Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Feel free to skip. This FAQ is only for your reference if you have concerns or questions.

Part A - Security

Part B - Usage

Part C - Notification

Part A - Security

1. Is this a third-party system from some online unknown sources?

A: No. It is a system solely developed by our own DharmaTech members, in the format of Google App. No unknown/suspicious sources involved.

2. Why does it say "This app needs authorization to run" when I clicked the link?

A: This is Google trying to prevent apps getting permissions into your account/information without you knowing it, so that it protects you from attacks you are unaware of.

For any Google app, it will explicitly ask you to authorize it the first time you use it. In this way you get a chance to review what it is asking for.

Once you authorize the permissions, it will not ask you again, unless there is an app update which asks for more permissions (but you can always review the extra permissions before authorizing).

3. What are those permissions it is asking for when I click "Authorize"? Is Google trying to grasp control over my account?

A: It is the app asking for permissions. Not Google.

For the book request, the permissions it asks for are as follows:

Know who you are on Google

   - We restrict the app only be used by the ones approved by us. This is to protect the book warehouse data stored in the Drive, as well as user privacy. This does not require a Google + profile although it says "public profile" in its description.

View your email address

   - This is needed because we need this information to know who requested the book, as well as who to notify when books are ready.

View and manage your spreadsheets in Google Drive

   - This is because we are using Google spreadsheets to store the data. It is actually only viewing and managing the spreadsheets we are sharing with you, not the user's personal files. So none of your own Google Drive items will be touched.

View and manage data associated with the application

   - This is to utilize some data we stored in the application. They are some constant strings, like "RequestTab", to store our configuration information for the system.

4. Why does it say it can view/edit/delete ALL my files?

This is a limitation in Google Drive APIs. Although the procedure is only attempting to update the spreadsheets we share with you, it needs to gain access to the files. However, there is no API to narrow down the file set to a specified list of files, and therefore it would have to ask for access to ALL files.

If this is a concern to you, please consider creating a separate Gmail account for this bookwarehouse system, so that your own account's files can never be involved. With the separate Gmail account, you can still get email notifications etc by setting up a forwarding service at Gmail.

Also, as a side note, if you concern any of your files are edited / removed by the system (it should not), you can view your revision activities at Google Drive. Files deleted usually also have at least 30 days before it is finally cleaned up.

5. I will not use this system any more; how do I disable the permissions that I authorized to it?

A: You can go to https://security.google.com/settings/security/permissions where you can see all apps you have installed. Click on the app and do an uninstall.

6. I have issues granting permissions to the system...

A: Here are a few scenarios for troubleshooting:

(1) If you are stuck at the screen of "Waiting for Authorization", like the image below:

Please check whether you have other browser windows open. This typically means there is another browser window (often a pop-up) showing you the authorization details awaiting your input, or maybe you have disabled all pop-ups in the browser.

(2) If you are displayed with an "This App Isn't Verified" message, like the image below, you shall simply verify the developer's email being legit (it is displayed when it was first asking for permissions; you can restart this process to verify the email address) and then proceed.

First click "Advanced":

Then click "Go to ... (unsafe)".

It sometimes may also ask you to manually type in "Continue" to proceed.

After that, you should be displayed with a list of permissions required to use the system.

Part B - Usage

1. What do I need to use this system?

A: You need a gmail account (see note below), a computer, and internet.

Prior to using this system, you need to first provide your name and email by informing DM Heng Yi at CTTB Book Warehouse.

Once we have created your account, you will receive an email notification with a link to the book request page.

(You can ignore the other two emails that say "Invitation to Collaborate" or similar.)

Note: Currently we also support selective gmail-based email domains as an alternative of gmail account.

Click here for the full list.

2. How do I make book requests?

A: Here are the steps:

1) Select the book from the drop down list "Select a book".

2) Type in the amount, e.g. 10.

3) Click "Add Request to Cart". (This does Not submit the request!)

4) Once added, the request will be displayed in the textbox "Requests in My Cart:" at the bottom.

5) Repeat the above steps for all books you are requesting for the same order.

Note: an order means all books are requested due to the same reason, will be sent to the same place/persons, and will be handled by the same personnel.

6) Review the displayed requests in your cart to make sure it looks correct.

7) Select a "Send to" destination. If not listed, choose "other - please specify", and enter the detailed destination in the textbox on the left side.

8) Select a "Reason". If not listed, choose "other - please specify". If the reason says "please specify" / "specify ...", enter the details in the textbox on the left side.

9) Enter the person who has approved this book request, if applicable, as "Dept Approval/Seen By". This person is typically the one in charge of the requesting department or organization, or your supervisor.

10) You can choose to enter an alternative email for "Copy To". At time of notification, we will also send a copy of notification email to that email.

11) If your books are to be mailed elsewhere, you can enter the mailing address. We can put an address label on the packed books for your convenience.

12) If you need to add any special note to your order, click "Add a note" and type in your note.

12) Click "Submit All Requests In My Cart" at the end.

3. How do I "cancel" a request?

A: If you have not submitted the requests, it is easy.

​Just click the drop-down box to select the target request, and click "Click to Remove Selected Request".

If you have already submitted the request, you have to submit a "cancel" request.

A "cancel" request is a request with a negative requesting book count.

For example, if you see you have a duplicated (or otherwise incorrect) request that you have previously submitted and would like to cancel:

       Req# 0011213  Book ...  10 copies, ....

You can simply submit another request of this book, with "-10" as the request number, and put down "cancel req # 0011213" as the reason.

4. The drop-down list is too long. I find it difficult to find the book I want. What can I do?

A: Type in keywords into the book filter textboxes, and click "Refresh".

Example: type in "華嚴", and click "Refresh", the book list will reduce to the ones containing "華嚴".

If you clear the textboxes and click "Refresh", the book list will restore to the full list.

The book list supports two keywords as filters.

It also supports using ISBN as a filter.

Simply type in the ISBN (or part of it) in the "ISBN Filter", and click "Refresh".

Hyphens are not required.

The selected book will display its full ISBN in the textbox below the drop-down list, and you can compare to make sure it is the one you are looking for.

Note: Not all books have ISBN information recorded in our catalog.

5. How do I know whether I am choosing the correct book?

A: You can look at:

1) book name

2) book language

3) book cover image, if available

4) book ISBN, if available

6. How can I check my request status?

A: Go to the "Check Request Status" link, and enter your User ID (you can find it in the welcome email, or any notification email we send to you; it starts with letter U). Then click "Check Status".

7. I logged into my account but the page says I am logged into another of my accounts. What is happening?

A: Sometimes if you have signed into other email accounts (e.g. yahoo) using this web browser before, even if you sign in to your gmail account this time, the web browser may mistake you with the previous account.

Just follow the instruction on the pop-out window.

Here is the instruction for your information:

1. Log into the displayed account

2. Log out.

3. Log into your registered account.

4. Try this page again.

(Or if you can switch to another web browser, e.g. Firefox/Chrome, and/or if you know how to clean web browser cache, that will do the work as well)

Part C - Notification

1. How do I know whether I have been added as an user?

A: You will receive an email notification, with a link to the request page.

2. How do I know whether my book requests have been submitted successfully?

A: When our staff receives your requests, you will receive an email notification.

(There may be a few days delay after your submission, because of the busy schedule of our staff members)

It also lists the requests in detail so that you can review them to make sure it matches your expectation.

3. How do I know whether my books are ready for pick up? 

A: We will send you emails on status update. If your books show a "Ready" status in the emails, they are ready for pick up.