Online Field Descriptions Manual

[JunglesMcBeef]

G'day,

Can anyone tell me where to find the online field descriptions manual? I am new to dynamics, I am trying to work out where my data is being stored and what names of the tables are that my data is being modified in. I have pulled out a report writer manual, and to get a better knowledge of these things it says to check out the ofdm. If it isn't too much trouble (and is easier than searching for it) would someone consider giving me a copy? Thanks

 

[winthropdc]

Here is my summary on how to get info about tables and fields.

1) Open the window, then select Tools >> Integrate >> Table Import to see the tables associated with the Dexterity Form.

2) Open the window, then select Tools >> Customise >> Customise Current Window. Once in Modifier Layout mode, look at the window object properties. Usually the most important table for a Form is linked as the AutoLink table. Then close the layout window and look at the Tables tab of the Form definition window to see the attached tables (same as the info in 1).

3) Try using SQL logging by adding the following lines into the DEX.INI:

SQLLogSQLStmt=TRUE
SQLLogODBCMessages=TRUE
SQLLogAllODBCMessages=TRUE

and look at the DEXSQL.LOG file after performing the actions you are interested in.

4) Load the SDK (Software Developers Kit), there are transaction flow documents which show what tables to use for specific transactions. Also there are PDF E-R (Entity - Relationship) diagrams which show the tables and their relationships.

5) Select Tools >> Resources >> Tables and use the Table Resource window to look up tables.

6) Use a tool like SnapShot (available from Development page of

http://www.winthropdc.com).

It can display and export information about tables. However, its main function to to provide platform and account framework data transfer/backup/migration.

7) Load Dexterity (on 2nd CD) and open the dictionary and look at the form definition to get the attached tables... same as the info in 1 and 2.

8) Open the window and print the associated report to the screen, select Tools >> Customise >> Modify Current Report. The look at the tables attached the report from the Report Definition.

9) This is probably the most powerful of all the methods listed and is normally only available to the Dexterity Developer. Add the following lines into the DEX.INI to turn Debug mode on (Please do not use for live systems):

ScriptDebugger=TRUE
ScriptDebuggerProduct=0

The zero is the Product ID for Great Plains (as shown in the DYNAMICS.SET launch file.

Launch Great Plains and you should now have a Debug menu on the right hand side of the menu bar.

Get to where you want to start logging/profiling. Select Debug >> Profile Scripts, Debug >> Clear Profile, Debug >> Log Scripts and select a filename. Then perform the actions you want to log. Then select Debug >> Log Scripts to stop the logging, Debug >> Save Profile to save the profile and Debug >> Profile Scripts to turn off profiling.

Now look at the script log and the script profile files. The Script log shows all the Dexterity calls with their parameters & hierarchy and the Script Profile will show you the scripts called with how many times they are called and how much time was spent inside the call.

Here is the trick.... The bottom half of the Script Profile shows all the tables that were touched and what actions took place.

NOTE: that this only logs Dexterity based table actions, if a stored proc is called Dexterity cannot see what is happening and so will not log those table actions.

10) I suppose you could also turn on SQL activity tracking from Enterprise Manager to see what actions SQL Server is doing.

Hope this helps.

David Musgrave
Senior Development Consultant
Asia Pacific Professional Services

Microsoft Business Solutions

http://www.microsoft.com/BusinessSolutions

mailto:dmusgrav@nospam-microsoft.com

Any views contained within are my personal views and
not necessarily Microsoft Business Solutions policy.