| Microsoft Dynamics GP is successor of Great Plains | | | | in SQL Select statement - this should be the real |
| Software Dynamics and eEnterprise ERP application, | | | | solution, which will eliminate records duplications, |
| and Crystal Reports was always the reporting tool of | | | | described in #1. If you plan to invest your time in CR |
| the choice for Dynamics. Historically GP Dynamics | | | | practicing for GP, you should make several practical |
| was available on Pervasive SQL and Ctree platform, | | | | lessons where you base GP Crystal Reports on SQL |
| where Crystal Reports were limited, due to the | | | | view and stored procedure |
| limitation to Pervasive and Faircom ODBC drivers. | | | | 3. Other reporting tools for GP. If you are CR |
| The last version, available on Pervasive/Ctree was | | | | developer, it is natural, that you try to apply Crystal |
| Microsoft Great Plains 7.5 and since version 8.0 GP | | | | Report in all the situations, however you should be |
| Dynamics is available on Microsoft SQL Server only, | | | | aware that GP has very powerful pre-designed tools. |
| and as you can expect, SQL Server opens all the | | | | If you need to create financial statements: Balance |
| possible horizons for reports development. Current | | | | Sheet, P&L, Cash Flow - you should consider FRx |
| Version of GP as of November 2007 is 10.0. In this | | | | report designer first, FRx links to GP General Ledger |
| small article we will open "philosophical" principles of | | | | and so, if more efficient than CR in Financial Reporting. |
| Crystal Reports design for Microsoft Dynamics GP: | | | | GP ReportWriter. This reporting tool gets the |
| 1. Crystal Reports is "just" a reporting tool, not and | | | | advantages of GP report launching screens, such as |
| magic "all-the-problems-solver". This means that you | | | | SOP Invoice form, from where you can print specific |
| should not overestimate the power of report wizards, | | | | invoice - so called modified reports allow you to place |
| but instead design either SQL view or SQL stored | | | | your company logo on Invoice form. Other features of |
| procedure to accept parameters and return records | | | | FRx and RW are outside of the scope, please check |
| set to your Crystal Report. Then all you need to do in | | | | our publications on these products |
| CR is to group records, sort them, and of course apply | | | | 4. GP Dexterity Reporting. Dexterity is IDE and |
| styles and other "cosmetics". We are placing this | | | | programming language of GP. Dex allows you to |
| message in the first bullet, because we saw a lot of | | | | customize GP forms and reports plus create new |
| report design failures, where designer tried to do very | | | | ones. In order to explore Dex option, we recommend |
| complex GP tables links within CR and then apply | | | | you to contact GP Dexterity developer, who should |
| further complex restrictions, and ended up with lines | | | | help you in the selection |
| duplication, and other annoying problems, which in fact | | | | 5. Calling CR from GP interface. You can use several |
| pile up if you try to fix them with similar patches and at | | | | techniques. First one is traditional - use VBA/Modifier |
| the end of the way, report was abandoned | | | | (you will need customization site enabler license for |
| 2. SQL View vs. Stored Procedure. Of course SP | | | | GP), from VBA scripts you can call CR engine. |
| looks more elegant as it accepts parameters, which | | | | Second technique is Dexterity, where you call Crystal |
| are translated to CR parameters, however SP is also | | | | Reports engine from your custom Dexterity sanscript |
| more powerful than the view due to the ability to | | | | code. You can also consider SDK for Visual Studio |
| include temporarily tables and intermediate calculations | | | | developer, allowing you to extend GP forms and of |
| (based on temporary tables). Temporary tables allow | | | | course call CR from your . |
| you to go beyond the standard techniques of grouping | | | | |