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 1990-th, 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.  I'll help you in this specific case, but for other similar scenarios you got to have source code:

            open form Customer_Lookup return to 'Customer Number'.
            set 'Customer Sort By' of window Customer_Lookup of form Customer_Lookup to 1.
            run script 'Redisplay Button' 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 - they'll 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 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

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.

Alba Spectrum Technologies