Project Ref Pro — Custom Numbering Model for Dolibarr Projects

Project Ref Pro replaces Dolibarr's built-in project numbering models with a fully configurable segment-based reference builder. No PHP coding required.

Build references that actually mean something to your organisation. Each reference is assembled from up to five independently enabled segments in your chosen order:

• Company Prefix — fixed identifier (e.g. PGS, ZPJ, ACME)
• Project Type — admin-defined codes with custom labels (e.g. T=Trading, S=Service, C=Contracting)
• Salesperson Code — numeric code per user (1–99), auto-resolved or manually selected
• Year — 2-digit or 4-digit, auto-generated from server date
• Sequence — zero-padded auto-incrementing counter, always included

Example: PGST226001  =  PGS (company) + T (Trading) + 2 (salesperson) + 26 (year) + 001 (sequence)

Segment Configuration

• Drag-and-drop segment reordering with live preview on the settings page
• Each segment independently enabled or disabled
• Configurable separator character between segments (default: none)
• Live preview updates in real time as you configure

Project Type Management

• Admin-defined code and label list — add as many types as needed
• Required dropdown injected into the project creation form, positioned directly after the Label field
• Project type locked read-only after creation to protect reference integrity

Salesperson Code Management

• Individual Add / Remove interface per user — clean and straightforward
• Real-time conflict detection: inline error if a code is already assigned
• Dynamic available range hint shows which codes are still free
• Auto mode: code resolved automatically from the logged-in user
• Manual mode: back-office staff selects the salesperson at project creation time

Reference Generation

• Atomic counter increment using SELECT FOR UPDATE — duplicate references are impossible under concurrent project creation
• Ref field is read-only on the project creation form — cannot be overwritten manually
• In Manual mode, AJAX preview shows the full anticipated reference as soon as type and salesperson are selected
• Reference is never regenerated on edit — existing reference preserved

Counter Management

• View all active counters with a Next Reference preview column
• Orphan detection — counter rows flagged when their project type or salesperson code no longer exists
• Delete individual counters with confirmation dialog
• Adjust any counter: =N to set, +N to increment, -N to decrement
• Pre-seed counters for migration from Excel or legacy tracking systems
• Full adjustment audit log with configurable retention (default 90 days)
• Clear audit log button with confirmation

Designed for Small-Team and Multi-Team Organisations

Built and validated against a real production workflow at an contracting company in Qatar that tracked 168+ projects per year using internally coded references. The module generalises this into a universal tool any Dolibarr user can configure to match their own naming conventions.

Requirements

• Dolibarr 18.0 or later
• Projects module must be enabled
• PHP 7.2 or later