Microsoft Great Plains Dexterity Customizations

Microsoft Business Solutions is on the way to popularize it's ERP systems implementation. Right now such products as Microsoft CRM and Small Business Manager (cheap version of Microsoft Great Plains, based on the same Great Plains Dexterity runtime and DYNAMICS.DIC dictionary) are targeted to self-implementation by in-house IT group. This is short article, written in question/answer/FAQ style to give IT Director/Controller balanced top level information on Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains implementation. If you have decided on Microsoft Great Plains as main accounting and ERP system you need to know some technical details on Great Plains installation and implementation and what is going on behind the scenes. As of right now the current version is Microsoft Great Plains 8.0. Plus you probably should know about programming language of Microsoft Great Plains - Great Plains Dexterity

If you are developer who is asked: how do we customize Great Plains with its native programming language - Great Plains Dexterity - read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.

The history of the Dexterity. Great Plains Dexterity - is proprietary programming language and technology, designed back to earlier 1990th with the goal to build platform independent graphical accounting package - Great Plains Dynamics. Dexterity itself is written in C (following popular those days hope - that C will provide platform independence). You can install Dexterity from Great Plains 7.5 CD #2. Obviously it requires a lot of learning / training, but it allows your custom piece be seamlessly integrated with Great Plains interface.

1. Native Dexterity Cursors. Dexterity was designed as platform independent programming language and so if you want your code to be operable on all currently supported databases - you use Dexterity ranges and loops to manipulate the records

2. Great Plains Dexterity with SQL Stored Procs Nowadays, most of Great Plains installations are moved to SQL Server - so you can use Dexterity for custom forms drawing only and make the buttons run SQL stored procedures.

3. COM Objects calls. Beginning with version 7.0 Dexterity supports COM objects - you register them as libraries in Dexterity. Refer the manual. This technique allows you to call such nice things as web services across the internet.

4. Dexterity Forms - if you like VBA and are comfortable to do all the business logic in VBA - you can use Dexterity as new forms creator/editor. This is OK - but you have to purchase VBA/Modifier and Customization Site Enabler from MBS.

Some restrictions. Great Plains is actually integration of multiple dictionaries: DYNAMICS.DIC, ADVSECUR.DIC, EXP1493.DIC, etc. In your Dexterity customization you can deal with one dictionary - DYNAMICS.DIC. If you need cross dictionaries customization - consider using SQL Stored Procs for crossing dictionary borders and pulling data/making changes in the other dictionary..

Happy customizing! if you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

EDI: Electronic Document Interchange for Microsoft Great Plains - Overview for Software Developer/Pr

Microsoft Great Plains - Microsoft Business Solutions accounting and ERP system, originally targeted to mid-size - now, with advancements and increasing reliability of its database - Microsoft SQL Server, Great Plains is attractive solution for large corporation. Big companies usually have purchasing and order processing automation via so-called Electronic Document Interchange or EDI. EDI was introduced long time ago for UNIX systems and in most of the cases appears in the form of Header, Lines and Trailer of predefined fixed position fields.

We would like to give you - programmer, software developer, database administrator the primary clues on producing EDI formatted text from Microsoft Great Plains database. Please, note however that Great Plains here is taken as the example, similar approach will work for other SQL based systems: Navision (SQL Database or C/SIDE database), Microsoft RMS, Solomon as well as Oracle and other non-Microsoft products. In the case of non-SQL system, such as old Great Plains Dynamics, ACCPAC on Pervasive SQL - IDE interface will involve ADO/ODBC or Microsoft Access programming.

1. Sample Query - The query below uses CAST construction to make the result fixed length and meet the positioning. Plus the unionizing allows to produce Header and Detail in one select statement. Here we are dealing with work Sales Documents

select

case

when b.LNITMSEQ=c.LNITMSEQ+1 and b.CMPNTSEQ=c.CMPNTSEQ+1 then CAST('Header' as char(10))

else CAST('Detail' as char(10))

end

as FIELD0,

case

when b.LNITMSEQ=c.LNITMSEQ+1 and b.CMPNTSEQ=c.CMPNTSEQ+1 then cast(a.CUSTNAME as char(65))

else cast(cast(b.QTYDMGED as decimal(19,5)) as char(65))

end

as FIELD01,

case

when b.LNITMSEQ=c.LNITMSEQ+1 and b.CMPNTSEQ=c.CMPNTSEQ+1 then CONVERT(char(51), a.DOCDATE, 101)

else cast(b.ITEMDESC as char(51))

end

as FIELD03

--Additional fields go here

from SOP10100 a join SOP10200 b on a.SOPTYPE=b.SOPTYPE and a.SOPNUMBE=b.SOPNUMBE join

RM00101 d on a.CUSTNMBR=d.CUSTNMBR

join

(select SOPTYPE as SOPTYPE, SOPNUMBE as SOPNUMBE,

LNITMSEQ

as LNITMSEQ,

CMPNTSEQ

as CMPNTSEQ from SOP10200

union

select SOPTYPE as SOPTYPE, SOPNUMBE as SOPNUMBE, MIN(LNITMSEQ)-1 as LNITMSEQ, MIN(CMPNTSEQ)-1 as CMPNTSEQ from SOP10200

group by SOPTYPE, SOPNUMBE

) c on a.SOPTYPE=c.SOPTYPE and a.SOPNUMBE=c.SOPNUMBE

and ((b.LNITMSEQ=c.LNITMSEQ and b.CMPNTSEQ=c.CMPNTSEQ) or (b.LNITMSEQ=c.LNITMSEQ+1 and b.CMPNTSEQ=c.CMPNTSEQ+1))

left join SOP10106 udf on a.SOPTYPE=udf.SOPTYPE and a.SOPNUMBE=udf.SOPNUMBE

where a.ADDRESS3'Exported' and

a.SOPTYPE=3 and upper(d.USERDEF2)='YES'

order by a.SOPTYPE, a.SOPNUMBE, b.LNITMSEQ asc

2. Mark processed documents - for this reason we use SOP10100.ADDRESS3 field - which was not used in Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise version 6.0:

update SOP10100 set ADDRESS3='Exported' where SOPTYPE=3

3. Communication with UNIX EDI Client or Server - each case requires individual approach. You may have to assign the file directory, exposed to the UNIX system or use old DOS command to move the file, or you can have automatic email. Good idea is to write communication application in your favorite programming language

4. Scheduled DTS Package - you should probably create DTS package to do all the steps: call SQL Query and save it as a file, then call DOS command or simple EXE application - which does communicate with UNIX

Happy programming! if you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

Microsoft Great Plains-Payroll and human resources solutions? No longer

Microsoft Great Plains is Microsoft business solutions for the United States market and major accounting packages. Software development company to be purchased by a big player, you probably should expect some problems-in this case, the Great Plains software was purchased by Microsoft (Bill Gates Doug Burgum-owner and leader of Great Plains Software-Great Plains Dynamics/e E n t e r p r i s e friends). We will certainly affect the Microsoft business solutions, but what happened with our decision level-level, and this is a really sad story.

Let's go to the story itself was OK.. Imagine-payroll/humane resource outsourcer, a small company with customers. Old, Great Plains Dynamics Ctree or pervasive Btrieve S Q L/excellent and affordable solutions. Great Plains Software price per year $ 2 the Sun and k k salary/H of R employee's unlimited for around $ 10 at California's South enjoying the subtle to your home computer, all client is installed somewhere, there is a need to

Responsible for the over-all of a sudden a hurricane-Florida-Microsoft-but is it really a clear understanding of what is at stake--this guy inexpensive Great Plains version someone without need to delete. Good-a limit to the number of employees, and then you have the so called Great Plains small business manager MSDE and MS SQL Server 2000 standard can be used in-500 employees, as a result of this decision-in ...-Microsoft Business Solutions business is no longer a hat now will not continue.

We believe that our customers, suppliers and other cheap Accpac, Adapta soft an unlimited number of employees Payroll HR version switched to several examples of Oracle, SAP, and PeopleSoft. we have-to compete with Microsoft's right to respect for sure but what is going on is probably non-plan and the effectiveness of the solution was too fast. Of course, pervasive software and requires the completion of a contract is a good idea-but a small loyal customers have mutilation-we actually doubt this

Implementation of happiness! Give us a call to see if we have done it-!

Microsoft Great Plains-Payroll and human resources solutions? No longer

Microsoft Great Plains is Microsoft business solutions for the United States market and major accounting packages. Software development company to be purchased by a big player, you probably should expect some problems-in this case, the Great Plains software was purchased by Microsoft (Bill Gates Doug Burgum-owner and leader of Great Plains Software-Great Plains Dynamics/e E n t e r p r i s e friends). We will certainly affect the Microsoft business solutions, but what happened with our decision level-level, and this is a really sad story.

Let's go to the story itself was OK.. Imagine-payroll/humane resource outsourcer, a small company with customers. Old, Great Plains Dynamics Ctree or pervasive Btrieve S Q L/excellent and affordable solutions. Great Plains Software price per year $ 2 the Sun and k k salary/H of R employee's unlimited for around $ 10 at California's South enjoying the subtle to your home computer, all client is installed somewhere, there is a need to

Responsible for the over-all of a sudden a hurricane-Florida-Microsoft-but is it really a clear understanding of what is at stake--this guy inexpensive Great Plains version someone without need to delete. Good-a limit to the number of employees, and then you have the so called Great Plains small business manager MSDE and MS SQL Server 2000 standard can be used in-500 employees, as a result of this decision-in ...-Microsoft Business Solutions business is no longer a hat now will not continue.

We believe that our customers, suppliers and other cheap Accpac, Adapta soft an unlimited number of employees Payroll HR version switched to several examples of Oracle, SAP, and PeopleSoft. we have-to compete with Microsoft's right to respect for sure but what is going on is probably non-plan and the effectiveness of the solution was too fast. Of course, pervasive software and requires the completion of a contract is a good idea-but a small loyal customers have mutilation-we actually doubt this

Implementation of happiness! Give us a call to see if we have done it-!

Microsoft Great Plains on Ctree or Pervasive SQL - What to Do - Tips for IT Manager

As you probably know, when Microsoft purchased Great Plains Software - the whole strategy for Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise line was changed. Initial GPS strategy was to maintain DB platform independence - via it's C-written engine Dexterity, based on the believe that C programming language is platform independent. So - Great Plains was running on MS SQL Server, Ctree (Faircom - if you remember 1995-96 Macintosh era), Pervasive SQL (Btrieve). Microsoft obviously had no plan to keep this multiplatform capability and Great Plains was optimized to MS SQL Server and with the introduction of MSDE - the need to keep entry level Dynamics on Ctree/Btrieve disappeared.

Microsoft Great Plains Business Solutions, later renamed to Microsoft Business Solutions was sending multiple signals to Dynamics customers to migrate to SQL Server, later on to upgrade to Great Plains Standard on MSDE. Recently it promoted all the clients who own Great Plains on Ctree/Pervasive - so now they technically own so called Great Plains Standard. All they need to do is pay for Migration (around k$3 + consulting fee to whoever your MBS VAR is).

Unfortunately MBS did several rough turns in the process of this migration from ctree/Pervasive to SQL/MSDE.

Until early 2004 you could see support expiration date for Great Plains 7.5 on Ctree/Pervasive was July, 31, 2005. In about April, 2004 - Microsoft roughly changed it to December 31, 2004. This actually exposed all the clients with regulation-related modules (such as US Payroll - where you rather do not risk with printing W2s without support) to serious problems

Clients who migrated to Great Plains standard are now in the feeling that they paid for something that is free now. See above - all the low price GP clientele now technically owns GP Standard

Ctree/Pervasive clients with high volume of employees count in GP Payroll/HR now have to cut it to 500 employees due to the cap for GP Standard. You can imagine frustration, especially due to the fact that a lot of mid-size and big companies were running very cheap Dynamics on Ctree for just Payroll/W2 filing. This was a very nice alternative to products like Abra HR - not any more.

What to do. Well, if you plan to stay with GP - the only alternative is to migrate to MSDE. Contact your MBS VAR (or call us directly: 1-866-528-0577). You will be given Migration Tool quote - then install MSDE and Great Plains with exactly the same accounts structure that you have on Pervasive/Ctree. Tune Migration Tool, select all the tables in all the modules, click the button and wait a few hour - and you are in the SQL World!

Microsoft Great Plains-cheap payroll and HR solution is? There is no more.

Microsoft Great Plains is the main United States market for Microsoft business solutions accounting package. Software development company to buy the big players should perhaps expect some problems-in this case was acquired by Great Plains Software Microsoft ( Bill Gates friend Doug Burgum - owner and leader of the Great Plains Software - Great Plains dynamics and eEnterprise ) was. Microsoft business solutions at some level of influence surely we have what happened we determine level of this is really a sad story.

I understood. Let's go to the story itself. Imagine-resource order of deep compassion and salaries as your offer has been a small company. Did the old Prairie Dynamics Ctree or Btrieve SQL spread and excellent and inexpensive solution. All client needs elaboration k $ 2 Ohira original software price somewhere in Southern California, solar and enjoyed around the $ 10 k for the year unlimited number pay hourly employees, installed on the computer at home can be.

Now-a venture without really clearly understand Hurricane - Florida over - charge Microsoft - suddenly you who-need to retune the version of Great Plains of the cheap, this person. Good - so-called Great Plains is available standard on MS SQL Server 2000 and MSDE, and limit employee small business manager - 500 employees, it is... - this decision - the CAP cannot now implement Microsoft Business Solutions business more as a result,.

We have several examples of your other cheap vendors without restriction was Accpac Adapta software, Employee Payroll HR version of the switch. Indeed, Oracle, SAP, and PeopleSoft-and, compete to respect Microsoft's rights effects of solution was made too early is probably non-what is going on side then. Of course to terminate the agreement and an extensive software needs is a good idea - but cutting the small loyal customers - we doubt this fact

Implement a happy! -If you want to work, please contact us!

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