Microsoft Great Plains customization and developme

Microsoft Great Plains customization and development – overview for programmer

by: Andrew Karasev

When Great Plains Software was designing and developing Great Plains Dynamics/Dynamics CS+/eEnterprise it placed several fundamental principles into the system

1. Computer platform independence. If you consider the situation in the computer software industry those days (earlier 1990th) nobody knew which office computer platform will be the winner: IBM PC clones with Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh with Mac OS or something like Sun SPARC. This is why graphical multiplatform idea was popular among software developers. Also there was a myth about C/C++ languages, working similar on all computers.

2. Database platform independence there was the need for future surviving. Competition on the database market was also very tough: Oracle, Ingress, Sybase, DB2, Ctree/Faircom, Btrieve (Pervasive SQL 2000 later on)

In order to realize these two principles Great Plains Software created its own development environment and programming language Great Plains Dexterity (DYNAMICS.DIC, REPORTS.DIC, FORMS.DIC are Dexterity dictionaries).

At this point customization standards were clarified:

1. If you need seamless integration with Great Plains Dynamics, working in the realm of Dynamics security and database independent data access/modification you do it in Great Plains Dexterity.

2. If your customization should be light then you appeal to the customization tools coming with your computer platform. Very soon Microsoft Windows took the market, so VBA was the way to go.

3. As soon as Microsoft Windows kicked Mac OS from the office computers market, standard third party Microsoftfriendly tools were recommended good example is Crystal Reports

4. When Microsoft SQL Server won the database market Great Plains Software began migration campaign from Ctree/Faircom, Btrieve/Pervasive SQL to MS SQL Server 7.0 and later 2000

Finally, when Microsoft bought Great Plains Software, Microsoft Business Solutions turned to be more concerned about its ERP products migration and transformation into socalled suites: Microsoft Financial, Microsoft Logistics, Microsoft Manufacturing, Microsoft Human Resources and pretty much abandoned the promotion of traditional tools: Great Plains Dexterity, VBA, ReportWriter, Continuum, Integration Manager. As a temporary patch to enable .Net programming it released such tools as eConnect.

Right now (20042005) we are in the transformation phase when old tools, such as Dexterity are still playing important role, but if you are thinking about customization, you probably better consider SQL Server scripts/views/stored procs, if you have customization budget make a research on eConnect. Try to make as much web publishing in Visual Studio.Net as possible. Use Crystal Reports design and our recommendation is to base Crystal Report on SQL View or Stored Procedure.

Good luck with installation, implementation, customization, development, upgrade and if you have issues or concerns – we are here to help! If you want us to do the job give us a call 18665280577! [email protected]

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, California, Texas, Florida, New York, Georgia, Washington, Minnesota, Colorado, Canada, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is CMA, Great Plains Certified Master, Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer. You can contact Andrew: [email protected]

[email protected]

This article was posted on September 23, 2004

by Andrew Karasev

Microsoft Small Business Manager Customization opt

Microsoft Small Business Manager Customization options overview

by: Andrew Karasev

Microsoft Business Solutions Small Business Manager is Great Plains Dexterity based application and successor and small business market niche version of Microsoft Great Plains. Microsoft Great Plains itself has variety of customization and integration tools: Integration Manager, VBA/Modifier, Great Plains Dexterity, SQL Server stored procedures to name a few. By one reason or another MBS decided to restrict Small Business Manager and do not provide VBA/Modifier, restricted Great Plains ReportWriter version and didn’t include Great Plains Dexterity IDE installer on SBM CD. Here We would like to give you your options and tools available in your disposition

If you are developer who is asked: how do we customize Microsoft Small Business Manager – read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.

Great Plains Dexterity – this 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 /8.0 CD #2. In case of Small Business Manager – you need to call to MBS Partners, such as Alba Spectrum Technologies/ Obviously it requires a lot of learning / training, but it allows your custom piece be seamlessly integrated with Great Plains interface. Nowadays, however – and this is a good thing – 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.

Crystal Reports. Great Plains has its own ReportWriter, but its functionality is limited – you can’t do cross modules reports (you can’t link Sales and Purchasing tables in one report, for example). So – you use Crystal. The GP tables structure is in Tools>Resource Description>Tables … and you are in control. Feel free to create views and stored procs directly in the companies databases – it doesn’t hurt the Dexterity engine

Direct web publishing from Great Plains SQL databases, using Visual Studio.net and your language of choice (VB.Net, C#, J#, etc). Plus you probably want to have several SQL stored procs.

eConnect – this tool is type of SDK with VB.net samples. It allows you to feed data into Great Plains and was primarily created for eCommerce developers.

SQL queries as a developer you have unlimited potential in using SQL queries, because the database in MS SQL Server. Be careful, it is kind of surgery you can easily delete all your customers, by executing: DELETE RM00101

Happy customizing! if you want us to do the job give us a call 18665280577! [email protected]

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, serving Chicago, California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York and having locations in multiple states and internationally ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 21

by Andrew Karasev

Great Plains Dexterity Source Code Programming t

Great Plains Dexterity Source Code Programming tips for developer

by: Andrew Karasev

As of now Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise is transformed/renamed into Microsoft Great Plains and Microsoft Business Solutions is in process of merging all its accounting applications: Great Plains, Solomon, Navision and Axapta into somewhat granular: Microsoft Financials, Microsoft HR, Microsoft Distributions, Microsoft Project Accounting, etc. So the original design of Great Plains should be deemphasized. But even now Great Plains is written on the programming language and technology, created in early 1990th, named Great Plains Dexterity. And the graphical interface looks very user friendly and nice these are all Dexterity forms and screens. In some cases of Dexterity customization you need access to Dexterity Source code (DYNAMICS.DIC with all the scripts). Currently MBS doesn’t offer new MBS Partners this program you can only have access to the source code if you was in the program when it was available for newcomers.

Assuming that you are developer, who have access to the source code, read this if you are new to it.

Usually you need source code in the following cases

Zoom Buttons. Imagine you need to select the customer from the list of customers and you want to use Great Plains Customers and Prospects screen to make you live easy. You need to know what kind of code is behind zoom button in GP original code. Iกll help you in this specific case, but for other similar scenarios you got to have source code:

open form Customer_Lookup return to กCustomer Numberก.

set กCustomer Sort Byก of window Customer_Lookup of form Customer_Lookup to 1.

run script ‘redisplay Buttonก of window Customer_Lookup of form Customer_Lookup.

When you use GP source procedure This is when you want to use GP procedure in your logic and you know that in order to create similar procedure you need to spend weeks. Typical example you need Sales Order Processing screen customization when you introduce margin % field and want it to be editable and update cost or price. When you edit such margin field you should try to call existing Great Plains logic.

When you transfer GP logic into your SQL application. Imagine you have to feed data into Great Plains and you don’t want it to be processed there but you need all the info, like taxes, summaries, etc be properly calculated and recorded. In this case you need to analyze original Great Plains Dexterity logic available in Source Code. Integration with legacy systems or with front end web custom application are typical cases

What to do if you don’t have source code? Try these technologies

eConnect this one was created to address eCommerce application integration. This is SDK with VB samples

Place a call to GP Tech support theyกll tell you that they can help you in this specific one case but you have to pay for placing the case

Happy customizing! if you want us to do the job give us a call 18665280577! [email protected]

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Florida, Georgia, New York and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

[email protected]

This article was posted on August 06, 2004

by Andrew Karasev

Great Plains Dexterity History and Programming Ove

Great Plains Dexterity History and Programming Overview

by: Andrew Karasev

As of now Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise is transformed/renamed into Microsoft Great Plains and Microsoft Business Solutions is in process of merging all its accounting applications: Great Plains, Solomon, Navision and Axapta into somewhat granular: Microsoft Financials, Microsoft HR, Microsoft Distributions, Microsoft Project Accounting, etc. So the original design of Great Plains should be deemphasized. But even now Great Plains is written on the programming language and technology, created in early 1990th, named Great Plains Dexterity. And the graphical interface looks very user friendly and nice these are all Dexterity forms and screens.

The original architect of Dexterity, Tim Brookins, pursued several goals, the main are these:

1. Engine, supporting graphical interface, which is computer platform independent if you remember those days the main competition was between Macintosh and Microsoft Windows. Mac was graphical and very popular, but Windows, backed by IBM cloning/platform openness was very dangerous competitor. The new engine was targeted to work on both: Mac and Windows. On the other hand nobody could look at the future far enough to be sure that other competitors from both Hardware and Operating Systems sides not going to take over. This is why the graphical platform independent engine was required for the new type Graphical accounting/ERP system: Great Plains Dynamics.

2. Database platform independence initially Great Plains used Ctree (available for both PC and Mac) and Btrieve, later on with Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 Great Plains relatively easy introduced it as a new alternative: Dynamics C/S+ on SQL Server. Again nobody could guarantee which DB will be a winner. Technically Dexterity could easy provide DB switch. Unfortunately the necessity to support กcheapก databases, such as ctree forced Dexterity architect to use cursors or loops instead of providing aggregation, available on all SQL blends.

To resolve these goals, and following popular those days believe that C programming language is platform independent, C was chosen as the low level language to write dexterity itself.

This was the story, now to the practical side. You can install Dexterity from Great Plains 7.5 or 8.0 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 18665280577! [email protected]

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, California, Texas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, New York and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

[email protected]

This article was posted on August 01, 2004

by Andrew Karasev

Microsoft Great Plains Customization Tools – overv

Microsoft Great Plains Customization Tools – overview

by: Andrew Karasev

Former Great Plains Software Dynamics/eEnterprise, and currently Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains was initially designed in the earlier 1990th as the extendable and modular application with its proprietary tool: Great Plains Dexterity, written in C programming language as a shell. This was popular tendency those days –compare with SAP ABAP or Navision C/Side. Great Plains has additional ideas – database platform independence and graphical platform independent interface (initially targeted to both Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows with good chance that one of them will take market over – and it did happen, including the acquisition of Great Plains Software by Microsoft). In this small article we’ll give you revised overview – you can find previous publication in the last year posts.

• Great Plains Dexterity. Dexterity is the architecture of Great Plains and it is very difficult to take it out of the picture. So we’ll say that if you plan on creation GP module or custom piece for reselling it on the market – you should first consider Dexterity as a tool. Dexterity requires deep training and some experience – you can not begin programming in Dexterity over night. Socalled fat client of Great Plains is pure dexterity application, however database itself since version 8.0 is MS SQL Server with some Dexterity specifics (DEW_ROW_ID column, for example).

• Old Tools. These tools were popular in 1990th and relate to such now legacy technologies as OLE, VBA scripting, etc. Please note that even if C was considered as universal language – custom scripts were targeted for light customizations and both C and VBA were targeted to modify fat client – thin client and web interface were not known those good old days.

1. VBA/Modifier. Microsoft introduced VBA as scripting for light customization of Microsoft Office products – Excel, Word, etc. Great Plains adopted it for its own needs. It tried to produce Dexterity/VBA hybrid and allowed Dexterity forms to be modified via Modifier (Dexterity application) and enabled modified screens to adopt VBA for its fields.

2. Continuum for VB/Dephi. Borland was strong on the customization market – this is why it also includes Delphi. In Continuum you can program Great Plains workstation as OLE server. For example – you can have Great Plains Integration Manager integrate several companies data onebyone with automatic logging in and off without operator intervention – over night for example. Also – you can deploy Continuum to switch Dexterity modules (such as Intellisol APOP or Project Accounting) and include Dexterity Sanscript code into VBA scripts.

3. ReportWriter. We placed RW in this section because it is Dexterity application and is now actively replaced with new tools, such as Crystal Reports, SQL Reporting, XML & HTML web publishing

• New Tools. In XXI century development world begins to bias toward thin and web clients and SQL scripting. eCommerce is a must for retail and wholesale nationwide businesses and Microsoft Business Solutions come with these tools:

1. eConnect. As good instrument for eCommerce developer – it allows to create, modify and delete Great Plains objects – customers, invoices, purchase orders, payments, inventory items. It has certain restrictions – it can address core Great Plains objects (not something in former third party modules – Collection Management, Customer/Vendor Consolidation, etc.). Also eConnect can not post SOP, AR, AP, POP documents – posting should be done by operator in Great Plains. However you can deploy posting stored procedures, available on the market (through Alba Spectrum for example)

2. Extender. Let’s see it in action in the following year. The idea is really nice and it allows nondeveloper to modify Great Plains screens and place custom logic

You can always appeal to our expertise. Give us a call: 16309615918, 18665280577, [email protected]

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Navision, Axapta MS CRM, Oracle Financials and IBM Lotus Domino Partner, serving corporate customers in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Healthcare, Distribution & Logistics, Hospitality, Banking & Finance, Wholesale & Retail, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Placement & Recruiting, Advertising & Publishing, Textile, Pharmaceutical, NonProfit, Beverages, Conglomerates, Apparels, Durables, Manufacturing and having locations in multiple states and internationally.

[email protected]

This article was posted on September 02

by Andrew Karasev

Dexterity in Great Plains

Dexterity in Great Plains

by: Divine Rigor

Microsoft Business Solutions – Great Plains has captured the US market with its integrated business applications for small and midsize organizations. Its comprehensive accounting and business management capabilities provide businesses with tools to customize various modules of the Great Plains software. These tools have been proven to have contributed to business growth and tighter control over its processes.

Dexterity is the proprietary programming language that Great Plains was developed in, which gave rise to Great Plains Dexterity in the early 1990s. The primary goal at that time was to build a platform independent graphical accounting package – Great Plains Dynamics. Although Dexterity requires the user an extensive knowledge in software development (primarily in C/C++ or Pascal) and experience in scripting languages (VBScript, or Dexterity’s own script SanScript), it allows access to all of Great Plains resources such as tables, reports and scripts, which can then be seamlessly integrated with the Great Plains interface. With this access, you can manipulate and define triggers such as opening a form or leaving a field. Moreover, it can be used to call up procedures and functions and create new applications without interfering with other customizations already in place. Dexterity can be installed using CD #2 that comes with the Great Plains 7.5 package.

The following are some pointers with Dexterity programming:

Native Dexterity Cursors: If you need your Dexterity programming code to be operable in any or all of the currently supported databases, you need to use Dexterity ranges and loops to manipulate the records.

SQL Stored Procedures: Most of Great Plains applications are using SQL Server. You can use Dexterity to create custom forms drawing in Great Plains then manipulate your triggers or buttons so that it runs an SQL stored procedure. This makes database access simpler.

COM Object Calls: Dexterity supports embedded technologies such as COM and VBA. COM objects are registered as libraries in Dexterity. COM Object calls Great Plains functions such as web services across the Internet.

Dexterity Forms: Dexterity can be used to create new or large applications. You can also use this as a new forms creator/editor with VBA business logic. However, using VBA/Modifier would require you to purchase it together with Customization Site Enabler from Microsoft.

An important point to remember is that Great Plains is an integration of multiple dictionaries (dynamics.dic, advsecur.dic, exp1493.dic, etc.). Using dictionary files protects Great Plains’ integrity. In customizing, you can use Dexterity in the ขdynamics.dicข file. In the event that you need cross dictionary customization, consider using SQL stored procedures for pulling data and making changes in the other dictionaries.

Need more information?

Contact us:

18665280577

[email protected]

For customization work and advice, please contact Andrew Karasev, Alba Spectrum Chief Technology Officer. His works include development of applications with the use of Dexterity, SQL, C# .NET, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK.

About The Author

Divine Rigor is the Technical Writer for Alba Spectrum Technologies USA ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), a Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company. We are based in Chicago with locations in California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York and contacts in international markets.

© Feb 2005 Alba Spectrum Technologies USA

[email protected]

This article was posted on March 14

by Divine Rigor

Microsoft Great Plains in Brazil: implementation,

Microsoft Great Plains in Brazil: implementation, customization, support – overview for consultant

by: Arthur Ferretti

Microsoft Business Solutions has a legacy of former Great Plains Software marketing efforts, which had serious stakes in late 1990th in South America. In Brazil, Microsoft Business Solutions has Brazilian Portuguese version of Microsoft Great Plains 8.0, translated and adapted to Brazilian tax code. When you think about Great Plains – you should probably first know that this product is main one (however not an only one – MBS has also Navision), targeted to midsize and large enterprises, where it is rather budget solution with reduced implementation time. In Brazil, so Great Plains is excellent fit for international companies with business ties with US, UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Middle East.

To give you highlights on Great Plains technical side, read customization overview for developer:

Great Plains Dexterity – this 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. Nowadays, however – and this is a good thing – 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.

Modifier with VBA. Unfortunately you have to purchase this tool and get new registration keys. If you are familiar with VBA customization for Access or Excel – you have all the skills needed – then you just attach your scripts to the buttons and fields on GP forms (you can modify these forms with Modifier – or just tough them with it).

Continuum for VB/Delphi – we don’t recommend this tool, because it is using Great Plains as OLE server – and you probably don’t want to be trapped by old technology.

Crystal Reports. Great Plains has its own ReportWriter, but its functionality is limited – you can’t do cross modules reports (you can’t link Sales and Purchasing tables in one report, for example). So – you use Crystal. The GP tables structure is in Tools>Resource Description>Tables … and you are in control. Feel free to create views and stored procs directly in the companies databases – it doesn’t hurt the Dexterity engine

Direct web publishing from Great Plains SQL databases, using Visual Studio.net and your language of choice (VB.Net, C#, J#, etc). Plus you probably want to have several SQL stored procs.

eConnect – this tool is type of SDK with VB.net samples. It allows you to feed data into Great Plains and was primarily created for eCommerce developers.

Integration Manager – it is enduser tool for importing to GP, however if enduser meets some challenges in the integration – you as a developer can help with VBA scripts. IM validates 100% of business logic and uses hidden GP forms – so it maybe slow for big ongoing integrations, when you have thousands records per day – in this case you rescue to eConnect or directly to SQL store procedures.

SQL queries as a developer you have unlimited potential in using SQL queries, because the database in MS SQL Server. Be careful, it is kind of surgery you can easily delete all your customers, by executing: DELETE RM00101

Good luck with implementation, customization and integration and if you have issues or concerns – we are here to help! If you want us to do the job give us a call São Paulo 551138263449! [email protected]

About The Author

Arthur is Great Plains specialist in Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) – Microsoft Great Plains, Navision, Microsoft CRM Partner, serving clients in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Manaus, Lisboa, Coimbra, Porto, Cascais and having locations in multiple states and internationally

[email protected]

This article was posted on March 16

by Arthur Ferretti

Microsoft Great Plains as ERP and Microsoft CRM as

Microsoft Great Plains as ERP and Microsoft CRM as CRM

by: Andrew Karasev

If you have Microsoft Great Plains and support it for your company then you need to know some technical details about Great Plains version upgrade and what is going on behind the scenes, which options do you have in case of Dexterity, VBA, SQL customization, additional complexity comes with migration from ctree/Pervasive to MS SQL/MSDE.

What is upgrade in the language of technology? Upgrade has server and client sides.

Server side upgrade converts tables from old format to the new one. In general words Microsoft Business Solutions developers may change table structure, append additional fields to add new functionality, things like that. Upgrade copies the table with changes to temporary table, then drops original table, recreates it with new structure and copies all the data from temp table to the newly created one.

Workstation side workstation is written in Great Plains Dexterity and has Dynamics.exe engine and DYNAMICS.DIC dictionary. These two plus all the additional files will be replaced with the new ones. Other dictionaries, such us REPORTS.DIC and FORMS.DIC should be also upgraded and upgrade will try to deal with them automatically. In some cases modified reports (in REPORTS.DIC) could not be upgraded and need to be recreated in the new version.

What is customization upgrade? You should consider different types of customizations: Dexterity, VBA/Modifier, SQL, ReportWriter, Crystal Reports

Dexterity Customization being very short Dexterity may have so called Custom Forms these do not need upgrade they should work as is. Then Dexterity may alter existing Great Plains forms (socalled Alternate Great Plains forms) in this case Dexterity customization should be redone for these forms/screens. Plus additional consideration should be given to Dexterity triggers, shadow tables, etc.

VBA/Modifier customization Modifier allows you to modify existing Great Plains windows it creates so called modified Great Plains windows, stored in FORMS.DIC. Usually modification is placing new buttons or fields, which in turn will be given VBA s (stored in DYNAMICS.VBA). VBA s may call something nice, like Crystal Report, or have some data access logic. Usually the old version of DYNAMICS.VBA workds with the new version. You may need to rearrange buttons on the modified form.

SQL you may have some stored procs for data integration, EDI or the like if the addressed tables will be changed in the new version then you need to analyze your SQL code. The good news is Microsoft Business Solution doesn’t make a lot of changes since version 7.0, because Microsoft is now trying to merge the products it owns: Great Plains, Solomon, Navision and Axapta and so has different priorities

ReportWriter MBS doesn’t change tables, but it keeps changing Dexterity formulas used in ReportWriter original reports this is the problem in socalled Modified Reports upgrade usually you have these reports modified: SOP Blank Invoice form, SOP Blank Picking ticket, etc. If report can not be upgraded it should be redone in the new version with some exceptions.

Crystal Reports the nice thing about Crystal Report id doesn’t need to be upgraded (if the fields in the tables exist in the new version which is usually true statement)

What is upgrade for thirdparty modules? Your Great Plains may have socalled third party modules: Mekorma, Kampdata, Horyzon, Wennsoft, Avalara, Truepay, Trinity, Intellisol to name a few

Third party modules may have their own utility for upgrade. You just need to know that your thirdparty is ready for the new Great Plains version if not you just wait and stay on the old version.

What is migration from Ctree/Pervasive.SQL 2000 to MS SQL/MSDE? MBS has migration tool. You need first to install Great Plains on SQL Server with exactly the same account/segments structure and then install migration tool (it is Dexterity chunk) on your ctree/Pervasive workstation then, when you integrate the chunk you will map it to target SQLbased Great Plains Company, select all system and company tables, click the button and it will move all your tables onebyone. In the case when your Great Plains ctree/Pervasive has third parties you need to check if the vendor has migration tool otherwise you have to do manual move, use SQL Linked server to your legacy data

Do I need consultant? It is probably good idea to have consultant to do the upgrade. We strongly recommend you to use consultant in the following cases

You have Dexterity customization

You are doing migration from Pervasive/Ctree to Microsoft SQL Server/MSDE, especially when you have thirdparties without migration tools

You have a lot or ReportWriter Modified Great Plains Reports

You have old version of Great Plains: Dynamics or eEnteroprise 6.0 or prior in this case you can not appeal to Microsoft Technical Support it is discontinued

Your Great Plains has more than 20 users and you have to have upgrade done over the weekend if it fails you have business problems

You don’t have support in this case you have to select your Microsoft Business Solutions Partner and pay for the annual support/enhancement plan you will get new registration key and will be ready for the upgrade

Good luck in upgrading and if you have issues or concerns √ we are here to help! If you want us to do the job give us a call 18665280577! [email protected]

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains customization company, based in Chicago, California, Colorado, Texas, New York, Georgia and Florida, Canada, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com) You can reach Andrew at 16309615918 or 18665280577. He is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

[email protected]

This article was posted on December 06, 2004

by Andrew Karasev

Great Plains Custom Development: Dexterity, VBA, S

Great Plains Custom Development: Dexterity, VBA, SQL, Crystal, eConnect – overview for programmer

by: Andrew Karasev

Microsoft Great Plains is main Microsoft Business Solutions accounting package for the US market. It has multiple customization/modification/reporting tools. Currently there is upgrade campaign to version 8.0 and due to the discontinuation of the technical support for Microsoft Great Plains Standard on Ctree and Pervasive SQL we see substantial increase in migration needs: migration from ctree/Pervasive to MSDE/MS SQL Server. This in turn increases interest to customization and customization upgrade.

If you are developer who is asked: how do we customize Great Plains – read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.

1. Great Plains Dexterity – this 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. Nowadays, however – and this is a good thing – 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.

2. Modifier with VBA. Unfortunately you have to purchase this tool and get new registration keys. If you are familiar with VBA customization for Access or Excel – you have all the skills needed – then you just attach your scripts to the buttons and fields on GP forms (you can modify these forms with Modifier – or just tough them with it).

3. Continuum for VB/Delphi – we don’t recommend this tool, because it is using Great Plains as OLE server – and you probably don’t want to be trapped by old technology.

4. Crystal Reports. Great Plains has its own ReportWriter, but its functionality is limited – you can’t do cross modules reports (you can’t link Sales and Purchasing tables in one report, for example). So – you use Crystal. The GP tables structure is in Tools>Resource Description>Tables … and you are in control. Feel free to create views and stored procs directly in the companies databases – it doesn’t hurt the Dexterity engine

5. Direct web publishing from Great Plains SQL databases, using Visual Studio.net and your language of choice (VB.Net, C#, J#, etc). Plus you probably want to have several SQL stored procs.

6. eConnect – this tool is type of SDK with VB.net samples. It allows you to feed data into Great Plains and was primarily created for eCommerce developers.

7. Integration Manager – it is enduser tool for importing to GP, however if enduser meets some challenges in the integration – you as a developer can help with VBA scripts. IM validates 100% of business logic and uses hidden GP forms – so it maybe slow for big ongoing integrations, when you have thousands records per day – in this case you rescue to eConnect or directly to SQL store procedures.

8. SQL queries as a developer you have unlimited potential in using SQL queries, because the database in MS SQL Server. Be careful, it is kind of surgery you can easily delete all your customers, by executing: DELETE RM00101

Happy customizing! if you want us to do the job give us a call 18665280577! [email protected]

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

[email protected]

This article was posted on August 27, 2004

by Andrew Karasev

Dexterity in Great Plains An Overview

Dexterity in Great Plains An Overview

by: Divine Rigor

Microsoft Business Solutions – Great Plains has captured the US market with its integrated business applications for small and midsize organizations. Its comprehensive accounting and business management capabilities provide businesses with tools to customize various modules of the Great Plains software. These tools have been proven to have contributed to business growth and tighter control over its processes.

Dexterity is the proprietary programming language that Great Plains was developed in, which gave rise to Great Plains Dexterity in the early 1990s. The primary goal at that time was to build a platform independent graphical accounting package – Great Plains Dynamics. Although Dexterity requires the user an extensive knowledge in software development (primarily in C/C++ or Pascal) and experience in scripting languages (VBScript, or Dexterity’s own script SanScript), it allows access to all of Great Plains resources such as tables, reports and scripts, which can then be seamlessly integrated with the Great Plains interface. With this access, you can manipulate and define triggers such as opening a form or leaving a field. Moreover, it can be used to call up procedures and functions and create new applications without interfering with other customizations already in place. Dexterity can be installed using CD #2 that comes with the Great Plains 7.5 package.

The following are some pointers with Dexterity programming:

Native Dexterity Cursors: If you need your Dexterity programming code to be operable in any or all of the currently supported databases, you need to use Dexterity ranges and loops to manipulate the records.

SQL Stored Procedures: Most of Great Plains applications are using SQL Server. You can use Dexterity to create custom forms drawing in Great Plains then manipulate your triggers or buttons so that it runs an SQL stored procedure. This makes database access simpler.

COM Object Calls: Dexterity supports embedded technologies such as COM and VBA. COM objects are registered as libraries in Dexterity. COM Object calls Great Plains functions such as web services across the Internet.

Dexterity Forms: Dexterity can be used to create new or large applications. You can also use this as a new forms creator/editor with VBA business logic. However, using VBA/Modifier would require you to purchase it together with Customization Site Enabler from Microsoft.

An important point to remember is that Great Plains is an integration of multiple dictionaries (dynamics.dic, advsecur.dic, exp1493.dic, etc.). Using dictionary files protects Great Plains’ integrity. In customizing, you can use Dexterity in the ขdynamics.dicข file. In the event that you need cross dictionary customization, consider using SQL stored procedures for pulling data and making changes in the other dictionaries.

Need more information?

Contact us: 18665280577

[email protected]

For customization work and advice, please contact Andrew Karasev, Alba Spectrum Chief Technology Officer. His works include development of applications with the use of Dexterity, SQL, C# .NET, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK.

About The Author

Divine Rigor is the Technical Writer for Alba Spectrum Technologies USA ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), a Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company. We are based in Chicago with locations in California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York and contacts in international markets.

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 08

by Divine Rigor

Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise Upgrade – things

Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise Upgrade – things to consider and FAQ

by: Andrew Karasev

If you have Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise (version 6.0 or earlier) and support it for your company then you need to know some technical details about Great Plains version upgrade and what is going on behind the scenes, which options do you have in case of Dexterity, VBA, SQL customization, additional complexity comes with migration from ctree/Pervasive to MS SQL/MSDE. Currently you are probably thinking to upgrade to Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 or 7.5.

What is upgrade in the language of technology? Upgrade has server and client sides.

Server side upgrade converts tables from old format to the new one. In general words Microsoft Business Solutions developers may change table structure, append additional fields to add new functionality, things like that. Upgrade copies the table with changes to temporary table, then drops original table, recreates it with new structure and copies all the data from temp table to the newly created one.

Workstation side workstation is written in Great Plains Dexterity and has Dynamics.exe engine and DYNAMICS.DIC dictionary. These two plus all the additional files will be replaced with the new ones. Other dictionaries, such us REPORTS.DIC and FORMS.DIC should be also upgraded and upgrade will try to deal with them automatically. In some cases modified reports (in REPORTS.DIC) could not be upgraded and need to be recreated in the new version.

What is customization upgrade? You should consider different types of customizations: Dexterity, VBA/Modifier, SQL, ReportWriter, Crystal Reports

Dexterity Customization being very short Dexterity may have so called Custom Forms these do not need upgrade they should work as is. Then Dexterity may alter existing Great Plains forms (socalled Alternate Great Plains forms) in this case Dexterity customization should be redone for these forms/screens. Plus additional consideration should be given to Dexterity triggers, shadow tables, etc.

VBA/Modifier customization Modifier allows you to modify existing Great Plains windows it creates so called modified Great Plains windows, stored in FORMS.DIC. Usually modification is placing new buttons or fields, which in turn will be given VBA scripts (stored in DYNAMICS.VBA). VBA scripts may call something nice, like Crystal Report, or have some data access logic. Usually the old version of DYNAMICS.VBA workds with the new version. You may need to rearrange buttons on the modified form.

SQL you may have some stored procs for data integration, EDI or the like if the addressed tables will be changed in the new version then you need to analyze your SQL code. The good news is Microsoft Business Solution doesn’t make a lot of changes since version 7.0, because Microsoft is now trying to merge the products it owns: Great Plains, Solomon, Navision and Axapta and so has different priorities

ReportWriter MBS doesn’t change tables, but it keeps changing Dexterity formulas used in ReportWriter original reports this is the problem in socalled Modified Reports upgrade usually you have these reports modified: SOP Blank Invoice form, SOP Blank Picking ticket, etc. If report can not be upgraded it should be redone in the new version with some exceptions.

Crystal Reports the nice thing about Crystal Report id doesn’t need to be upgraded (if the fields in the tables exist in the new version which is usually true statement)

What is upgrade for thirdparty modules? Your Great Plains may have socalled third party modules: Mekorma, Kampdata, Horyzon, Wennsoft, Avalara, Truepay, Trinity, Intellisol to name a few

Third party modules may have their own utility for upgrade. You just need to know that your thirdparty is ready for the new Great Plains version if not you just wait and stay on the old version.

What is migration from Ctree/Pervasive.SQL 2000 to MS SQL/MSDE? MBS has migration tool. You need first to install Great Plains on SQL Server with exactly the same account/segments structure and then install migration tool (it is Dexterity chunk) on your ctree/Pervasive workstation then, when you integrate the chunk you will map it to target SQLbased Great Plains Company, select all system and company tables, click the button and it will move all your tables onebyone. In the case when your Great Plains ctree/Pervasive has third parties you need to check if the vendor has migration tool otherwise you have to do manual move, use SQL Linked server to your legacy data

Do I need consultant? It is probably good idea to have consultant to do the upgrade. We strongly recommend you to use consultant in the following cases

You have Dexterity customization

You are doing migration from Pervasive/Ctree to Microsoft SQL Server/MSDE, especially when you have thirdparties without migration tools

You have a lot or ReportWriter Modified Great Plains Reports

You have old version of Great Plains: Dynamics or eEnteroprise 6.0 or prior in this case you can not appeal to Microsoft Technical Support it is discontinued

Your Great Plains has more than 20 users and you have to have upgrade done over the weekend if it fails you have business problems

You don’t have support in this case you have to select your Microsoft Business Solutions Partner and pay for the annual support/enhancement plan you will get new registration key and will be ready for the upgrade

Good luck in upgrading and if you have issues or concerns – we are here to help! If you want us to do the job give us a call 18665280577! [email protected]

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, California, Texas, Florida, New York, Georgia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is CMA, Great Plains Certified Master, Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer. You can contact Andrew: [email protected]

[email protected]

This article was posted on August 20, 2004

by Andrew Karasev

Microsoft Great Plains: Dexterity vs. eConnect – F

Microsoft Great Plains: Dexterity vs. eConnect – FAQ

by: Andrew Karasev

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, former Great Plains Software Dynamics/eEnterprise was originally written in IDE and programming language – Great Plains Dexterity. Currently Microsoft is on the way of transforming its ERP applications: Great Plains, Navision, Solomon, Axapta and MS CRM to be better integrated and fit into the future of its .Net platform. As a result we see new development tools: eConnect, Extender, etc. These tools should probably succeed Dexterity in the long run. From time to time we see complications on this way – for example on recent MBS worldwide conference – Dexterity Source code partner program, closed several years ago for new partner, was tentatively promised to be reopened. In this small article we would like to answer on the typical questions we are getting from IT strategists and lead developers.

• eConnect Overview. This SDK tool, which addresses existing and creates new Great Plains objects: Master Records (Customer, Vendor, Employee, Account, etc) and work documents: Sales Order, Invoice, Purchase Order, GL transaction to name a few. This is excellent tool and is very popular among web developers – it was originally created for eCommerce programmers who wanted to deploy Great Plains as back office/ERP/Accounting.

• eConnect Limitations. First of all – we saw numerous clients, who were disappointed in the fact that eConnect can not automate posting and SOP Orders transfer to Invoices. You should understand the rules of ERP system – first you create socalled work documents: quote, order, invoice and then you post it – documents should be approved for posting and this should be done through standard ERP fat client interface, not eConnect or other standard integration tools. Second important limitation – if you have dexterity customization – eConnect can not address custom logic – it works with standard Great Plains objects only. We understand that this is difficult to foresee when you ask questions to your Microsoft Business Solutions VAR, and also that each ERP has specifics you need to know: say Oracle Financials world has its own mustknow bellsand whistles – when you work with specific large ERP – you should invest a lot of time in analysis and decision making.

• Dexterity Overview. Dexterity itself is a shell/IDE/programming language written in C back in earlier 1990th. You probably remember olddaysbelieve that C will secure database and graphical platform independence, plus it will direct you to the way of computer platform independence. But the matter of fact is – Great Plains Dexterity dictates the rules of customization – each GP customlogic table must be created in Dexterity to be viewed via GP standard interface,

• Dexterity Limitations. Of course – Dexterity is kind of legacy IDE and it was created in the days when nobody could predict internet and thin clients future. So – you can not use Dexterity in your web application, you have to stick to stored procedures or eConnect.

You can always appeal to our expertise. Give us a call: 16309615918, 18665280577, [email protected]

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) Microsoft Business Solutions and IBM Lotus Domino Partner, serving corporate customers in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Healthcare, Distribution & Logistics, Wholesale & Retail, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Placement & Recruiting, Advertising & Publishing, Textile, Pharmaceutical, NonProfit, Beverages, Conglomerates, Apparels, Durables, Manufacturing and having locations in multiple states and internationally

[email protected]

This article was posted on August 12

by Andrew Karasev