VKonnact - a Fresh Look at Data Integration

I recently looked at a relatively new product on the market for integrating data into Dynamics GP. It's called VKonnact and it uses eConnect for the backend but shields the user from all of the eConnect complexities. While I haven't finished my review yet, what I've seen so far is very interesting. It's more user friendly than other products in the channel and has a user interface that looks nearly identical to the GP windows you are used to seeing. If you are thinking about purchasing an integration solution, definitely give this one a look. More to follow once I finish my review.
Live the dream!
Leslie

~internal~ Windows have no place in security

Have you ever wanted to use security to disallow the system Setup Checklist? You access this window using the Microsoft Dynamics GP button and then Tools > Setup > Setup Checklist. As it turns out, you cannot turn it off. Any window resource that has the name ~internal~ is not available to the security model. Now, if you hacked the dictionary (NOT recommended and a violation of your license agreement) and changed the object's name, you could then get to it, but that's not a good idea.

I had a bright idea once and thought I could use Modifier to move all of the fields off of the window. That worked fine, except it wasn't available to select in the Alternate/Modified Forms and Reports window (such a catchy name). I read a GPUG forum post from Jeff Martin that said you could include the Setup Checklist window in a VBA project, so I set out to see if I could get it to work with VBA. Sure enough, you can cause the window to open invisibly, but that doesn't really solve the problem. The reason for this post is to publish a tidbit revealed to us by David Musgrave of Winthrop Development. He said that "part of the issue with the checklists window is that the one window is used for all checklists from all series". I did not know that. Another mystery solved. Thank you David.

Live the dream!
Leslie

Welcome to Conexus SG Harry Lee

Can you believe it?! Harry Lee, Redbeard himself, a fellow Microsoft MVP, has joined the fine people at the consulting firm of Conexus SG in Dallas, TX. I didn’t recognize him without his hat, and he didn’t recognize me without my cape, but know for sure that Conexus SG now employees one of the finest Dynamics GP consultants on the planet.

If you are in the Dallas, TX area and need help with Dynamics GP, be sure to check with Conexus SG. Of course, you should check with me first.

Live the dream!
Leslie

Macros and Scrolling Windows

I did a session on GP Macros today at the Amplify conference in Anaheim. Questions came up regarding scrolling windows that I did not have time to cover in the short 1-hour session. I'm posting this example as an aid to understanding how scrolling windows work. The macro language will only deal with the number of rows that are visible in the scrolling window. When you open the SOP Entry window there are 8 lines visible in the scrolling window. When you add information to the scrolling window you need to include the command ScrollByLine down scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' at the bottom of the 8th line. Every line after line 8 is still considered line 8 because there are still only 8 lines visible. Below is a partial example macro of what it looks like to add more than 8 items to the SOP Entry scrolling window:

CheckActiveWin dictionary 'default'  form 'SOP_Entry' window 'SOP_Entry'
  ClickHit field 'SOP Type' item 4  # 'Invoice'
  MoveTo field 'Document ID'
  MoveTo field 'SOP Number'
  MoveTo field 'Customer Number'
  TypeTo field 'Customer Number' , 'AARONFIT0001'
  MoveTo field 'Customer Name'
  MoveTo field 'Primary Shipto Address Code'
  MoveTo field 'Document Date'
  MoveTo field 'Batch Number'
  TypeTo field 'Batch Number' , 'AUG31'
  MoveTo field 'Location Code'
  MoveTo field 'Customer PO Number'
  MoveTo field 'Currency ID'
  TransLinePrepare scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
# 
  MoveTo line 1 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number'
  TypeTo line 1 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number' , '128 SDRAM'
  MoveTo line 1 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Dropship'  # 'FALSE'
  MoveTo line 1 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Unit Price'
  MoveTo line 1 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Extended Price'
  TransLinePrepare scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
#
  MoveTo line 2 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number'
  TypeTo line 2 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number' , '1-A3261A'
  MoveTo line 2 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Dropship'  # 'FALSE'
  MoveTo line 2 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Unit Price'
  MoveTo line 2 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Extended Price'
  TransLinePrepare scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
#
  MoveTo line 3 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number'
  TypeTo line 3 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number' , '128 SDRAM'
  MoveTo line 3 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Dropship'  # 'FALSE'
  MoveTo line 3 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Unit Price'
  MoveTo line 3 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Extended Price'
  TransLinePrepare scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
#
  MoveTo line 4 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number'
  TypeTo line 4 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number' , '128 SDRAM'
  MoveTo line 4 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Dropship'  # 'FALSE'
  MoveTo line 4 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Unit Price'
  MoveTo line 4 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Extended Price'
#
  TransLinePrepare scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
  MoveTo line 5 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number'
  TypeTo line 5 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number' , '1-A3261A'
  MoveTo line 5 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Dropship'  # 'FALSE'
  MoveTo line 5 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Unit Price'
  MoveTo line 5 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Extended Price'
  TransLinePrepare scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
#
  MoveTo line 6 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number'
  TypeTo line 6 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number' , '128 SDRAM'
  MoveTo line 6 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Dropship'  # 'FALSE'
  MoveTo line 6 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Unit Price'
  MoveTo line 6 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Extended Price'
  TransLinePrepare scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
#
  MoveTo line 7 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number'
  TypeTo line 7 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number' , '1-A3261A'
  MoveTo line 7 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Dropship'  # 'FALSE'
  MoveTo line 7 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Unit Price'
  MoveTo line 7 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Extended Price'
  TransLinePrepare scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
#
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number'
  TypeTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number' , '128 SDRAM'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Dropship'  # 'FALSE'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Unit Price'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Extended Price'
  TransLinePrepare scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
  ScrollByLine down scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
#
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number'
  TypeTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number' , '1-A3261A'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Dropship'  # 'FALSE'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Unit Price'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Extended Price'
  TransLinePrepare scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
  ScrollByLine down scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
#
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number'
  TypeTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number' , '128 SDRAM'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Dropship'  # 'FALSE'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Unit Price'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Extended Price'
  TransLinePrepare scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
  ScrollByLine down scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
#
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number'
  TypeTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number' , '1-A3261A'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Dropship'  # 'FALSE'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Unit Price'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Extended Price'
  TransLinePrepare scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
  ScrollByLine down scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
#
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number'
  TypeTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number' , '128 SDRAM'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Dropship'  # 'FALSE'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Unit Price'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Extended Price'
  TransLinePrepare scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
  ScrollByLine down scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
#
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number'
  TypeTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number' , '1-A3261A'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Dropship'  # 'FALSE'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Unit Price'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Extended Price'
  TransLinePrepare scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'  
  ScrollByLine down scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
#
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number'
  TypeTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number' , '128 SDRAM'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Dropship'  # 'FALSE'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Unit Price'
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field '(L) Extended Price'
  TransLinePrepare scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
  ScrollByLine down scrollwin 'Line_Scroll'
#
  MoveTo line 8 scrollwin 'Line_Scroll' field 'Item Number'
etc., etc., etc.,

I hope this helps someone struggling with scrolling windows.
Kind regards,
Leslie

Insert or Delete Lines in Advanced Financial Analysis

Frank Heslin recently revealed a tip about the AFA module that few people have run across. Back in the old days when AFA was our only way to create financial statements, there was more information floating around about how to use it. Today, not so much. With the latest versions of GP that come with the ‘ribbon’ menus, you will be hard-pressed to figure out how to insert or delete lines into an AFA financial report. Frank provided the following tip on the GPUG collaborate forum “change your  'Window Command Display' under User Preferences to 'Menu Bar', then restart GP, and you will see the option to insert or delete under the 'Edit' menu.  Keep in mind that this change is global for you, so if you prefer the 'Action Pane' or 'Action Pane Strip', you'll have to toggle this setting as needed.”
Thanks Frank!
Until next post,
Leslie