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Extended Description deleting descriptions issue

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MDSMAS200

IS-IT--Management
Oct 19, 2007
20
US
*Warning, this is a long description*

I am working with MAS 200 and I have done an inventory import into one of our companies. Some of the items have an extended desc (more than 30 chars) and I flagged such items to have an extended description.

After the import, I went into the Inv Maint screen to check on the inventory. When I click on a product that was flag for an ext desc, the Item Text Maintenance box pops up, but it is blank. In the title area of the box, it shows the item number and 30 char description. In the editor box, it is blank, and the cursor is on the second line, like there is a blank return inserted. If I click the OK and/or Cancel button, it will completely clear out the description of the product.

My thought at this point is "Ok, its flagged for an ext desc, so I need to run an Ext Desc import job". Here is the job that I have run:

Note: To successfully import Extended Descriptions on version 4.10, the source file must be a comma delimited file (other file formats will not work) where Item numbers is in the first column and the entire description in the second column. Create a backup or make a copy of the source file before importing because the source file will be reformatted by the Perform Logic used in the import job.
1. Create an import into the file IM.ITEMEXT.
2. Click 'Perform', and add the following perform logic ..\IM\IMWVIP;IM_ITEMEXT_JX
3. Verify 'Job Start' is selected for 'Perform On', and click the 'Add' button.
4. In the 'Job Perform Logic' window, click 'OK'.
5. In the 'Configuration' tab, select the 'Insert All Fields During Setup' option. Do not remove any fields from the 'Data' tab unless specified by this article. Comment size is calculated by the record perform logic.
6. Click the 'Data' tab, and double-click the 'COMMENT_TEXT' field.
7. In the 'Import Field Properties' window, change the field from 4 to 3. Click the 'Accept' button.
8. Click the 'Records' tab. In the window on the right, double-click the 'Comment Record'. Clear the 'Perform Logic Only' check box.
9. Enter the following values in the 'Record Properties' window:
o Field = 2
o Start = 1
o Length = 3
o Relation = Not Equal (<>)
o Value = 000
10. In the 'Record Properties' window, click 'Accept'.
11. In the 'Available Record Types' window (left side), double-click the header record.
12. In the 'Record Properties' window, enter the following values:
o Field = 2
o Start = 1
o Length = 3
o Relation = Equal (=)
o Value = 000
13. Click the 'Perform' button. Select "B - Before Write", and enter the command: ..\VI\VIWLIB;PROCESS_MEMO
14. Click the 'Add' button, and then click 'OK' in the 'Record Perform Logic' window.
15. In the 'Record Properties' window, click 'Accept'.
16. In Import Job Maintenance, click 'Accept' and run the job

This did not fix the issue as described above, but it has also affected all items with less than 30 chars.

We also found in one of our live companies, that some of the products with 30 chars are having the same issue. Some have retained the ext desc, and some havnt.

Any ideas or help with this would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Mike
 
First what version of MAS are you on?

Second, MAS keeps descriptions in two files, Inventory Master file which holds the frist 30 characters and the Extended Description file which holds the complete description including the first 30. When you pull up an item the program will open up basically a query of the Extended description table for that item. When you close it the program writes back the first 30 characters to the Inventory master file to keep the two in sync. In this case since the extended description table was blank it blanked out the inventory master file description as well.

Third, the import into Extended Description is not hard. Have done it numerous times but setting up the file correctly is a bit difficult. Need to know the version of MAS you are on.
 
BigLouie,

We are using MAS 200 Version 4.10.1.15

If you need any other information, please let me know.


Thanks,

Mike

 
Since you are on 4.10, there are more files to be concerned with.

1) inventory masterfile (IM1)
2) common items file (CI_Item)
3) regular extended descriptions (IM_03)
4) common items extended descriptions (CI_ExtendedDescriptions)

Dawn
 
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