Microsoft Dynamics GP Great Plains Custom Logic Programming
– Alba Spectrum
When you have to deal with mid-market ERP application, such
questions as modification, integration, data massage, fixing and conversion,
cross-platform reporting are not trivial and require homework, prior to
appealing to external consultants help. Here we would like to give top level
introduction, which should give you directions on where and how to go deeper
into the GP software development layers:
- GP Programming tools. Microsoft Dexterity is very
traditional and matured EDI with Sanscript programming language:
Dynamics.dic, Dex.ini, Dynamics.set – these files are defined by Great
Plains Dexterity architecture. eConnect – this tool replicates Dex logic in
encrypted SQL stored procedures, and as such it is a bit faster than
Dexterity itself; eConnect was created for eCommerce developers to enable GP
accounting backoffice integration with e-commerce front end. Modifier with
VBA – Visual Basic for Applications scripting language was introduced for
Microsoft Windows applications, such as Excel; in GP you can modify existing
Dynamics screens – place new fields and buttons and animate their logic with
VBA scripts. Extender – please note that this tool deploys Dex behind the
scenes and being easy to learn for GP end-users, it has some drawbacks as
you could expect – as Dex objects are generated in wizard manner – their
naming convention and structure might be not friendly for SQL select
statement and custom reporting; saying that we encourage you to avoid large
scale customizations with Extender and use Extender where you need minor GP
business logic tailoring
- Popular Customization Areas. The most popular custom
programming exercise for GP is Sales Order Processing module tailoring.
Scenarios for SOP integrations are EDI (Electronic Document Interchange),
eCommerce (where you push eCommerce invoices to GP SOP module, often with
applied credit card deposits). Second popular module is Purchase Order
Processing, where we often see third party requisition systems integrations
with GP POP module
- GP Modified Integration Scenarios. Great Plains
Integration Manager is preferred tool for GP integration routines,
especially considering the fact that latest GP IM versions (10.0 and 9.0)
work with eConnect IM connectors – eConnect boosts IM performance,
especially comparing with traditional OLE-based IM connectors. Plus IM is
flexible enough for integration logic alteration – you should research VBA
pre and post scripts and data translations
- SQL Scripting. This option may seem encouraging for
SQL developer, however GP MRP system is complex in its data flow and posting
diagram, so we strictly recommend you to use SQL scripting in select
statement only and do not update records, especially if you are beginner and
not familiar and comfortable with GP data fixing techniques
- Future Directions. eConnect will be taking more
ground and it is advisable to invest in eConnect programming training and
self study. At this time Dexterity is ultimate development tool, however
eConnect advancing should allow Great Plains Programmer to work in Microsoft
Visual Studio exclusively without rescuing to Dex coding
Andrew Karasev, Alba
Spectrum Group,
http://www.albaspectrum.com
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help@albaspectrum.com
1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918, serving customers USA/Canada nationwide:
Illinois, California, New York, Quebec, Ontario, Colorado, Utah, Wisconsin,
Florida, Texas. Local service is available in Houston & Dallas: Richmond, Sugar
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Bend, Jersey Village, Fort Worth; serving GP customers in Chicago, IL:
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