|
Microsoft Dynamics GP customization tools evolution - overview for consultant
By Andrew Karasev
This small article is
targeted to Microsoft Dynamics GP audience. Recent Microsoft marketing move
from Microsoft Business Solutions to Dynamics means Project Green wave 1
progress. This will mean increasing role of XML web services enabled as
connectors to eConnect or Integration Object SDK. Let's come to the subject.
When Great Plains Software introduced the first graphical accounting application
for Mac and Windows in the beginning of 1990th it had Great Plains
Dexterity customization tool, IDE and programming language. Dexterity design
was based on several longevity principles: Graphical platform independence and
database platform independence and easy switch from one DB to the other among
the most important ones. Dexterity was written as a shell in C programming
language, which was "platform independent" and at the same time very efficient
in compilation (close to assembler). Since then we saw new tools and options:
Modifier with VBA.
This tool allows you place custom buttons and editable fields on the forms and
attach VBA scripts to these buttons and fields. Theoretically you can deploy
ADO and make a call to the database, but typically this would be given to
Dexterity programmer. Also Modifier can deal with ReportWriter report – which
is rarely used option, but you should be aware of it. Another usufull feature
- calling Crystal Reports engine from VBA, so you can print custom Crystal
Report - Invoice from SOP Entry screen, instead of regular Report Writer SOP
Invoice Form.
Continuum for VB
and Delphi. We do not touch
obvious features of Continuum, but would like to mention its advanced use.
First – in Dexterity you can not easily target multiple modules (coming from
different software vendors – those days Intellisol Advanced Purchase Order
Processing, Project Accounting and ForeStar Fixed Assets). This feature could
be addressed through Continuum generated VBA code with inclusion of Dexterity
Scripts (Sanscript). The second nice feature of Continuum could be Great
Plains Integration Manager custom apps, which allows you to switch Great
Plains companies automatically and integrate the whole corporation during the
night
Dexterity SQL
Support. When Great Plains C/S+
was introduced on MS SQL Server 6.5 platform – instead of using Dexterity
cursors – you could use the way more efficient stored procedures and simply
call them from Dexterity code. The negative side of this was – you can not
have your custom piece running on Btrieve or Ctree platforms, where Dexterity
cursors were the only way to work with the database
Dexterity COM
object support. This was new
feature of Microsoft Great Plains Dexterity version 7.0. This feature allows
you to call something nice, like web service from your COM object and in this
case replace, say Great Plains tax engine with the one working from your web
server, located in one place and serving numerous subscribers.
eConnect. This tool was initially designed for eCommerce developer, who
deploys Microsoft Great Plains as the back end/ERP. eConnect is SDK with SQL
Stored Procedures and parameters descriptions.
Extender. We'll wait the next version – but even now it is very promising
and it doesn't require you to be programmer to customize
Great Plains.
We encourage you to
analyze your alternatives. You can always appeal to our help, give us a call:
1-866-528-0577 or 1-630-961-5918,
help@albaspectrum.com About the Author Andrew Karasev is Chief
Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies (
http://www.albaspectrum.com ), serving Microsoft Great Plains, CRM, Navision
to mid-size and large clients in California, Illinois, New York, Georgia,
Florida, Texas, Arizona, Washington, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/10094.html
If you wish to add the above article to your website or newsletters then please include the "Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/10094.html" as shown above and make it hyperlinked. |
Some other articles by Andrew Karasev | SAP Business One Implementation for Multinational Companies with subsidiaries in Brazil SAP B1 has over 200 installations in Brazil at this time and the number of new customers is growing. In this article we would like to recommend SAP BO as ERP system for multinational corporation with subsidiary ...
SAP Business One in Illinois: implementation, upgrade, customization, integration Chicago metropolitan area and downstate Illinois might be characterized as mid-west distribution place. This means that we see large number of diversified mid-size businesses, engaged in light assembly, shipping and receiving ...
SAP Business One Chicago Market Review, plus customization, integration & data conversion SAP B1 is becoming more popular in the USA, increases number of implementation each year substantially. Originally designed by one of the Israel software development companies, now ...
Microsoft Dynamics GP Office Stack Integration advances – Microsoft Great Plains Dynamics GP is on the way of Microsoft Dynamics or former Microsoft Project Green advances. Great Plains Dexterity is still a core of fat client ...
eConnect and Microsoft Dexterity: Dynamics GP development tools comparison notes This article is dedicated to Microsoft Great Plains eCommerce and web software development primarily, plus Microsoft Dynamics GP customization, integration, data conversion and reporting. As software programmer you should know where one customization realm exists ...
Microsoft Dynamics GP Dexterity Customization Microsoft Great Plains software development, customizations, reporting. Microsoft Dexterity programming as reliable alternative to newer technologies and platforms, such as .Net, C# and VB MS ...
|
|
| |