Vision Point 2000 Printing Problem 2

[mitchk]

I am the new IT person at the business I am employed at (our SBT guy is a real jerk and is avoiding calling me back because he is upset with the boss because he wont upgrade to something new). I recently replaced the computer (XP Professional) at the front counter with a Okidata Microline 320 attached and shared. The Okidata is used for invoices. SBT is run as a shared folder on a server and each user opens VPW via a shortcut (this is very stupid I realize but thats the way it was setup when I came in). I used the same network name as before and VPW on the new computer will print to the Okidata, however none of the computers connecting to the shared printer are working now. I realize that because VPW is DOS based it wants to print to a LPT port for non-laser. In the past I have had a very clever way of fixing this: goign to the printer's properties selecting LPT1 hitting apply then setting it back to it's proper port then hitting apply again (why this works I dont really understand, but it has actually been more reliable than using "net use LTP1 \\front\generict /persistent:yes". I have an identical setup at another location I just went through replacing the computer attached with no hiccups. All of the computers can print to the Okidata with anything but VPW.

 

[fitedgar]

I am assuming Windows Environment.

Fox Pro for windows is very picky concerning printing Invoice Forms( Fox Pro reports) . It embeds the printer name in the form it self.

Make sure All workstaion's have the shared printer and its shared name must be the same.

Open Fox Pro for windows at one of those workstations.
Open the Invoice Form
Select Page Layout from the Report Menu
Select Print Set Up
( Select the printer which you always use for invoices)
Select OK and Save the form (Report).

Worksations should be able to print to that printer.

<< SBT is run as a shared folder on a server and each user opens VPW via a shortcut (this is very stupid I realize but thats the way it was setup when I came in)>>

How else would you run the program ?

Edgar
Integrated Bar Code Systems, Inc.

 

[mitchk]

Thanks Edgar for the quick response I will try this immediately.

I haven't seen a program in ages that only works via the share method. I figured there had to be a remote client that connected to a central server. Guess I thought this was newer than that.

 

[mattjurado]

Let us know if that doesn't work.

If it doesn't, post what happens (error, nothing at all, etc...).

I seem to recall that SBT would ask you what Windows printer you would like to use just before the print job occurs. I also recall at the site I am thinking about, that all I had to do was map the port lpt1 using the command you specified.

If that didn't work, did you test the mapping to make sure that is good (open a command prompt and do a dir > lpt1).

I could be wrong though, been awhile.

Matt

Please always take the time to backup important data and verify that backup, before making any changes suggested.

 

[SBTBILL]

VP 9 (Vision Point 2000) is from 1998-1999. It was the last edition written in Foxpro 2.6 which is not VFP. At the time Foxpro 2.6 had been replaced by VFP for about 5 years so you are really talking about a program from the early 90's that was written for Windows 3.1 and DOS. That is the big problem with all editions of Vision Point. Vision Point 10 was ported to VFP 6 in 2000 and hasn't been updated since build 12 in 2001. Like all ports a lot of the code is legacy.

Basically, Sage/SBT/ACCPAC put Vision Point in a support only mode in 2001 and started trying to replace it with PRO which is a lot more expensive. A lot of people resisted this because VP was a nice program that was in a written in a style that a lot of dealers felt comfortable with. It was in my opinion a lot easier for end users to lean as well. It is also unlimited multiuser which could be a major benefit.

But the bottom line is VP is a dead end that will very soon cease to be sold. It is in VFP 6 which has Vista issues. It places a lot of data files in the root directory which also seems to be a Vista issue. In the last 7 years accounting software has improved. Accounting rules have changed. Frankly, I think for small numbers of users Peachtree is now a better program and for larger installations Cougar Mountain does the job better.

For really larger companies PRO is a very good solution but has the problem of being written in VFP 9 which appears to be the last edition of Visual FoxPro.

Bill Couture
http:\\sbtbill.com

 

[mitchk]

fitedgar,

I was out of the office since last Wednesday and just now got all the fires out to start working on this issue again.

How exactly do you open "Fox Pro for Windows" on one of the local machines? I assumed this was "Vfp6run.exe" but it appears this was wrong.

Thanks,
Mitch

 

[SBTBILL]

VFP6RUN.exe sounds like the runtime version of VFP 6. It shouldn't be openable or runable. It would run Vision Point 9 but would expect it to look really bad. You should be looking for something like fpd.exe or fpw.exe. The regular version of VFP6 is VFP6.EXE.

Bill Couture
http:\\

http://www.sbtbill.com

 

[mitchk]

Here is a list of the executables in the VP2000 directory:

dzprog32
FF
locate
sbt_sales_report
vfp6run
vpdot
vploadw
vpw
wgicons
wsysflag

 

[fitedgar]

You need Visual Foxpro retail Version 6.0 to modify the form.

You may able to edit\change the Form within the VP program. I don't have this program to know certainly.

Edgar
Integrated Bar Code Systems, Inc.

 

[SBTBILL]

What is the date on the VPW?. How do you know it is VP 2000 otherwise known as VP 9? Do you have any files with the extention PRG or SCX?

Bill Couture
http:\\

http://www.sbtbill.com

 

[mitchk]

The date on VPW.exe is April 28, 1999. I have both PRG and SCX files. I assumed that it was VP2000 because the directory it is installed to is /SBT/VP2000

 

[SBTBILL]

If you had upgraded it would still be in a VP2000 directory. 1999 does sound like 9, but what do you get when you go to the help pull down and press about Vision Point. The thing is the run time you have should only have been shipped with Vision Point 10.

Your issues are quite a bit different between VP 9 and VP 10.

Bill Couture

 

[mitchk]

The About Vision Point states that it is Vision Point 10.0.

I really appreciate all of this insight you guys are giving me as well as your patience!

 

[fitedgar]

Please refer to my prior postings.

Edgar
Integrated Bar Code Systems, Inc.

 

[mitchk]

I am trying to get my hands on a copy of Fox Pro 6 (not easy).

Strangely, I have formatted another Workstation and somewhat magically it can print to the invoice pinter in VPW without a hitch. Windows automatically detected the shared printer just like the other workstations but this one works. Same XP, same updates, etc...

 

[SBTBILL]

Great Vision Point 10 is a completely different story from Vision Point 9. You check that you have build 12. That is the last one out. Try with your dealer otherwise e-mail me your info and I'll try to get you an answer.

VP10 is in VFP 6.0 it is a fully Windows XP compatible program so your printing issue is probably related to Windows in some way or as mentioned because of hard directed reports.

What is the default printer for the machine that will not print.

Bill Couture
htp:\\

http://www.sbtbill.com

 

[mitchk]

I tried the defaulting the invoice printer before, its obvious that its something fudged between VPW printing to a certain 'path' that doesn't point to the correct printer.

The specific message I receieve (instantly):

"Error 1957 Error Accessing Printer Spooler
NOTE: when suspended error/escape trapping disabled

 

[fitedgar]

Fox Pro 2.6, Visual Fox Pro embeds the printer name in the form ( report) it self. It has nothing to do with version of Vision Point.

Once you obtain a copy of Visual Foxpro

Method 1
As per my prior posting

Method 2
Reports( invoice forms etc ) are just tables.

Open the report'stable and clear the printer controls with the following comand:

USE YourReport.FRX
GO TOP

REPLACE all tag with " ", tag2 with " "

These fields contain the printer where it is going to print

I hope I am not confusing you. It requires some knowledge of Fox Pro.

You should be able to do method 1 through Vision Point. Look for MODIFY FORMS .

Edgar
Integrated Bar Code Systems, Inc.

 

[mitchk]

A strange discovery...I can print Invoice Reports from anywhere with the Okidata printer.

Edgar,
When I try your first method (open vpw, files > customize forms) I get a list of invoice forms: ARISWN, ARIEWN, etc. with a description of each.

When I attempt to edit ANY of them (and I tried all of them) I get the message "Custom Invoice Standard Form * * for company 01 not found. Copy from default template?

* being wild cards for the specific form i choose (laser, nonlaser, pre-printed)

 

[fitedgar]

<< for company 01 not found. Copy from default template? >>
Select the correct form Laser plain, pre-printed etc. depending on what printer to use.

This creates a copy from the original and will have a name Ex. ARISWNxx xx = company number.

Select Page Layout from the Report Menu
Select Print Set Up
( Select the printer which you always use for invoices)
Select to save ( I think Ctrl-W) and Save the form (Report).

Edgar
Integrated Bar Code Systems, Inc.