Dynamics GP Modifying User Interface

Modification is pretty generic term and each Corporate ERP application has its own meaning for this term and which tool fits to do the job.  For Dynamics GP let’s review major popular programming and modification tools, how and where they can do the job.  As a comment, before we jump into details – in GP there is important concept and architecture – Great Plains Dexterity.  Dex is fundamental for current version 2010 as well as for all the historical versions of Great Plains, coming all the way to the history down to earlier 1990th.  Majority if not all of the modification, programming tools have to respect Dexterity guidelines and restrictions.  For example, such tool as Modifier is in fact scaled down version of Dexterity, where Sanscript scripting is disabled and instead you can just add new fields to existing forms and animate them with VBA event driven scripts.  Similar words could be said about GP Report Writer, it is again Dexterity interface, restricted to Reports (modifying existing one or creating very simple new reports, typically without user interface, if you need user interface you can create in directly in Dexterity).  You can probably see some limitations of native GP user interface, where it is relatively difficult to use Windows Clipboard directly from printed ReportWriter report – this fact is likely attributed to Dexterity to be the shell, coded in C programming language, where modern Windows clipboard is too advanced to be replicated in C based shell.  Let’s now follow to the paragraphs:

1. Modifier with VBA.  This tool is dedicated to modification of existing user interface, as you can conclude from its name.  Modifier is very flexible and you can extend not only core modules (where business logic is stored in Dynamics.Dic dictionary), but also all the add-ons (Dexterity programmed and packaged chinks, integrated as additional dictionaries, please see your Dynamics.set file, where all the integrated modules are listed, beginning with Dynamics.Dic and ending with possible custom dictionaries, programmed in Dexterity specially for your company, if you hired Dexterity programmers in the past).  Modifier allows you to move existing fields, having them to be placed on the new positions, or even adding new fields on the existing forms.  New fields could be animated via VBA scripts (please, see VBA scripting manual for Modifier).  If you would like to update GP tables directly from VBA scripts, please consider to deploy old fashioned Microsoft ADO technology (as Modifier is not Microsoft .Net compliant at this time).  Please, note that Modifier works with Dynamics GP user interface, which is Dexterity based (typically located in Program Files, Microsoft Dynamics, GP folder), it is not compatible with web interface of Dynamics GP Business Portal

2. Microsoft Dexterity.  This tool, as we already mentioned above is in fact architecture, it has Integrated Software Development Environment with its own scripting language, Sanscript (it is compiled, so performance is better, comparing to something like VBA, executed on the fly directly from its text based code).  In Dexterity you may do all kinds of customizations (such as modifying existing forms and reports, creating new forms and reports, plus new tables, and even you can make standalone applications, however this is something rather too exotic).  Being very powerful, Dexterity at the same time is semi=proprietary and it is unlikely that your in-house IT department programmers will begin Dexterity developer over the weekend, or even over the several months of making their initial steps in Dexterity.  If you feel that you need Dexterity customization to be programmed for you, we strongly recommend you to discuss this project with your Dynamics GP Technology Partner, or feel free to call our office

3. Report Writer.  Here you modify existing Dynamics GP reports, the most popular are SOP Blank and Long Invoice form, where you usually need to place you company graphical logo on the invoice header section

4. User security and modifications.  Please, be aware that security is very tight in GP, and in order for the user to get access to newly modified form (in Modifier) or Report (in Report Writer) you should grand user or user class access to the modified version (in the versions 9.0 and earlier) or create/update Modified Forms and Reports ID (in version 10.0 and 2010/11.0)

5. Extender.  Here you do something that you probably cannot do in Modifier, you add new windows with the mechanism to open them from shortcuts and even menus.  Enterprise version of Extender (available from eOne exclusively) allows you even to add Dexterity Sanscript codes (debugger is not available, so have your expectations to be conservative)

6. Microsoft Visual Studio SDK and Libraries.  This tool is obviously catches the attention of the C# and VB.Net software developers, it opens Dynamics GP forms and objects to be addressed directly in MS VS project.  This is definitely great news, however do not be overwhelmed with the optimism, as at the background technology layer, your assemblies will be integrated with Dexterity technology.  One of the obvious drawbacks at this time (2010 and 2011) – you have to create new tables directly in Dexterity IDE in order to open them for the user security realm, or access them in Report Writer and other Dexterity based tools

7. To request further support, please call us 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com We need to discuss your cards in order to recommend you the best solutions, which is not contingent to our preferences.  We serve you USA/Canada nationwide via remote support (web sessions and phone/skype conferences).  Local service is available in Western Michigan, Chicagoland, Southern California (LA, Orange County, San Diego), Houston area of the state of Texas