Great Plains Custom Development: Dexterity, VBA, SQL, Crystal, eConnect ? Overview For Programmer

Microsoft Great Plains is main Microsoft Business Solutions accounting package for the US market. It has multiple customization/modification/reporting tools. Currently there is upgrade campaign to version 8.0 and due to the discontinuation of the technical support for Microsoft Great Plains Standard on Ctree and Pervasive SQL - we see substantial increase in migration needs: migration from ctree/Pervasive to MSDE/MS SQL Server. This in turn increases interest to customization and customization upgrade.

If you are developer who is asked: how do we customize Great Plains ? read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.

1. Great Plains Dexterity ? this is proprietary programming language and technology, designed back to earlier 1990th with the goal to build platform independent graphical accounting package ? Great Plains Dynamics. Dexterity itself is written in C (following popular those days hope ? that C will provide platform independence). You can install Dexterity from Great Plains 7.5 CD #2. Obviously it requires a lot of learning / training, but it allows your custom piece be seamlessly integrated with Great Plains interface. Nowadays, however ? and this is a good thing ? most of Great Plains installations are moved to SQL Server ? so you can use Dexterity for custom forms drawing only and make the buttons run SQL stored procedures.

2. Modifier with VBA. Unfortunately you have to purchase this tool and get new registration keys. If you are familiar with VBA customization for Access or Excel ? you have all the skills needed ? then you just attach your scripts to the buttons and fields on GP forms (you can modify these forms with Modifier ? or just tough them with it).

3. Continuum for VB/Delphi ? we don't recommend this tool, because it is using Great Plains as OLE server ? and you probably don't want to be trapped by old technology.

4. Crystal Reports. Great Plains has its own ReportWriter, but its functionality is limited ? you can't do cross modules reports (you can't link Sales and Purchasing tables in one report, for example). So ? you use Crystal. The GP tables structure is in Tools->Resource Description->Tables ? and you are in control. Feel free to create views and stored procs directly in the companies databases ? it doesn't hurt the Dexterity engine

5. Direct web publishing from Great Plains SQL databases, using Visual Studio.net and your language of choice (VB.Net, C#, J#, etc). Plus you probably want to have several SQL stored procs.

6. eConnect ? this tool is type of SDK with VB.net samples. It allows you to feed data into Great Plains and was primarily created for eCommerce developers.

7. Integration Manager ? it is end-user tool for importing to GP, however if end-user meets some challenges in the integration ? you as a developer can help with VBA scripts. IM validates 100% of business logic and uses hidden GP forms ? so it maybe slow for big on-going integrations, when you have thousands records per day ? in this case you rescue to eConnect or directly to SQL store procedures.

8. SQL queries - as a developer you have unlimited potential in using SQL queries, because the database in MS SQL Server. Be careful, it is kind of surgery - you can easily delete all your customers, by executing: DELETE RM00101

Happy customizing! if you want us to do the job - give us a call.

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies ? USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

akarasev@albaspectrum.com

1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

---

Anti-Spyware Protection ? Holes in the Shining Armor

Looking at all the ads which promise to get rid... Read More

Lotus Domino: Application Integration ? A Programmer View

There are two approaches for application integration:? Programmer's approach ?... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 Brazilian Version ? Overview For International Consultant

Microsoft Great Plains has substantial mid-market share in the USA... Read More

Microsoft CRM Lotus Notes Domino Connector FAQ

Microsoft Business Solutions CRM and IBM Lotus Notes Domino, being... Read More

OLAP, An Alternative Technology Over Spreadsheets

Are Spreadsheets Robbing your Enterprise of Competitive Advantage?'90% of "average"... Read More

Microsoft CRM Conversation Gateway: VoIP - Implementation & Customization

Microsoft CRM is winning market share step-by-step from such the... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains: Offshore Customization & Development ? Overview for Consultant

When you visit department stores and see that majority of... Read More

An Introduction to .NET Framework

.Net Framework is a platform or development environment to seamlessly... Read More

Five Reasons for Using an O/R Mapping Tool

So, why should you use any O/R mapping tool? I... Read More

Linux for Home Users

Hey Guys! Don't raise your eyebrows or fear by hearing... Read More

HSphere Control Panel Tips and Tricks - Power At Your Fingertips: Part 1

The first topic we are going to discuss... Read More

Things You Can Do With Windows XP!

Did you ever give a thought to the number of... Read More

Free PDF Publishing Software

In a previous article, I wrote about OpenOffice... Read More

Reduce TCO: The Java Database Way

TCO (Total Cost Ownership) is the buzzword in... Read More

Dont Choose Adobe When Working With PDF

While Adobe is the most known maker of PDF tools,... Read More

Great Plains Sales Order Processing and Invoicing Modules ? Tips For Consultants

We'll give you non formal view, based on our consulting... Read More

S is for Spying, Surveillance -- and for Software as Well

Words we choose to describe things and phenomena often show... Read More

Call Alert Notifications - Free Answering Machine Software for PCs

If you're online using a dialup Internet connection, you'll probably... Read More

Passwords Used In Microsoft Word Documents

You would like to protect your documents, wouldn't you? Reasons... Read More

10 Ways to Learn a Software

Following tips help you to learn a software in lesser... Read More

Computer Based Language Development and Spell-checking

Language development computer: Computer-based method for aiding language development seems... Read More

Are You Waiting for Microsoft Longhorn Operating System

I love new technology. I am still ready to wait... Read More

C++ Tutorial 2, Input and Variables

This is the tutorial where we really get into programming.... Read More

International Support - Microsoft Great Plains VAR/Partner Selection ? Overview for V.P. IT

Looks like Microsoft Great Plains becomes more and more popular,... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains: Manufacturing or Bill of Materials - Overview for IT Specialist

Microsoft Great Plains is main Microsoft Business Solutions product, targeted... Read More

Daffodil DB: Web Database

What is a Web Database?A web database is a database... Read More

Fleet Maintenance Software Reviews

Innovative Maintenance Systems (IMS) is one company that offers solutions... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains - Typical Problems And Fixes ? Overview For IT Administrators

How to delete the user? This is the first problem... Read More

Software Process Improvement -A Successful Journey

Background: For many organizations like ours, the interim target of... Read More

Cisco Certification: Introduction To ISDN, Part IV

In part III of this ISDN primer, we learned that... Read More

Device Driver Basics

Most people understand that the "hardware" part of their computer... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Customization Recovery & Upgrade for Large Corporation

At the end of XX century, in the late 1990th... Read More

A Case Study on Selecting Contract Management Software

Professional services firm cuts costs and improves productivity with integrated... Read More