Want to duplicate an GP Excel Report plus a few fields?

Want to duplicate an GP Excel Report plus a few fields?  Or wondering what these “Data connections” are in SmartList Builder? Or puzzled on where the “Data connection” went in Builders for GP 2010?  Wonder no more…

The GP Excel Reports are based off a series of SQL views added to the GP database. The “Default” ones are all the data straight from the view, others are the view with some restrictions added. (Same as the SmartList favorites they are modeled after.)

The programmers for GP Builders added these views as “Data Connection” in the table section for the Builders.  So you can use this data in anything you build. 

They have their own security (similar to the SQL tables/views) under MS Dynamics GP > Tools > SmartList Builders > Security > Data Connection Security.  

In GP2010, the “Data Connection” option disappears in the table section in Builders unless there are Data Connections enabled in security. (Same with the SQL table option!)

Next time you want to quickly add the data from an Excel Report (which you know are a lot like the SmartLists)… Try the Data Connection.   It might work for you.

Happy Building,
Devon

PS – for those of you familiar with SQL – check out the design of these views (names are the same as the name for the Data connection) you will learn all sorts of interesting things about the GP data and tables.  (All these neat SQL Functions “dbo.DYN_FUNC_XX”  like  DYN_FUNC_Account_Category_Number)

Copy a basic SmartList from GP into SmartList Builder?

I hate it when I am wrong!   I have been posting that there is no way to copy a basic SmartList (one that comes with GP without Builder) into Builder.  While that is true…

Someone at Microsoft has been recreating these SmartLists with ALL the tables in Builder.  (The templates have been around a while for download but earlier versions weren’t very good.)

SmartList Templates for Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0
(These require a CustomerSource Logon to download.)

I haven’t looked at all of them, but most seem very good.**  Check out all of the tables used on the Receivable Transactions SmartList:

Remember that Advanced GoTo’s don’t import so you will need to add GoTo’s to:

• Payables Transaction Inquiry
• Purchase Order Inquiry
• Receivable Transaction Inquiry
• Sales Inquiry (Sales Order Processing)

Also remember that not all SmartList functionality is reproducible in Builder.  For example, on Sales Transactions the default GoTo opens Entry if the transaction is open and Inquiry if the transaction is in History.  This is typical for many transaction SmartLists.  We can’t reproduce this in Builder (yet?… hint, hint…).  We have to build two GoTo’s, one to the entry screen and one to the inquiry screen and pick which to make the default GoTo.

One more thing…  The SmartLists from GP change the field names for user defined fields, you will need to do this yourself in Builder.

Happy Building,
Devon

**Here is a list of issues I see (to be revised as more are identified):

• CUST_ADD – Customer Addresses & VEND_ADD – Vendor Addresses:  link to Internet Information table, see my post on this
• ITEM – Items: link to Multiple Manufacture Items Master – this table can contain more than one record per item, so could cause Items to appear multiple times, if the table is used this way

Import / Export in the Builders

The XML export and import in SmartList Builder has existed since at least GP8 but there were lots of pieces that didn’t export (and so were missing in the imported version). In a discussion with MS support they confirm that there are various documented issues in older GP versions. In addition, Outlook didn’t like to email the XML files. So, I just got into the habit of building SmartLists on the client’s server.

Since it has been over 5 years, I figured it was time to look at the Import & Export features again. (Especially since Outlook will now email XML files without issue.)

Testing on GP 10 SP 4+  (10.00.1411), I created a SmartList with all of the various features including items that didn’t work in earlier versions (field formatting, negative values, Go To’s etc.). I exported, deleted the original and imported the XML file.

I was pleasantly surprised. I found that everything came thru EXCEPT Advanced Go To’s – which are easy to re-add after importing.  (Let me know if you are aware of any other issues!)  I will certainly be using the Import/Export in the future.  

One note – make sure you are NOT importing into a GP install that has the same List ID (for that type) it will try to overwrite the existing List without warning. (And I have found that this overwriting has unpredictable results). My trick is to save only one List in each file and name the file the List ID.

Here is how to export:
Microsoft Dynamics GP >> Tools >> SmartList Builder >> Export

You can check more than one list and various types.
Type or use the Yellow folder to navigate to your desired path.
Make sure your file has a .xml extension.
Press the Export button on the top Left.

To import:
Microsoft Dynamics GP >> Tools >> SmartList Builder >> Import

Type your file name or use the Yellow folder to navigate to your desired file.
Press the Import button on the top Left.

Be patient, it will take a little time to import your List (generally about 1 minute each or more). You will not be able to use GP until it is done importing. (If you try – GP will show as “Not Responding” and the import screen will stop updating. Don’t panic – it is still importing – just wait.)

Happy Building,
Devon

PS – Thanks for all the congratulations… my son is doing great.

Making a copy of a Builder SmartList

This is so easy – you are going to say “DUH”  but people seem to constantly be searching for how to copy one SmartList in Builder to another.  This is exactly the same in Excel Report Builder.  So here it is:

Pull up the one you want to copy-

in GP2010 you will see Navigation List too:

Enough said?

Happy Building,
Devon