)
online_test = digible_connect(digible_username, digible_password)["message"]
The test connection checks both your local database and Digible account to ensure end-to-end connectivity.
4

Complete configuration

Once the connection test succeeds, click Configure to:
  • Save your settings to a .env file
  • Create the ChangeLog table in your database
  • Set up database triggers for INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE operations
The triggers automatically track changes to your product table without modifying your existing database schema.

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Database requirements

Your SQL Server must have ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server installed. shopMaster uses this driver to establish database connections.
Your product table must include these columns:
  • ProductID (VARCHAR(25)) - Primary key
  • ProductName (VARCHAR(75)) - Product name
  • SellPrice (NUMERIC(18, 2)) - Product price
  • QrCode (VARCHAR(100)) - Optional QR code
  • Status (INT) - Product status
The configuration process creates a ChangeLog table and three triggers (trgAfterInsert, trgAfterUpdate, trgAfterDelete) to track changes. See the change tracking guide for details.

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Stored credentials

Your database credentials are saved to a .env file in the shopMaster installation directory: 
local_db_url=mssql+pyodbc://...
server_name=localhost\SQLEXPRESS
db_name=MyDatabase
local_table=Products
security=Windows Authentication
# Only for Password authentication:
username=sa
password=mypassword
Keep your .env file secure. It contains sensitive connection information.

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Troubleshooting

If the connection test fails:
  • Verify SQL Server is running and accessible
  • Check that the database and table names are correct
  • Ensure your user account has read/write permissions
  • Confirm ODBC Driver 17 is installed
  • For Windows Authentication, verify your Windows user has SQL Server access
  • For Password Authentication, check that SQL Server authentication is enabled
See the troubleshooting guide for more help.

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