Tech Tuesday: Extender Subscription Template Video Series

We have started a new three part video series on Extender templates for Subscriptions. The world has more subscriptions than ever before with all of the cloud services available today. This template is a great starter for anyone that has a subscription business from gym memberships to software subscriptions.

The first video is based on our Standard version, the second on enhancing the solution further with Extender Enterprise, and the 3^rd on Reporting and Integrating.I hope you enjoy the series and get some great ideas on how to use Extender to help your business even more.

Watch Videos

Thanks,Chris DewDirector of Product Management

Tech Tuesday: How to Add an Extender View to a SmartList

This week's Tech Tuesday article is from our very own support guru, David Youngquist! Dave knows everything there is to know about our software solutions and shares how to add an Extender view to a SmartList.

There are several ways to add Extender data to a SmartList using SmartList Builder, but one method that is often overlooked is creating an Extender view and linking that view using Smartlist Builder. 

Here are the simple steps for adding Extender data to a Smartlist. 

Login to Great Plains as the sa user (only the sa user will have Views as an option)

1.       Click on Views, then click New.

2.       In the Extender View window, give the view a name, and then click the add button. 

3.       Pick “Extender Window” as the type, and pick the Extender window you need to add to the SmartList.

4.       Check off the fields you want to appear in the view.  I would recommend marking all. 

 

 

5.       Click Save on the View. 

6.       Now to go Tools – SmartList Builder – Security – SQL Table Security. 

7.       Checkmark the database you created the view in, and change the type to “Views”.  Place a checkmark in the view that you just created. 

 

 

8.       Hit the OK button to save the security.  

9.       Open up SmartList Builder and open the SmartList you need to add the Extender data to. 

10.    Click on the + button to add a table.  Pick SQL Server Table

11.       Change the list to show “Views”, select your view, and then add it to the SmartList.  Make sure you use a left outer join if you have data in the main table, but there may not be data in the Extender table.  Pick the appropriate key field from the list to link the Extender view to the main table. 

12.       You now will have a SmartList that will display Extender data on it.  

 

 Interested in a demo of Extender or SmartList Builder? Feel free to email sales@eonesolutions.com for more information!

Tech Tuesday: Adding an Extender Field from a Window with One Key to Report Writer

Check out our latest Tech Tuesday Video on Extender from Nicole Albertson. This video will walk you through adding a Field from an Extender Window that has only one Key Field to a Report Writer report.  We will walk you through how to create a calculated field that will pull in a specific field from your Extender Window so that you can display that data on a Report Writer report.  This video utilizes Extender in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013, but the steps are the same for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 as well.

Extender Enterprise for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 released today!

We are very excited to release Extender Enterprise today!

This release of Extender Enterprise is for Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 and is available for immediate download on our website: http://www.eonesolutions.com/Products/Extender/Downloads.aspx.

It includes all of the upgrades for our Extender Enterprise customers along with a few enhancements for those still on our Extender Standard version. You can upgrade from Dynamics GP 10 or 2010.

 

Extender Enterprise allows you to configure Microsoft Dynamics GP for the way you run your business and helps you have fully functional custom information that has integrity and obeys your specific business rules.

 

Chris Dew

Director of Product Management

Tech Tuesday: Extender 2013 - Improved User Interface

What has changed in the User Interface?

Many of the Resources that were previously available as a separate resource on the main Extender window have been combined into the Windows and Forms to simplify the navigation.

For example, Detail Windows and Detail Forms have been moved to be within the Windows and Forms.  The Inquiry, Notes, and Window Group setup has also been moved to be within the Window setup.

Dialogs, Macros, and Logic (Extender Enterprise) have all been moved to be Actions within the Windows and Forms as well.

All of these changes make it easier to keep Resources organized by their functions.

Extender 2013 Feature of the Day: Duplicating Resources

What does the Duplication process do?

There are two options to duplicate a resource.

1. Add to Solution:  The Add to Solution option will allow you to share resources between Solutions.  By doing this, it links the resources together.  This means that any change you make to the resource in one solution will be changed in the other solution as well.  The Resource will have the same Resource ID and essentially be the same resource.  Therefore, if the resource is a Form or Window, the data that is entered in them will be the same between both resources.

2. Copy:  The Copy option will allow you to copy a resource from one solution to another as well as copy the resource to a new resource in the same solution.  When copying a resource, you are creating a new independent resource that is not in any way linked to the original resource.  The resource will require a new Window ID to copy it.

Tech Tues: Extender 2013 Feature of the Day: Solutions

What is a Solution?

A Solution is a way to group resources such as Windows, Forms, Views, etc. that interact together.

 

 

Additional Detail: 

• There is no limit to the number of resources within each Solution.
• There is no limit to the number of Solutions that can be created.
• The Import and Export process will require you to export entire solutions in an effort to preserve the integrity of the solution.  This will also prevent issues when transferring resources from one company to another as you will be sure to get all the needed linked resources.
• Resources can be duplicated between Solutions

Delivery Date

For the past 12 years eOne has prided itself on always releasing our ISV products to co-incide with all major Microsoft releases. For the first time ever with the release of 2013 we are late.

We have done everything we can to release on time but this year things have been out of our control.

Extender Standard and eXtender Enterprise: With a late decision for eXtender to be removed from the existing OEM arrangements with Microsoft - we had a very late start on development for eXtender. Not only did we have to upgrade our products as per normal we also had to, debrand and rebrand, consolidate to a single dictionary, merge 2 sets of code, include new functionality that now makes sense, ensure upgrades work form multiple code sets to a single install. This is proving to be a massive effort from our dev team. eXtender expected release date will be Early to Mid February.

Extender web Client: Not before SP1 at the earliest. There remain a number of Dex based functions that do not work with the web client. We are working closely with Microsoft to have these resolved, but are entirely reliant on their progress.

SmartConnect: As you know SmartConnect is independent to GP and installs as its own application. That said, we still have real time triggers in GP which rely on dex code. The other reliance is on eConnect which we must support within our code. So for those using SmartConnect with GP you will need to wait for the 2013 release. SmartConnect release date will be Early to Mid February.

SmartView: SmartView will be available by 31st Jan 2013.

Flexicoder: Flexicoder will be available by 31st Jan 2013.

SmartPost: Mid February.

Node Builder: Mid February (will be OK with current build if your Dynamics Database is still called Dynamics).


Again - we are not happy with the delays, but we are doing the very best we can. If you have any questions or urgent needs - please let us know.

Tech Tuesday: eXtender 2013 – What’s Coming?

There are a number of new and exciting changes to announce at eOne and you get a two for one in this Tech Tuesday article! First of all, please join us in welcoming Nicole Albertson to the eOne team. Nicole comes to us after 13 ½ years at Microsoft. She is a SmartList Builder and Extender guru as she has been focusing on those products since they were available on the Microsoft price list. Nicole brings with her a wealth of knowledge and we are excited to have her on our team. She will focus on all things Extender and run some of our new training offerings.

Here’s Nicole’s first of many Tech Tuesday articles, which shares the awesome new features in Extender 2013:

 

All features marked with an asterisk are only available in eXtender Enterprise.

1. Solutions

eXtender Resources are now organized into Solutions.

To preserve the integrity of the solution and try to prevent issues when transferring the setups between companies, you will only be able to import and export an entire solution.

You will be able to share resources between solutions using the Add To Solution window.  This link the resources together so that any setup change you make on the resource in one solution, will be reflected in the other solution as well.

You will also be able to copy resources from one solution to another and then customize them in each solution individually.

2. Improved User Interface

The processes involved in setting up a window or form is now a lot simpler.

To add a field to a window or form, select the position that you want to add a field (which is indicated by a red border) and click Add Field or Add Calc.

All of the field options that you need to set up the field are displayed on the dialog window. There is no longer a need to go to separate options windows for each field.

Moving fields is now done directly on the main window with Move Up and Move Down buttons for Windows and Move Up, Down, Left and Right buttons for Forms.

Fields can be made required by selecting the field and selecting the Required button. When a field is required, it is displayed in Bold. Fields can similarly be made hidden with the Hide button. Hidden fields are displayed in grey.

3. Default keys

The Key fields will now default on eXtender Windows for some of the common Microsoft Dynamics GP windows.

Keys default for the following windows:

·         Customer Maintenance

·         Customer Inquiry

·         Customer Address

·         SOP Entry (header and lines)

·         SOP Inquiry (header and lines)

·         Vendor Maintenance

·         Vendor Summary

·         Vendor Address

·         Item Maintenance

·         Item Inquiry

·         Employee Maintenance

·         Employee Summary

·         Employee Inquiry

·         Position Maintenance

·         Department Maintenance

·         Batch Entry

·         Checkbook Maintenance

·         Account Maintenance

·         Unit Account Maintenance

·         Variable Allocation Account Maintenance

·         Account Summary

·         GL Transaction Entry

·         Budget Maintenance

·         Salesperson Maintenance

·         Sales Territory Maintenance

·         Inventory Transaction Entry (header and lines)

·         Inventory Transaction Inquiry (header and lines)

·         Inventory Transfer Entry (header and lines)

·         Sales Transaction Entry

·         Sales Transaction Inquiry

·         Payables Transaction Entry

·         Payables Transaction Inquiry

·         PO Entry (header and lines)

More defaults and other dictionaries (Field Service, Project Accounting, Manufacturing, Fixed Assets) will be added in later versions.

4. Adding lists and note types

This feature allows users to add list items and note types by entering a comma or carriage return delimited list.

When you click on the Add button to add a list item or note type, you will get the following screen:

You can enter the values directly or cut and paste lists from other applications such as Excel. The values are parsed into a list of items.

5. Detail grids are now options on Windows and Forms

There is no longer a separate concept for Detail Forms and Detail Windows. There is now just an option to add a detail grid to a form or window.

During the upgrade process, all existing detail windows and forms will be recreated as windows and forms and will then use the scrolling grid option.

6. New actions*

To reduce the amount of code that is required, new actions have been created to replace common coding scenarios:

·         Open eXtender Form – opens any eXtender form

·         Close eXtender Form – closes the current form or window

·         Open Dynamics GP Form – opens any Dynamics GP form

·         Open SmartList – opens any SmartList

·         Set Field Values – sets multiple field values on a form

·         Display dialog – displays a prompt and up to 3 buttons, clicking on any of the buttons can trigger another action.

·         Run macro – runs a Dynamics GP macro

More action types will be added in later versions, including Run SmartConnect map.

 

7. More trigger points for actions*

Actions can now be triggered from:

·         Field change

·         Field entry

·         Field exit

·         Open form

·         Open window

·         Print

·         Save record

·         Delete record

·         Window menus

·         Right-click menu

·         New buttons on form toolbars (web-client only)

All of these options are available on eXtender and Dynamics GP forms and field values can be read from eXtender or Dynamics GP windows to pass as parameters to the actions.

8. Improved scripting*

The enter script windows (Enter Dynamics GP script and Enter SQL script) have been simplified to work the same way that the Enter Calculated Field window works. A list of fields can be double-clicked to add to the script. In the background, parameters are automatically created and at runtime, those parameters are read and replaced in the script.

 

Have questions or comments on the new features? Want to share your excitement? Feel like welcoming Nicole to the team? Email extender@eonesolutions.com