When using the Modifier to add a list field (drop down list, button drop down list, listbox, multi-select list box) to a window as a local field, the only option available to populate the list was to add static values.  This is because there is no functionality available in VBA to add items to a Dexterity list field.

This example shows a method which calls Dexterity sanScript from VBA to get Dexterity to add items to the list field for us.  This means that the list field can be dynamically populated based on business rules or data in a table.

Normally, when you call Dexterity sanScript using the Continuum Integration Library, the script is…

It seems that the last few times I have implemented Contract Administration I've had to work around the inherent restrictions on the Contract Number field by using another field, in this case User Defined 1, to track an internal Customer Contract Number; in this example "Job Number". Maybe I'm missing something here but this is how I was able to work around this.

It's nice that you can move the User Defined 1 field onto the Contract Entry/Update window and add it to the Contract Lookup with Modifier in just seconds. This isn't as simple on some other windows in GP:




























The problem was that Contracts needed to be retrieved using this Job Number value. Depending on how you address that, it could have a much more significant impact on the project budget. In this case, the customer was just as happy entering the Job Number to retrieve the Contract Record as they would be if the field were added to the Find Function in the Contract Lookup window.

It's important to note in this example that Job Number uniqueness is forced across Contracts.

To do this in GP 10; first, create some…

It has been a while since I posted some example code, so here is one which demonstrates how to write back data using ADO. 

The following VBA example adds the Item Short Description and Standard Cost fields to the Item Transaction Inquiry window and reports. It also allows the Standard Cost to be edited and updated back to the Item Master table.

The VBA code opens the connection when the window…

The following VBA example extends the Reference field on the GL Transaction Entry window from string field of 30 characters to a text field of 200 characters.  The first 30 characters of the text field are populated into the original string field so it will contain data when viewed on a non-modified window or report.

The code uses the DUOS (Dynamic User Object Store) to store the contents of the text field when there are more than 30 characters.  If there are 30 characters or…

The following VBA example adds the Sales Order Processing User Defined 3 field onto the Receivables Transaction Inquiry window.

When the window is opened the code will obtain the current user's credentials and open an ADO (ActiveX Data Objects) connection to SQL Server.  This connection is closed when the window is closed. 

The connection object variable has been declared as public so that it can be used by the main window module to read the name of the prompt for…

The following VBA example adds two additional fields to the Sales Prospect Maintenance window and Sales Prospect Report.

The Modifier was used to add the additional local fields, and then VBA code added. The…

Hey Guys,Learn From the Best! Mariano Gomez [MVP] is preparing for a free 3-days Modifier with VBA workshop…

Ever walked into a site where customizations to the Dynamics GP system seem to be endless? Are you confused as a consultant by what was done in what tool? This one may seem as a no brainer, but it is one of the biggest issues I face when I go to a customer's site, especially when I am not the first to walk in there.

In addition, many of my customers also ask about windows with titles enclosed by periods, i.e., ".Customer Maintenance.", or preceded by one period, i.e., ".Customer Maintenance", or suffixed by one period, i.e., "Customer Maintenance.", of course, for the trained and qualified eye, all created with Modifier and/or VBA, and/or both. The question is often, why is it that we have these two periods around the window name? Can't we change it to something more visually appealing and truly indicative of existing customizations?The honest truth is, unless you have a much trained eye, these periods can escape you very easily and can make users very confused as to what they are…

I’ve had people ask me why they would ever need the Modifier tool, and what use is VBA in…

It is pretty simple to apply custom filters to grids in Dynamics GP to control the data that loads into Lookups and Transaction Entry Windows.

In this example, my client wanted to be able to filter the Contract Maintenance - Lines window by Item Number and/or Serial Number.  Their contracts can be quite lengthy.  Research and contract maintenance would be cumbersome and…

It is a universal truth that we people are complainers.  We complain about missing functionality here, broken functionality there, and it seems like we are never happy with the tools we have.  Call it perfectionism, call is realism, I am as guilty of it as the next person.

But this week I was reminded of the usefulness of Modifier, a tool that is often lumped in with Report Writer as having limited usefulness and causing frustration.  I think, as is often the case, the devil is in the details.  Proper scoping initially can ensure the proper development tool is selected for the project.  And for this project, the use of Modifier decreased the cost and maintainance of a previous Dexterity based customization.

When I was initially given the Dexterity customization to review, I noticed how basic it was. …