Re: Billing client for studying documentation

On Feb 3, 2007, at 8:09 PM, Mike Mannakee wrote:

I have a php project I have been working on for several months. The client's requirements have expanded to include interfacing to an online service using xml, which I was familiar with but have never worked with prior to this project. I have spent a good number of hours reading up on xml, and learning how to use it to integrate with this online service. I have also spent hours poring over hundreds of pages of documentation for the online service itself. My question is this - should I be billing the client for this time? It is needed to properly work with this framework, but it is not programming time in itself. Googling the topic has been useless. Any advice? Mike --PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php

If the client didn't request this to begin with, and if you told them that you'd have to research how to do it when they asked you to do it, then absolutely! But, if you told them that you were proficient in that area, then did the research, and choose to bill the client for the hours you did for the research, then you may have a difficult time justifying the extra hours put into it if you are questioned. In general, however, some research will always be required when dealing with outside sources/services because you have to learn how they transmit their data, how to interpret it, etc. This is all part of the development and "coding" for the project and should be billed to the client appropriately. -- Christopher Weldon President & CEO Cerberus Interactive, Inc. cweldon@cerberusonline.com (866) 813-4603 x605