#GPPT Speeding up Custom Report Writer Functions

A few years ago I published an article showing you can use a GP Power Tools custom RW Function to execute a SQL query and return data to a report. This article used some techniques which were valid at the time and while they still work, there are better and faster methods available in the later GP Power Tools builds.

Here is the link to the original article:

• #GPPT Adding data from any SQL table to SOP Documents

#GPPT Adding a QR Code to a GP Report Writer Report

I have been approached a couple of times with the request to place a QR Code (Quick-Response Code) onto a Microsoft Dynamics GP Report Writer report.

My initial response was that it was not possible as there is no way to include a dynamic image in a report. Only static images (such as logos) can be stored in the dictionary and added to reports.

But then I found online a couple of vendors selling QR Code True Type fonts….

#GPPT Fixing the 80 character limitation for the rw_CreateSOPTrackingNumberString report writer function

Yesterday, I had a quick chat with one of the legends of the Microsoft Dynamics GP community as they were preparing a session for the upcoming Community Summit 2023 in Charlotte, NC, USA and hit a technical issue which is actually a limitation in Dexterity (the development tool behind Microsoft Dynamics GP).

Read on to find out who is returning to Summit this year and how GP Power Tools solved their problem with the rw_CreateSOPTrackingNumberString() report writer function.

#GPPT Why Does The Report Writer Screen Close Automatically?

With the release of build 29 of GP Power Tools, a feature was added that will automatically close the Report Writer Screen Output window after a period of time.

As customers have been upgrading their systems to the latest GP Power Tools build they have been noticing that the Report Writer Screen Output closes by itself.

This article explains how to change the timeout setting and why this new feature is so important.

#GPPT Modifying Reports based on Temporary Tables

The recent Build 28.8 hotfix of GP Power Tools incorporated some Developer Tools module changes to enable so very cool customization options for updating reports based on temporary tables. The big feature enhancement is the ability to store a Table Reference as a Memory parameter.

References in Dexterity are like pointers to a particular resource, so the Table Reference allows access to the particular instance table buffer without needing to pass the table as a parameter to a script.

#GPPT Beginner’s Guide to Adding Custom Fields – Video Demonstration

Welcome to the eighth and final article in the series of articles that explains in detail the steps to add a user defined custom field to a window using Modifier, Report Writer and GP Power Tools to add the business logic.

The series should be read in order starting with the introduction article:

• #GPPT Beginner’s Guide to Adding Custom Fields – Introduction

In this article we will put everything in the previous articles together in a video demonstration of the steps.

#GPPT Beginner’s Guide to Adding Custom Fields – Publishing the project

Welcome to the seventh article in the series of articles that explain in detail the steps to add a user defined custom field to a window using Modifier, Report Writer and GP Power Tools to add the business logic.

The series should be read in order starting with the introduction article:

• #GPPT Beginner’s Guide to Adding Custom Fields – Introduction

In this article we will adjust security and GP Power Tools settings to publish the customization to all users.

#GPPT Beginner’s Guide to Adding Custom Fields – Modifying the report

Welcome to the sixth article in the series of articles that explain in detail the steps to add a user defined custom field to a window using Modifier, Report Writer and GP Power Tools to add the business logic.

The series should be read in order starting with the introduction article:

• #GPPT Beginner’s Guide to Adding Custom Fields – Introduction

In this article we will use Report Writer to modify the Detailed Item List report to add a calculated field which in turn calls the custom RW Function created in the previous article.

#GPPT Beginner’s Guide to Adding Custom Fields – Creating the RW function

Welcome to the fifth article in the series of articles that explain in detail the steps to add a user defined custom field to a window using Modifier, Report Writer and GP Power Tools to add the business logic.

The series should be read in order starting with the introduction article:

• #GPPT Beginner’s Guide to Adding Custom Fields – Introduction

In this article we will use GP Power Tools to create a custom Report Writer (RW) function which will allow our custom URL field to be easily added to reports in the Report Writer.

#GPPT Beginner’s Guide to Adding Custom Fields – Using the data

Welcome to the fourth article in the series of articles that explain in detail the steps to add a user defined custom field to a window using Modifier, Report Writer and GP Power Tools to add the business logic.

The series should be read in order starting with the introduction article:

• #GPPT Beginner’s Guide to Adding Custom Fields – Introduction

In this article we will use GP Power Tools to add the business logic to make the URL field work. We will make the hidden button open the URL in a browser window and add http:// at the beginning of the URL field if it is not added by the user.

#GPPT Beginner’s Guide to Adding Custom Fields – Saving the data

Welcome to the third article in the series of articles that explains in detail the steps to add a user defined custom field to a window using Modifier, Report Writer and GP Power Tools to add the business logic.

The series should be read in order starting with the introduction article:

• #GPPT Beginner’s Guide to Adding Custom Fields – Introduction

In this article we will use GP Power Tools to add the business logic to save the data from the newly added custom field on the Item Maintenance window.

#GPPT Beginner’s Guide to Adding Custom Fields – Modifying the window

Welcome to the second article in the series of articles that explains in detail the steps to add a user defined custom field to a window using Modifier, Report Writer and GP Power Tools to add the business logic.

The series should be read in order starting with the introduction article:

• #GPPT Beginner’s Guide to Adding Custom Fields – Introduction

In this article we will use Modifier to add the custom field to the Item Maintenance window.

#GPPT Beginner’s Guide to Adding Custom Fields – Introduction

Welcome to a series of articles that explains in detail the steps to add a user defined custom field to a window using Modifier, Report Writer and GP Power Tools to add the business logic. The example project will only need six scripts and no external development tools will be required.

The aim of this series is to work through each of the parts of the process and explain with step by step instructions how it works and why various settings are used. The final article also includes a step by step video.

It would be possible to just show the final result, but I want this series to serve as a guide for creating similar customizations in your own system. That said I will provide the final customization files at the end of the series.

#GPUGSummit Developers at GPUG Summit

Hey Developers… Are you attending the GPUG Summit 2017 conference in Nashville, Tennessee in October? If so, this article is to let you know about Microsoft Dynamics GP related Developer content at the conference.

I asked why there was not much content for developers at GPUG Summit and I was told that there are not many developers in attendance. I disagreed and requested a session for Developers, which Bob McAdam promptly organised … thanks Bob. 🙂

#GPPT Adding data from any SQL table to SOP Documents

Following on from my recent article, #GPPT Adding Vendor Item Number to SOP Documents, I thought it would be worth showing how we can use GP Power Tools custom Report Writer RW functions with a SQL Query to obtain any data available from any table on the SQL Server.

To make this happen we are going to combine the Runtime Execute Setup custom RW function code with a SQL script created in SQL Execute Setup. Note that these techniques, which have been available since June 2009, are completely Web Client compatible which makes them even more valuable now.

#GPPT Adding Vendor Item Number to SOP Documents

In my previous post, RW: Using the rw_TableLineString() and rw_TableLineCurrency() Report Writer functions, I mentioned the six report writer functions which can be used by developers to get custom data onto reports.

GP Power Tools takes advantage of these functions to allow the creation of custom Report Writer RW functions. In fact, this custom report writer function feature has been available since the release of the Support Debugging Tool build 11 in June 2009.

RW: Using the rw_TableLineString() and rw_TableLineCurrency() Report Writer functions

When Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 was released, it included six new global functions specifically added to make life easier for ISVs (Independent Software Vendors).

These six placeholder functions were added so that Dexterity developers could trigger against them and use the functions to get their custom data on to reports without needing to create alternate reports.

Update: Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 R2 updates to Report Writer Functions – RW_CoAddrIDInfo broken

This is a reposting of an article I originally wrote on my Developing for Dynamics GP blog.

Following on from my post: Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 R2 updates to Report Writer Functions, I have to admit that I made a mistake.

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 R2 updates to Report Writer Functions

This is a reposting of an article I originally wrote on my Developing for Dynamics GP blog.

You might remember the story about how I created a suite of Report Writer functions and got them added to the version 7.0 Dynamics.dic core dictionary. The aim for these functions was to make it easier for partner consultants and customers to modify the reports without needing custom scripting in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) or Dexterity. They are documented in the Report Writer Functions document in the Software Developers Kit (SDK).

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013, Printer Selection, Named Printers, Page Orientation and the System Print Dialog

This is a reposting of an article I originally wrote on my Developing for Dynamics GP blog.

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 added a long awaited feature, the ability to change the printer selection for a report after it has printed to the screen output.