Add SSRS Report in Dynamics SL 2011Menu

This post is an effort to the various operating steps which helps to adding the SSRS Report under SL menu

   Step 1: Create New SSRS Report or use existing Report (.rdl) 

   Step 2: Include the report in SL root folder under Usr_Rpts

   Step 3: Open SL 11 -> Administration->Maintenance -> Report Control Maintenance  (98.300.00)

       Enter the Report information Report number, Report format name, Report format into the Report 

       Control  maintenance .

   Step 4:  Open SL 11 -> Administration->Maintenance -> Screen Maintenance (98.330.00)

       Enter the Report number, Report name, Module and Type 

   Step 5: Open SL 11 -> Administration->Maintenance -> Menu Maintenance (98.350.00)

1. Select the relevant Group in “Menu for Group”.
2. Select the Screens tab in the Menu Maintenance (98.350.00). 
3. Select ALL- Show All Screen from the Drop-down “Show Screen Access for Group”.  This will show up all the SL screens in the Screens tab.
4. Select the exact Report  from the Screens tab. Drag and drop the Report into the “Navigation pane work area” under  Inventory -> Report .
5. After add the report to menu exactly as a normal crystal report,but rename  the program ROISRS.EXE replacing from ROI. EXE.Report as shown in the below figure. 
6. Save and close the screen.

  Step 6:  Close the Solomon and launch it.

Dynamics SL Shortcut Keys

These shortcuts work in Dynamics SL:

  Are you using your F keys?  Some favorites:

F1 - Opens SL Help specific to the screen you are on

F2 - In a date field, brings up the relative period or relative date values; in a text field, allows enables cursor movement inside the field (including “Home” & “End”)

F3 - Opens PV list or the calendar on date fields.  If you prefer the mouse, double right click on the field.

F4 - Toggles between “Field View” and “Grid View” – i.e. change lines to grid and grids to line in your detail areas.  Double left click for the same results

F5 - Clears the value in a field

F6 - Insert Object wizard in Standard screen customization

F7 - Inserts today’s date in a date field

F9 - Opens “Yellow note” for editing 

F10 - focus on the Solomon Tool Bar

Alt + Ctrl + C - let's launches customize mode

ALT + F4 - Closes the active screen.

SHIFT+F3 - "Super" PV

SHIFT + F4 – Customized property browser for the selected control.

CTRL + S - Concluding error checks, save all changes in the current screen.

CTRL + E - Exports the grid detail to an Excel Workbook.

CTRL + HOME – Focus first segment of row in the Grid.

CTRL + END – Focus last segment of row in the Grid.

Communicator

Communicator provides for the manual creation of messages to support an electronic mail facility. Communicator screens are grouped by function. Communicator includes the following screens.

• Send Messages (CO.MMT.00)
• Alert Manager (CO.ALM.00) 
• Communicator to Mail (CO.MAL.00) 
• View Messages (CO.CMD.00) 

     1.  Open SL -> Project -> Project Controller -> Maintenance -> Employee and Resource Maintenance

    

 2.  Enter Employee ID , Name , Email user name and Select any one in “Send mail To” list 

Send Messages (CO.MMT.00):

Send Messages (CO.MMT.00) allow anyone with access to Communicator to format, maintain, and send Communicator messages to other employees within SL.

1.  Open Send Messages (CO.MMT.00) under Foundation -> Communicator. 

2.  Enter your employee ID in from field. You can secure your employee ID by setting up employee     

      passwords using Password Maintenance (PA.PWD.00).

         Note: - Refer the beneath link about Password Maintenance (PA.PWD.00).

                      http://ajitkannan-erp.blogspot.in/2013/05/additional-security-in-inquiry-and.html

3.  Enter the employee ID of the recipient in To field. This field is not secured by password protection. 

4.  Enter the text of the message in the Message Text area. 

5.  Click Save and Close.

Alert Manager (CO.ALM.00):

      

      1.  Create groups for (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) which you will send notification messages.
      2.  It processes the entire alert group. It generates a notification message only if you set Select as Yes.
      3.  Enter or select an employee ID in Employee. To send the notification to a group of managers, select
           one of the manager types that appear in the Manager list.  
     4.  When you have finished configuring all notifications for the current alert group, click Save.
     5.  To process all notifications on the current alert group, click “Begin Processing”. 

View Messages (CO.CMD.00):

    1.  Employee views notifications using View Messages (CO.CMD.00), which displays all messages to      

         the selected user. 

    2.  Functions such as Alert Manager (CO.ALM.00) or Time Review & Approval (TM.TRA.00).

         When you enter your employee ID in particular Screen, all of your messages appear in the grid on 

         View Messages Screen.  

   3.  When a new message arrives, status as New. If you change the message status from New to save, the 

        message appears below all messages that have a status of New.

   4.  When you select a message line, text Message appears in the lower part of the screen. Depending on 

        the type of message selected, different program buttons might appear beneath the text message.

Reply (button)

Reply is available at any time to send a message back to another employee. Clicking the button opens Send Messages (CO.MMT.00).

Project Net Profit (button)

When you select a message clicking the button opens Project Net Profit (PA.PNR.00). It displays the overall project information with Amount and units.

EAC Maint (button)

When you Clicking the button EAC Maintenance (IQ.EAC.00). It displays the Budget information

Communicator to Mail (CO.MAL.00):

      1.  Communicator to Mail (CO.MAL.00), which delivers Communicator messages by using Microsoft 

           Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO).

      2.  VSTO allows Microsoft Dynamics SL screens to communicate with “Microsoft Office Outlook   

           through an add-in”.

      3.  This add-in is named “Microsoft.Dynamics.SL.OutlookAddin” and is installed with the 

            Microsoft Dynamics SL .

     4.  The user defines the intervals to check unsent mail through timer for automatically 

           “Wake up” (Ex:60 min)

     5.  Also you can choose to process notifications manually by clicking “Mail Messages”. 

Error Messages

Error Messages display error messages from the mail system if any occur. Error Messages have been normally empty.

Mail Messages (button)

Clicking Mail Messages sends all new messages to the mail system immediately.     

Role Center in Dynamics SL 2011

Microsoft Dynamics SL 2011 provides new enhancements for end-users. With a new user-interface and functionality improvements, Dynamics SL 2011 is one of the largest product upgrades for Microsoft Dynamics in years.

We have experience on the latest Dynamics SL 2011 features of the Role center on Dashboard creation, Business Analyzer Charts (BA) and Quick queries. Read below for an introduction on Role Centers, Activities and Quick Lists.

What is a Role Center?

The Role Center contains activities along with Quick Lists areas to present you quick role-based information from Microsoft Dynamics SL 2011 data. When you access the Role Center page with your associated access rights, the Activities you have access to (across modules) will appear to the left side of the Role Center.

Only those users or group of users who have been given rights to the Role Center parts will be able to view the Role Center page. The Role Center has a section that contains Activities. These activities have associated Quick Lists that will display when focus is on the Activity.

What is a Quick List?

Quick Lists are associated with Activity Cues. The Activity Cue that has focus will be listed in the Quick List area. You can double click on a line item in the Quick List to open the specific screen that will show you that information.

What is an Activity Group?

Activities are grouped or categorized by the module. These categories are called Activity Groups.

Part:

Select from the available Parts that users or groups can be given rights to access. The available role center parts to select from 

• RCACT – Activities 
• RCQLIST – Quick List 
• RCVOICE – Connect

Predefined Activity Group list (Sub Part1): 

1. Account Payables (AP), 
2. Account Receivables (AR),
3. Project (PA).

Also include other modules in Activity Group

What is an Activity Cue (Sub Part2)?

Within each Activity Group listing there are Activity Cues that typically represent the pending work for a user or group. Each Activity Cue can be set to link an action which includes executing a Microsoft Dynamics SL 2011 Screen/Query, an external program or Quick List.

The Access check box is selected the user or group will have access to the Role Center and will be able to use each of these subparts which they are given access rights.

What are Activity Panes and Quick Lists?

They carry predefined Role Center in Dash Board views of Account Payables (AP), Account Receivables (AR), Project (PA) information in Dynamics SL 2011 also add other modules in Activity Group list it will also show in the Dash Board view. A quick list can be associated with each activity displaying all the details like vendor, customer or project information etc.

Dynamics SL – Notifications through Communicator module

Read the complete post at Congruent Info-tech 

http://blog.congruentindia.com/dynamics-sl-notifications-through-communicator-module/

Dynamics SL – Notifications through Communicator module

Report ROI has Stop working in Dynamics SL

Issue:

I'm getting this error when tried to click the print preview button in all Report ROI.

 Environment: Solomon 2011

System type: 32 bit OS windows 7

Cause1:

•  An invalid printer specified in Microsoft Dynamics SL Printer Options.

• In a Terminal Server or Citrix environment, every time that you log on, the name of the printer may change slightly.

Solution: 

      1.  Open Printer Options (98.220.00) and specify a valid printer / Use Windows Default printer.

Cause2:

•  The DLL file “u2lsol4.dll” may missing in \WRKSTN\Windows\Crystal under SL  root folder

Solution: 

1. Browse the “u2lsol4.dll” file under the SL installation files and place it in to the above mentioned path.
2.  Register the above DLL 

In Microsoft Dynamics SL 6.5, enable the "Company Selection" tab in Report ROI

Dynamics SL 7 & 2011 have a feature about Company selection tab in Report ROI. But in Dynamics SL 6.5 do some steps for enabling the "Company Selection" tab in Report ROI

Step 1: Enable multi-company selection for the custom report. 

• On the Utility menu, click Report Control Maintenance.
• In the Report Number Field, type the Custom report number, and then click Control Options.
• Click to select the Multi-Company Selection Allowed check box, and then click OK.
• Click Save, and then close the Report Control Maintenance (98.300.00) screen.

Step 2: Create links in your custom report to enable the access to company-specific data.

• Open the Crystal Report, click Open an Existing Custom Report, and then click OK.
• On the Database menu, click Database Expert.
• In the Database Expert dialog box, locate the Available Data Sources section, and then expand Current Connections.
• Expand the appropriate Microsoft Solomon application database, expand the second instance of this application database, and then expand Tables.
• Click RptCompany, and then click the Add arrow to add the RptCompany table to the Selected Tables section.
• Click the Links tab.
• Smart Linking automatically creates links between the RptCompany table and the existing tables in the CpnyID field. 
• If the links are incorrect, click Clear Links. Then, manually create the links. 
• Click OK.

Step 3: Add the RI_ID formula to the report.

• On the Report menu, click Select Expert.
• In the Choose Field dialog box, click RI_ID, and then click OK.
• In the Select Expert dialog box, click the RptCompany. RI_ID tab, and then click formula in the list that appears.
• In the formula box, type the following:                                                                           {RptCompany.RI_ID} = tonumber (RIPARAM ("RI_ID"))
• Click OK.
• Click Save, and then close Crystal Reports. And then run the report through Solomon.

Display your Company Logo to Dynamics SL

In Dynamics SL 2011, a new tab has been added to this Options Dialog screen called the Navigation Menu, which has added another layer of control and impacts whether you see your Company Logo in DSL menus.

Display your company logo is nothing new to Dynamics SL. If you haven’t done it yet, you can follow the following steps (1-4) for versions prior to 2011 and skip step 4 and go to step 5 if you’re using Dynamics 2011:

The simple steps to add your company logo:

1.      Rename the company logo file with the following format:

  company_ID.bmp

2.      Replace company ID with the company ID enter when login onto Dynamics SL.

3.      Add the .bmp file to the Microsoft Dynamics SL root directory.

4.      DSL 2011, log into Microsoft Dynamics SL. You will see the logo displayed in the upper-left section of the menu.

5.      For DSL 2011: Go to the new Tools Icon set just between the Company ID and Help Icons. Select the ‘Navigation Menu’ Tab and check ‘Company Logo on Area page’ in the Application pane. You should now see the Company logo on the module’s menus.

Note:

•       Each company ID in the Microsoft Dynamics SL installation can have a different logo.
•       The logo must be saved with the .bmp extension. No other extension will work like (.jpg, .jpeg, .gif)
•       The dimensions of the logo cannot exceed 192 pixels x 40 pixels. Otherwise, the logo may appear truncated.

Additional Security in inquiry and approval screens on Project Series Module

Password Setup :

   Open SL -> Project-> Project Controller-> Maintenance -> Password Maintenance 

Password Maintenance (PA.PWD.00):
   Provides password in selected inquiry and approval screens throughout the system.

Field descriptions for Password Maintenance Screen given below

     1.  Password Type:
            PV lookup in Password Type Valid password types are CPNY for company passwords, EMP for   
            employee passwords, and ORG for organizational (subaccount) passwords.

     2.  Key Value:
            Enter the secured key value to be password protected based on Password Type. 
            For example, if the password type is EMP, enter the Employee ID to password-protect in the   
            secured screens.

     3.  Password: 
            Passwords can contain from 6 to 22 characters. They can include both upper- and lowercase letters  
            in addition to numerals and special characters such as punctuation. 

           When users enter their password on a secured screen, the characters in the password do not appear.
          
Security reasons, it is important that this screen be restricted from unauthorized use.

Time Review and Approval Screen (TM.TRA.00)

  Open SL -> Project-> Time & Expense for Projects-> Processes -> Time Review and   

  Approval

• Select the Employee id in given key value field on Password Maintenance Screen

• It will invoke Enter password popup window.

• Enter the Password for the particular employee id as per the given Password Maintenance Screen

• Click OK, list the details value.

Project inquiry (UZ.UPI.00)

  Open SL -> Project-> Employee Utilization-> inquiries -> Project inquiry

• Select the Employee id in given key value field on Password Maintenance Screen

• It will invoke Enter password popup window.

• Enter the Password for the particular employee id as per the given Password Maintenance Screen

• Click OK, list the details value.

Converting Issue from 32-Bit (x86) to 64-Bit (x64)

Here’s a problem that was bugging me at my last upgrading SL 6.5 to SL 2011 project in client side. About 32-bit (x86) targeted dll while still being loadable by a 64 bit application. I've just been converting between them to see if that fixes anything. Finally catch the solution.

Upgrade from 32 bit to 64 bit

The server only has the 64-bit client installed so I copied the 32-bit dlls from (C:\Windows\System32) path on my development machine.  I tried copying over the 32-bit dlls to 64-bit client installed machine path (C:\Windows\Syswows64) .After copy the dll’s in particular path folder Register the dll file.

  Open command prompt

              Registry -> Manually Register

                     REGSVR64 "C:\Windows\System64\XXXXXX.dll"

What is system32 and syswow64?

• System32 folder is intended for 64-bit files only

• SysWOW64 folder is intended for 32-bit files only

The binary file compiled to a specific bitness (32 or 64) installs to the correct system folder. Otherwise the program that needs the file will not be able to load the file and will probably not work as expected.

Automatically Invoking the SL Standard (r) custom screen using Solomon object model

What is SOM? 

Solomon object model (SOM) is an automatic process for invoking the SL Standard (r) custom screen. The set of all members (properties, events, and methods) of a COM component, In the Microsoft Dynamics SL Object Model, this includes information about the SIVApplication and SIVToolbar objects and their members.

SOM reference in Visual Studio

IF the reference is not in that above window Screen

Click Add  à pick your reference à Click OK 

SOM Name Space Declaration  

Imports Microsoft.Dynamics.SL.ObjectModel

Imports Microsoft.Dynamics.SL.ObjectModel.SIVToolbar

Imports Microsoft.Dynamics.SL.ObjectModel.SIVApplication

Imports Microsoft.Dynamics.SL.ObjectModel.SIVControls

Imports Microsoft.Dynamics.SL.ObjectModel.sivMessageType

Imports Microsoft.Dynamics.SL.ObjectModel.

Module Declaration 

            Include Screen control  in Separate module

SOM Control

     1.  SIVApplication

Manipulate SIVControl using the reference returned by the Key Controls property. These         controls are also contained in the Controls collection

                Example:

                      To point to a control in a screen's Controls collection

                      cbatnbrb = SIVApp.Controls("cbatnbrb")

2.  SIVTb

A state of the toolbar that allows users with the proper rights to open applications and make changes to fields that are normally for display only.

            3.  SIVControl.

                   A SIVControl is only accessible as a member the Controls collection of a SIVApplication object.  

                   Once you have located in the collection a SIVControl object that you want to work with, you can 

                   set an object variable of type SIVControl to point to that collection member.

   Function’s for automatically invoking the SL Standard Screen from Custom screen

          a.  SL login

        'Solomon Login

        ContinueProcess = SolLogin(SIVTb, SIVApp)

        If Not ContinueProcess Then GoTo End_Script_App

    b.  Appstart

                    'Starting Application

                       ContinueProcess = AppStart(SIVTb, SIVApp, voucherprocess)

                       If Not ContinueProcess Then GoTo End_Script_App

     c.  AppctrlInstantiate

        'Instantiating SIVToolbar controls

        ContinueProcess = AppCtrlInstantiate(SIVTb, SIVApp, voucherprocess)

        If Not ContinueProcess Then GoTo End_Script_App

     d.  SolLogout

         'Logout toolbar

        ContinueProcess = SolLogOut(SIVTb, SIVApp)

        If Not ContinueProcess Then GoTo End_Script_App

Why Timer controls use

• Time delay for invoking the SL Screen automatically.
• The timer interval can be between 0 and 60,000 which means one minute timer is firing.
• A typical response is checking the system clock to see if it is time to perform some task.
• The Timer activity can be stopped on click of the Stop button where the processing won’t be happening anymore till the user start the process again on click of Start button.

Handling Crystal Reports in Dynamics SL

SL User is moving to Dynamics SL 2011 upgrading. Migrating customizations from SL 6.5 or SL 7.0 to SL 2011 has gone fine, on the other hand custom reports need an exact manner to ensure a smooth alteration. They can differ, but usually issues have to do “Report Execution” error messages when previewing a Report.

This concern is easily resolute by succeeding these steps:

1. Open the problematic report in Crystal Reports
2.  Go to the Database menu and select “Set Data source Location”

   3.  The “Set Data source Location” dialog opens. The top half is the current data source; the second is the  

    replacement data source. Each table and/or view involved in the report is listed at the top. If there are

 multiple instances of the same table, the Alias will appear before the table name in parenthesis. For

example, Ship Country (Country) – Country is the table name, Ship Country is the alias.   

 

4.  In the Replace with section, expand Create New Connection > ODBC

5.  When you expand ODBC, a list of data source names will appear, select the appropriate database, then press Next

6.  Enter the SQL Credentials press Finish.

7.  Select the first table/view on the Current Data Source and locate the matching table/view in the Replace With. Press Update.

8.  Repeat step 7 for ALL tables and views, including sub reports. Save the report and you will no longer see the error message! Before login Dynamics SL.