I am pleased to announce that the next build of GP Power Tools for Microsoft Dynamics GP (GPPT) is now available for download.
GP Power Tools was previously known as Support Debugging Tool (SDT), which was discontinued in October 2014. If you are still using the previous product, please upgrade to the supported and much better GP Power Tools product.
This build adds support for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016 as well as separating the product into three modules and adding a host of new features and enhancements to the tools. Details on the changes will be posted on this blog in an upcoming “What’s New” series.
Build 21 of GP Power Tools is available for the following Microsoft Dynamics GP versions:
- Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (v11.0),
- Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 and GP 2013 R2 (v12.0),
- Microsoft Dynamics GP 2015 and GP 2015 R2 (v14.0)
- Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016 (v16.0).
GP Power Tools will now be sold as three modules which can be bought separately, with some standard features available when any module is registered. The three modules and their features are:
Administrator Tools
- Resource Information, Security Information, Logging and Analysis, Company Color schemes, and Usability enhancements, Automated Dex.ini configuration, Dictionary Control troubleshooting tool.
Developer Tools
- Scripting for Dexterity, SQL Server, Visual C# and Visual Basic.Net. Triggers for both debugging and customisation. User interaction with scripts via Parameter Lists. Custom RW functions and custom Service Based Architecture web services.
Database Tools
- Database Validation to check User and Company settings as well as Table structures. Export and Import of data via XML files.
The following System Module features are available when any module is registered:
- Manual Logging, capturing screenshots, email and workstation Dex.ini settings
The primary new features for build 21 are improved Company Color scheme functionality, Parameter Lists for requesting information to be used in scripts from the users and the Security Analyzer tool. More details on these and other enhancements will be posted soon. The User Guide manual has grown from 257 to 275 pages.
Note: With the release of build 21 of GP Power Tools, the special introductory price offered since the release of build 20 has now finished.
Version History
Below is a summary of the changes made for releases 11.00.0021, 12.00.0021, 14.00.0021 and 16.00.0021, I have divided them into logical sections:
System Wide
- Update Registration System to separate the product into modules.
- Allow Preview Mode for windows when GP Power Tools system module is registered and additional modules are not.
- Fixed issue where Menu and Area Page Navigation was not active immediately after install and required a restart of Dynamics GP.
Settings (Logging Settings, Email Settings and Administrator Settings)
- Moved Email settings from Email 1 and Email 2 tabs of Administrator Settings window to new Email Settings window.
- Moved Logging settings from Administrator Settings window to new Logging Settings window.
- Re-organized settings on Administrator Settings windows to more logical tabs and improve visual layout.
- Added “Disable logging of Security Errors and Warnings to the user/company log files” option to Administrator Settings window.
- Added option to control how Settings Applied Message is displayed to Administrator Settings window.
- Added “After Login warn user when password is due to expire (SQL Server 2008 or later)” option to Administrator Settings window. Based (with permission) on idea from Michael Johnson who used to work with Straight Arrow Consulting.
- Added Field Background and Scrolling Window Background to Company Color Schemes in Administrator Settings window.
- Added Automatic changing to Text color when backgrounds are dark to Company Color Schemes in Administrator Settings window.
- Added additional Grey Themes and new Mid, Dark and Inverted Themes to Company Color Schemes in Administrator Settings window.
- Added Red, Green, Blue and All color spinner controls with Selected checkboxes for easy color manipulation in Adminstrator Settings window.
- Total built in themes for Company Color Schemes is now 92 themes.
- Updated Administrator Settings window to support Custom Color Themes.
- Added Custom Color Themes Setup window to allow creation and editing of custom color themes.
Dex.ini Settings
- Improved Dex.ini Settings window to improve visual layout.
- Updated Dex.ini Settings window to add fields for WindowMax, WindowPosX, WindowPosY, WindowWidth, WindowHeight Dex.ini settings.
- Updated Dex.ini Settings window to add control of OLEClose Dex.ini setting, which can improve performance when exiting Dynamics GP.
Database Validation
- Added Activity Log Report to Database Validation when the window is closed instead of writing to User/Company Log files.
- Added Mark All and Unmark All buttons to lists on User & Company Fix and Tables Fix windows of Database Validation.
- Added Option to remove SQL Logins from Database Validation window, so SQL Logins and Database Users can be recreated.
- Added Initializing Database Validation Progress window to Database Validation.
SQL Execute
- Added All Company feature to SQL Execute window to allow a single query to be executed against multiple companies in the system.
- Added Export to File and Email option to the SQL Executer window to allow export of query results.
- Added Resizing of SQL Execute and SQL Executer Column Widths to ensure Column Label is readable when data for the column is narrow.
Security
- Added option to Display only Selected Users for the User and Company views in the Security Information window.
- Added support for OData Security Objects to Resource Explorer and Resource Information windows for version 16.00 onwards.
- Added support for OData Security Objects to Security Information, Security Profiler and Security Log windows for version 16.00 onwards.
- Added Security Analyzer window to analyze application level security and provide data to administrators.
- Added background processing to Security Analyzer window along with query filtering when double clicking.
- Added a confirmation dialog to Security Analyzer window when the query will return more than 5000 rows.
Parameter Lists
- Added Parameter Lists and Color Themes to Configuration Maintenance window.
- Added Parameter Lists and Color Themes to Configuration Export/Import window.
- Added Parameter Lists and Color Themes to Setup Backup and Restore window.
- Added Parameter List Maintenance window to allow creation and editing of Parameter Lists.
- Added Parameter List Placeholder Lookup window to allow select of placeholders to insert into scripts.
- Added Parameter List functionality to Runtime Execute and Runtime Executer windows.
- Added Parameter List functionality to SQL Execute and SQL Executer windows.
- Added Parameter List functionality to .Net Execute and .Net Executer windows.
- Added Parameter List functionality to Automatic Debugger Mode Setup window for non-logging Triggers.
- Added Parameter List functionality to called sub scripts for Dexterity, SQL Server, Visual C# and Visual Basic.Net.
Miscellaneous
- Allow Form Menu and Context Menu triggers to pull focus to ensure all change scripts are executed prior to the trigger script executing.
- Improved information provided to dialogs and logs when compile time errors occur.
- Added Menu Detail Expansion pane to Menu Explorer window to show Dexterity command details and custom menu names.
- Added Security Filter for User and Company to Menu Explorer window when opened from Security Information window.
- Added Additional Error message details to Send Email and the Email engine.
More Information
For more information and download links, please see the GP Power Tools Portal page:
You can also look at the GP Power Tools pages on the Winthrop Development Consultants and Mekorma sites:
- Winthrop Development Consultants: GP Power Tools
- Mekorma: GP Power Tools
Please post your feedback as comments on this article or using the GP Power Tools Feedback Survey on what you think of this build and what you would like to see in the future.
Thanks to everyone involved with this release, especially the team at Mekorma, the beta testers (including special thanks to Robert Cavill for putting the code through its paces) and the Microsoft Dynamics GP MVPs.
A final massive thank-you to my family who have put up with me being in “programming mode” for the last few months.
David
This article was originally posted on http://www.winthropdc.com/blog.
Winthrop Development Consultants Blog 
How about Mekorma check printing when will that release?
Larry Ressler
Vice President, Consulting
Keel & Company, LLC
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Hi David, if we already purchased GPPT what version do we get when upgrading to version 21? I am on version 20 now, when I upgrade to 21 do I get all three modules? (admin, developer, database)? I would assume as a normal corporate user of GPPT only the Administrator module is needed? Thanks. Kevin
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Hi Kevin
All sites that purchased build 20 under the special introductory offer will get all three modules registered for build 21. They will also get the first subscription renewal at the same special price. After that, you will need to decide which of the modules you want for the next subscription renewal.
If you don’t want to be able to write any scripts then you might not need the Developer Tools module. However, I would recommend having the Administrator Tools AND Database Tools modules. Everyone should have Database Validation to keep their system in order and ensure smooth upgrades.
I would suggest trying out all the functionality while you have everything registered and then you decide what you want to keep.
Hope that answers your questions.
David
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Perfectly clear, Thank You!
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