User Interface Changes for SYSPRO

Transcription

1 User Interface Changes for SYSPRO

2 User Interface Changes for SYSPRO 7 3 Table of Contents Introduction... 4 User Interface Themes and Preferences... 4 Changes to the main menu in SYSPRO Conversion of Favorites Pane in Main Menu Flow Graph Navigation Pane Importing and Exporting Menus and Favorites Conversion of main menu tree view New chart controls in SYSPRO New features for forms in SYSPRO Adding custom columns to list views in SYSPRO Changes to Customized Panes in SYSPRO New VBScript features in SYSPRO Customizing SYSPRO for the Enterprise Designing Customized Panes System-wide or by role for inclusion in the main menu Designing Search Windows system-wide Customization Profiler in SYSPRO Using Roaming Users Miscellaneous Features... 80

3 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 4 Introduction This document describes changes in the User Interface and Customization techniques between SYSPRO 6.1 and SYSPRO 7. User Interface Themes and Preferences Various preferences and options have changed from SYSPRO 6.1 to SYSPRO 7, as follows: 1. If you were previously using the Office 2007 theme then this will automatically default to be the Office 2010 theme. You can select the Personalization menu option and revert back to the Office 2007 theme if you so wish. 2. The ribbon bar has been modified to remove the Administrative items from the HOME tab. When upgrading to SYSPRO 7 the new ribbon bar structure will be automatically applied. 3. There is a new option to Colorize group headings for FORMS. By default, when you upgrade to SYSPRO 7 this option is switched off. You can select the Personalization menu option and select the FORMS tab and switch the option on again if you so wish. In SYSPRO 7 the group heading background color is the same as the form background color: By not applying a background color to group headings it does make forms a little more readable, and certainly easier to see where the current focus is on a form. 4. There is a new option to Show grid lines and Show captions in bold for FORMS. By default grid lines are shown for forms and captions are not shown in bold. However, you can make grid lines always or never shown in forms, and you can make captions for forms always in bold or never in bold; you can select the Personalization menu option and select the FORMS tab to see these new options:

4 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 5 The option By form means that you can switch the option for grid lines or bold captions on or off for each individual form. 5. Prior to SYSPRO 7 the last item accessed in the Main Menu would be shown highlighted on startup. This is not the default behavior in SYSPRO 7; if you wish to have the last menu item highlighted when starting up SYSPRO then you will need to set the option Highlight last selected menu item in the Environment tab of the Customize options: In addition, if you add a new operator then the following defaults have changed from 6.1: The default UI theme will be Office 2010, Silver colour. The background colour for group headings will be switched off. The calendar control will be switched off. In 6.1 (and prior) the calendar provider by default was set as the XML provider. It would be up to the administrator to deliberately switch it on, if so required, using System-Wide Personalization. The docking pane Maximize button is switched on. The form option Highlight editable form fields is switched on. The form option Highlight focused form field is switched on. 6. Managing characteristics of Key Fields. You can adjust the presentation length of a key field so that it restricts the number of characters that can be entered. For a numeric key field this also adjusts the number of leading zeroes that are displayed. For example, if the CUSTOMER code is numeric and you enter 1 as the customer code then typically that would be displayed as because the customer code can be up to 15 digits long. Using presentation length of 5 then the customer code would be displayed as which is much easier to read. You can prevent the user from entering invalid characters or special characters into a key field. You use the SYSTEM-WIDE PERSONALIZATION program (IMPFRB) to switch the option Prevent special characters being entered to be on, and enter the characters to be discarded in the Special characters text field. You can also prevent leading spaces being entered. 7. Managing characteristics of address fields. In SYSPRO 7 addresses are handled in a structured manner, meaning that each line of an address has a specific meaning. Line 1, for example, is normally used for the BUILDING and line 2 for the STREET. However, it may well be that you do not use the normal structure for your addresses and in which case you can use the SYSTEM-WIDE PERSONALIZATION

5 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 6 (IMPFRB) program to decide how your addresses are to be presented in Forms. You can decide on the wording to be shown for each address line type and whether that line type is to appear on a form at all. If you want your forms to appear as they did prior to SYSPRO 7 then you can use the 6.1 compatibility option; this option means that the caption for the address line type remains as it did prior to SYSPRO 7. Note: The captions of address fields dragged onto a form using the Field Selector will NOT be affected by System-Wide Personalization. 8. Defining the Map URL to be used for map directions. In SYSPRO 7 using the GeoLocation field you can get map directions based on the latitude and longitude values. By default Google maps is used to see map directions but you can use any map product that takes latitude and longitude as parameters. To change to use another map product (for example using Bing maps), or to alter how Google maps is used, you use the SYSTEM-WIDE PERSONALIZATION program. The parameter for latitude is denoted in the MAP URL string as %latitude% and for longitude as %longitude%.

6 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 7 9. Indicating a test company in SYSPRO Often an organization will create a test company to test out new software. However, it s not always obvious to a user that they might be working in a test environment and not in a live environment. In SYSPRO 7 you can now easily provide a visual cue to the user that they are working in a test company by applying a watermark across all list views. You use the SYSTEM-WIDE PERSONALIZATION program to define the watermark bitmaps to be applied and for which companies. By default SYSPRO ships with a watermark bitmap called TestCompany.bmp located in the \base\samples folder. You can also enter the transparency for your watermarks and how the watermarks will be drawn across the list views. Click on the Company Watermarks Edit hyperlink to edit watermarks. You can now enter a company ID and an associated watermark bitmap into the data grid:

7 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 8 You can define your own bitmaps rather than the default; the only restriction is that the bitmaps MUST be located in your \base\samples folder on your application server. This ensures that your bitmaps are automatically copied to each client machine as a user logs in. 10. Optimizing SRS document printing by pre-loading the Crystal runtime You can improve the performance of producing documents using the SRS (SYSPRO Reporting Services) document prints by pre-loading the Crystal runtime. When SYSPRO loads the main menu it can automatically pre-load the Crystal runtime, which will substantially reduce the time taken to create SRS documents. This is not the default behavior because pre-loading the Crystal runtime will add an extra 30MB (or thereabouts) to the overall memory consumption and this would be an unnecessary overhead for those users who never intend using SRS document printing. Note: Pre-loading the Crystal runtime does not increase the time taken to load SYSPRO; it simply increases the amount of memory consumed by SYSPRO at startup. To make SYSPRO pre-load the Crystal runtime, you can do one of the following: Allow each user to decide whether to pre-load the runtime. Select the Personalization menu option with the Printing tab and check the option Optimize document printing This option is useful if you wish only those operators who use SRS document printing to benefit from the optimization.

8 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 9 Alternatively, you can use the SYSTEM-WIDE PERSONALIZATION program to apply this option to all operators. The System-Wide Personalization program also allows you to switch off optimization for all operators. 11. Keeping a client/server connection open You can ensure that a connection remains open using the SYSTEM-WIDE PERSONALIZATION program to define the timeout. The option Keep Alive timeout is specified in minutes. A non-zero value indicates that the system, when in client/server mode, will send a blank message to the application server every nnn minutes to ensure that the connection remains open. 12. VBScripts and roles Prior to SYSPRO 7 VBScripts for role-based layouts were located in the \work\vbscripts folder on the application server. In SYSPRO 7 scripts for roles are now saved in the

9 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 10 \settings\role_xxx folder; this makes it easier for the system to manage role-based scripts, and is also how scripts for system-wide and industry-based layouts are implemented. Role-based scripts are automatically removed from the \work\vbscripts folder and placed in the correct Role_XXX folder as soon as the first person to launch SYSPRO 7 logins to the main menu; the file SYSPRO7VBScriptsConverted.TXT is created in the...\base folder to indicate that the conversion has been performed. The actual script names remain the same. Additionally you can choose to have all VBScripts encrypted on the client machine. This is a security protection if you are concerned that someone could maliciously tamper with scripts. You use the SYSTEM-WIDE PERSONALIZATION program to encrypt scripts and simply select the option VBScripts are encrypted on client. All VBScripts (whether in a role_xxx folder or in the \work\vbscipts folder) to be self-healed to the client the next time any user logs in; all scripts will be encrypted and suffixed with the.snk (strong key name) on the client machine. This option will not materially affect the performance of scripting. 13. You can now design menus at the operator level, as well as being able to copy any selected menu to any number of other operators, roles (etc.).

10 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 11 Changes to the main menu in SYSPRO The main menu system in SYSPRO 7 has undergone a number of changes since SYSPRO 6.1. These changes are partly to simplify the layout and also to introduce new techniques for navigation, program launching and business process flow graphs. These changes are detailed further on in this document. Here is an overview of the changes: The HOME tab of the ribbon bar has been simplified. Menu items designed for administrators have been moved to the new ADMINISTRATION tab. The default layout structure for a new operator (or when you reset the layout) has been simplified to show only the NAVIGATION PANE and the FAVORITES pane. What was previously known as the Main Menu pane in SYSPRO 6.1 has been renamed as PROGRAM LIST and is a hidden pane by default. The Program Details pane no longer exists in SYSPRO 7, but you can view Program Names by selecting the column Program from the field chooser in the PROGRAM LIST pane. The FAVORITES pane has been completely re-engineered as a task panel to help users more easily manage their applications and documents. The NAVIGATION PANE allows you to add menus created as task panels that can either manage applications and documents, or can act as menu navigation aids. You can import and export your personal menus and your Favorites task panel. The new FLOW GRAPH pane allows you to view or construct business process flow graphs.

11 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 12 Example of Main System Menu for SYSPRO 7 Conversion of Favorites Pane in Main Menu The favorites menu has changed considerably from SYSPRO 6.1 to SYSPRO 7. Instead of simple icons representing programs to launch in SYSPRO 6.1, the Favorites menu in SYSPRO 7 is a sophisticated task panel and has the following characteristics: 1. Supports unlimited number of tiles (prior to SYSPRO 7 the number of items was limited to 50) 2. Supports unlimited number of categories (prior to SYSPRO 7 there was no concept of categories ) 3. Supports drag & drop capability. You can drag tiles from one category to another, and you can reposition categories. 4. Active tile support. Each item (or tile ) in the favorites menu can launch an application. In addition, the contents of the tile can be dynamically changed using VBScript, the appearance of each tile can be adjusted using XAML markup themes, and a picture can be displayed within the tile. 5. You can drag items, such as applications, documents or pictures from Windows explorer directly into the task panel. 6. You can drag menu items from the Program List directly into the Task Panel. 7. You can drag menu items from Recent Programs directly into the Task Panel.

12 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing The new Find Application search field allows you to find any application either in your Favorites items or anywhere within the Program List. The contents of the Favorites menu in SYSPRO 6.1 are held within the operator. PRF file and are automatically removed from this file and moved into the new task panel XML file, located in base\settings\ Task_operator_IMPMENL1_00.XML. This is an example of a Favorites menu in SYSPRO 6.1, and what it looks like in SYSPRO 7: Note: The behavior and functionality of tiles in the Favorites task panel is identical to that used in Navigation menus. You can add a new tile to your Favorites task panel by right-clicking and selecting New, Program. This will add a new tile to your current category; click on the tile to run the SYSPRO program or application. If you wish to add a program to a specific category make sure you right-click on the category header or that one of the tiles in that category is highlighted. You can add an unlimited number of categories to your task panel by right-clicking on the task panel and selecting New, Category. You can change the appearance of categories and tiles by selecting Appearance, Style; a live preview of the changed style will be indicated as you move over the gallery items. You can change the color of categories and tiles by selecting Appearance, Color; a live preview of the changed color will be indicated as you move over the gallery items. Tooltips for tiles can be entered or changed by right-clicking on a Task Panel and selecting the option Properties, Tooltip and entering the tooltip text. Optionally you can show the SYSPRO program name associated with a tile by right-clicking on a Task Panel and selecting Show Program Names in

13 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 14 Tooltips. This option is then saved in the operator preference file. This option applies across all tiles, both Favorites and Menus. Here are examples of a tile tooltip without and with a program name in the tooltip. You can attach a picture to your tile by selecting Properties, Attach Picture and you can also make the tile tooltip show a picture. How to ensure image path names are resolved across different machines When you attach a picture then a link to that image is inserted into the Tile s properties. If you then subsequently copy the task panel XML file (using either a File Copy or the export/import facility) to another machine and if the link to that image is not pointing to a shared network folder, then the image may well not be displayed on the other machine. However, if you attach an image that points to a file in the \base\samples folder then the image property is defined as {samples}\imagename rather than the full path name. The path is then resolved at runtime to the appropriate...\base\samples folder on the client machine. You can duplicate the appearance of the current tile across all the other tiles within the current category right-click on the tile and select Duplicate Appearance. If you right-click on a CATEGORY and select Duplicate Appearance then all categories will have the same appearance. Similarly you can duplicate the height of the current tile across all the other tiles within the current category right-click on the tile and select Duplicate Height. You can export and import a single tile. Right-click on a task panel item, select Export/Import, Export Tile in an

14 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 15 The currently selected tile, including any associated VBScript, will be packaged as a text file and added to an . You can also import a previously saved import tile to the currently selected category. Layout options Select the Layout option in the context menu to change the overall Appearance of the task panel, and the width of all the task panel items. The height of task panel items may differ, but the width of all items must be the same. You can adjust the margin padding around each item using the Item Margins slider. You can choose if icons for your items are to be shown large (32x32) or small (the default). Select the option Expand only Selected Category to have your task panel categories remain closed except for the currently selected category. This can help to unclutter your task panel view if you have many categories open. VBScript and Tiles A tile s behavior and appearance can be controlled by VBScript; right-click on the tile and select Properties, Macro and the VBScript editor will be displayed. The OnLoad event fires once as the Task Panel items are loaded. The OnRefresh event fires when the RefreshInterval is reached. You can also fire this event by right-clicking on a tile and selecting Refresh. The OnClicked event fires when you click on a tile.

15 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 16 Double-click on the event you wish to trap and the VBScript syntax window is displayed. You now have access to various Tile properties. You can change the picture, title and tooltip using VBScript (note that the tooltip can contain XAML Markup code rather than simple text). The picture and title values are injected into the Tile caption using the current XAML theme. If you wish, instead of using a XAML theme you can inject pure XAML directly into the tile caption using the TileXAML variable. Here s an example of creating a grid using XAML and applying the code to a tile using the TileXAML variable (the code to create this grid is available in the sample code in the VBScript editor window). You can view all the Tile properties by expanding the Tile variable in the Variables tree view:

16 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 17 The RefreshInterval is a value in minutes with decimals a value of.5 is therefore 30 seconds. After this interval the OnRefresh event will fire; you can use this event to refresh the contents of the tile at nominated intervals. You can suspend the OnRefresh event from firing by right-clicking on a Task Panel and selecting the option Suspend Refresh Events this can be useful for an Administrator to prevent OnRefresh events from firing while testing out VBScripts. All onrefresh events for all items in all Task Panels will be suspended until you un-check this item. The GlobalVariable is a read-write string variable of unlimited length for the current tile. The DesktopAlert allows you to define a popup message. The TileNumber is a write-only value that allows you inject a number into the XAML theme. A simple VBScript that contains this: would be shown in a tile like this:

17 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 18 You can inject tile values into the tile. Tile values are separated by a (pipe) character. The values will be injected into the XAML theme controlling your tile, and will appear under the title of the tile. Here s an example of injecting values into a tile: Function Tile_OnLoad() Tile.CodeObject.TileValues = "Outstanding approvals:15 Approved by Monday" End Function and how this would appear in your tile: You can XAML Markup code to describe your tile tooltip. Here s an example of a script injecting a grid into a tooltip: Function Tile_OnLoad() dim GridValues GridValues = "<StackPanel Grid.Row = '1' Grid.Column='2' Margin='5, 5, 5, 5'>" & _ "<StackPanel Margin='5'>" & _ "<Grid >" & _ "<Grid.ColumnDefinitions>" & _ "<ColumnDefinition Width='Auto'/>" & _ "<ColumnDefinition Width='Auto'/>" & _ "<ColumnDefinition Width='*'/>" & _ "</Grid.ColumnDefinitions>" & _ "<Grid.RowDefinitions>" & _ "<RowDefinition/>" & _ "<RowDefinition/>" & _

18 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 19 "<RowDefinition/>" & _ "<RowDefinition/>" & _ "<RowDefinition/>" & _ "<RowDefinition/>" & _ "</Grid.RowDefinitions>" & _ "<TextBlock Foreground='Gray' Grid.Column='0' TextAlignment='Left' Text='Bank' Margin='0, 0, 0, 4'/>" & _ "<TextBlock Foreground='Gray' Grid.Column='1' TextAlignment='Right' Text='Balance' Margin='0, 0, 0, 4'/>" & _ "<TextBlock Grid.Row='1' Margin='0, 0, 10, 0'>" & _ "<Hyperlink>First National Bank</Hyperlink>" & _ "</TextBlock>" & _ "<TextBlock Grid.Row='2' Margin='0, 0, 10, 0'>" & _ "<Hyperlink>Lloyds</Hyperlink>" & _ "</TextBlock>" & _ "<TextBlock Grid.Row='3' Margin='0, 0, 10, 0'>" & _ "<Hyperlink Tag='SP'>Cayman Islands Bank</Hyperlink>" & _ "</TextBlock>" & _ "<TextBlock Grid.Row='4' Margin='0, 0, 10, 0'>" & _ "<Hyperlink Tag='SP'>Citi Bank</Hyperlink>" & _ "</TextBlock>" & _ "<TextBlock Grid.Row='5' Margin='0, 0, 10, 0'>" & _ "<Hyperlink Tag='SP'>Royal Bank of Scotland</Hyperlink>" & _ "</TextBlock>" & _ "<TextBlock Grid.Column='1' Grid.Row='1' TextAlignment='Right' Foreground='Brown' Text='$ 100,123'/>" & _ "<TextBlock Grid.Column='1' Grid.Row='2' TextAlignment='Right' Foreground='Brown' Text='Euro 1,000'/>" & _ "<TextBlock Grid.Column='1' Grid.Row='3' TextAlignment='Right' Foreground='Brown' Text='$ 123,654'/>" & _ "<TextBlock Grid.Column='1' Grid.Row='4' TextAlignment='Right' Foreground='Brown' Text='HK$ 1,000,000'/>" & _ "<TextBlock Grid.Column='1' Grid.Row='5' TextAlignment='Right'

19 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 20 Foreground='Brown' Text='Yen 23,000'/>" & _ "</Grid>" & _ "</StackPanel>" & _ "</StackPanel>" Tile.CodeObject.Tooltip = GridValues End Function and how it looks as a tooltip: Note: Unlike most other controls using VBScript within SYSPRO (Forms, List views, Toolbars), VBScripts that are created for a Task Panel are saved in the Task Panel XML file itself. This makes it easier to copy a Favorites or Menu task panel XML file to another computer because all the scripts are held within the XML file.

20 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 21 Flow Graph Navigation Pane SYSPRO 7 introduces a new Flow graph navigation pane. This new navigation method allows you to easily construct flow graphs that describe, for example, a business process in your organization. Here s an example of a flow graph: You can open or create flow graphs and also select to view a flow graph from a template. You can also , print or create an image of a flow graph. Flow graphs consist of Shapes that can be connected together. Shapes can be defined so that when you click on them they can run any type of application, transition to a new page or open a different flow graph. Here s an example of an Ellipse shape, shown in edit mode: Flow graphs can also contain Table items; these are rectangular tables with captions. These are similar to those typically displayed for a relational database view.

21 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 22 A flow graph can containing multiple pages each page is like a unique flow graph; the useful thing about pages is that they are all contained in the same single flow graph this makes it easy to deploy the flow graph to another person, or to script the flow graph. To create a new page simply set focus on the PAGE entry field in the toolbar and type in a new page name. You can transition to pages within a flow graph either by selecting the page from the drop down list on the toolbar, or you can use Actions to cause clicking on a shape to transition to another page. Flow graphs can be created by role making it easy to deploy flow graphs across the enterprise. Designing Flow Graphs Flow graphs are opened in the canvas area in non-edit mode. Here s a simple flow graph with three shapes displayed. To start designing a flow graph, click on the Design Mode button. Three new panes will be shown: Shapes pane Describes the various shapes that can be dragged onto the flow graph canvas. Shape Properties pane Describes the attributes of the selected shape, table item or connector line.

22 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 23 Flow Graph Properties pane Describes properties of the flow graph, such as Title, status and edit restrict options. Note: You can prevent an operator from designing flow graphs using operator security; load the Operator Maintenance and in the Security tab select to configure Activities, then deselect the option Flow Graph Allowed to design flow graphs.

23 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 24 Flow Graph Properties You can describe the properties of a Flow Graph in the Properties pane. In addition, you can restrict which operators are allowed to edit the flow graph by entering operators, separated by a semi-colon (;), and checking on the option Restrict editing. Note about the Auto fit to window option: When opening Flow Graphs created on another machine it s possible that the resolution is different, making it difficult to view the flow graphs without having to fit it to the window. When you open a Flow graph it will be automatically auto fitted to the window. However, you can change the behaviour of this using the property Auto fit to window: uncheck this option if you wish the Flow Graph not to be auto fitted. Automatic auto fitting does not apply to the operator s default flow graph.

24 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 25 Adding shapes to the Flow Graph To add a shape or table to the flow graph simply click and the drag the required shape (from the Shapes pane) onto the Flow Graph canvas. If you want to add Table items then you must first drag on a Table shape, and then drag Table items onto the Table. The shape SYSPRO Program creates a rectangular shape on the canvas and then automatically calls up the wizard to add program details for that shape. In addition, you can drag program items directly from the Program List or Recent Programs and drop them onto the canvas; this will create a rectangular shape with the program details already applied.

25 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 26 The shape Picture creates a square shape and then automatically calls up Windows Explorer so that a picture image can be displayed. The shape Comment creates an area that contains text for a comment: The Line shape has other properties, such as width, orientation, style and whether begin and end arrows are to be shown. Examples:

26 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 27 Using the Shape Properties Pane When you click on a shape, a table item or a connecting line, then the Shape Properties pane will display the attributes of that shape. This allows you to change the caption, tooltip and so on. When you click on a shape then the resizing rectangle will appear, allowing you to resize the shape. In the example below the connecting line from Order Entry to the picture has been clicked, allowing you to change the caption, tooltip, line color and connector style. Connecting shapes To join two shapes simply click on the first shape and various node points will be shown. Click on any node and drawn the line to another shape. The type of line drawn depends on the default connector style. Right-click on the canvas to change the default connector style as required:

27 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 28 You can always change the connector style using the Shape Properties pane: Connecting Table items Table items are not drawn with connection points by default. To connect a table item to another shape or to another table item then first click on the item and in the Shape Properties pane specify the connection points required: You can now add the required connection points to and from any table item. Editing multiple shapes You can edit multiple shapes (alignment, size etc.) using the toolbar align option. Select the shapes you wish to group or align by either dragging over them or by Ctrl+Click on each shape. The options for same Width, Height, and Size work by applying the dimensions of the first shape that is selected to all the other shapes.

28 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 29 Launching programs from a shape while not in design mode A single click on any shape will launch the associated application. while in design mode You can double-click on any shape to launch the associated application. A double click will show the full picture of a shape containing an image. How to ensure image path names are resolved across different machines When you attach a picture then a link to that image is inserted into the Shape s properties. If you then subsequently copy or the flow graph XML file to another machine and if the link to that image is not pointing to a shared network folder, then the image may well not be displayed on the other machine. However, if you attach an image that points to a file in the \base\samples folder then the image property is inserted as {samples}\imagename rather than the full path name. The path is then resolved at runtime to the appropriate...\base\samples folder on the client machine. Actions Actions allow you to specify what should happen when you click on a shape. Instead of launching an application from a shape, you can alternatively transition to another page within the same flow graph, or open a different flow graph altogether.

29 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 30 To achieve this right-click on a shape and select Properties, Action and this dialog box will appear: Select None if you do not want an action or to remove a previously defined action. Select Transition and then select the page to transition to from the drop down list. Select Open and then enter the filename of a Flow Graph. When you transition to another page then the Back and Forward buttons on the Flow Graph will be activated. Setting default shape colors and fonts When you drag a shape onto the flow graph canvas it has a default appearance. You can change the default appearance of any shape by right-clicking on the Shape and selecting Default Appearance

30 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 31 This window will be displayed where you can adjust the caption color and font, and the background style: Saving Flow Graphs You do not need to save your flow graph. The system will automatically save any changes to your current flow graph should you open a new flow graph or exit from SYSPRO, and you are in DESIGN MODE. You can, however, save your current flow graph as a different name and then modify the new one. You can also exit design mode without saving your changes. You can have as many flow graphs as required. By default SYSPRO will show you your default flow graph saved as \settings\ Flow_operator_IMPMENLV_00.XML in the Flow Graph docking caption. Flow graph templates ship as standard with SYSPRO 7 and are easily accessible from the menu. You can use the template as a starting point to construct new flow graphs:

31 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 32 Creating Flow Graphs by Role You can create flow graphs by role by clicking on the button Design Flow Graphs in the Administration tab of the ribbon bar. The list of flow graphs designed for all roles is shown in a list view; a preview of the flow graph is shown as you select a flow graph item. There are no limits to the number of flow graphs you can have per role. Select a flow graph item and click on Change (or double-click the item) to change the flow graph, or click Delete to delete the item. Click on New to create a new flow graph and the following screen is displayed; select the role for which the flow graph is required and enter a description of the flow graph the description will be

32 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 33 the filename of the flow graph so invalid characters such as / or \ or * are not allowed. The flow graphs are saved in the Role_xxx folder as Flow_description.xml. Click on Start Designing Flow Graph and the flow graph editing canvas will be shown. When you have finished editing the flow graph then click on the Design Mode button to exit design mode. When SYSPRO is launched and the user is associated with a role, then any flow graphs designed for that role will be shown in a task panel, and clicking on any role item will show the flow graph. If you switch between roles then the Flow Graphs for Role list will be refreshed automatically. Notes: You can prevent an operator from designing flow graphs at the role level using operator security: load the Operator Maintenance and in the Security tab select to configure Activities, then deselect the option Main Menu Allow to design flow graphs by role. You cannot design UI layouts while editing a flow graphs at role level. Similarly, you cannot edit Flow Graphs at the role level while designing UI layouts. You can use the CUSTOMIZATION MANAGEMENT program to view, delete and copy flow graphs for roles.

33 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 34 Scripting Flow Graphs A shape s behavior and appearance can be controlled by VBScript; right-click anywhere on the flow graph and select Macro and the VBScript editor will be displayed. Double-click on the event you wish to trap and the VBScript syntax window is displayed. You now have access to various Flow Graph properties: Explanation of the various flow graph variables: DesktopAlert allows you to define a popup message. FlowGraphNodes allows you to change the appearance and behaviour of any nodes in the flow graph. NodeClickedCaption contains the caption of the item clicked. NodeClickedID contains the unique ID of the item clicked.

34 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 35 The OnLoad event fires as a flow graph is opened. When you click on a shape to launch an application, then the OnClicked event is fired. The variable NodeClickedCaption contains the caption of the shape just clicked, and NodeClickedID contains the ID of the shape just clicked. The ID is a unique identifier for a shape in a flow graph, and it is this ID that can be used in the FlowGraphNodes variable to modify this or any other shape in the flow graph. If you wish to adjust the appearance or behaviour of one or more shapes then double-click on the FlowGraphNodes item in the variable tree view and the following dialog box will be displayed: You can click on any shape in the current flow graph and its caption and ID will be shown in the dialog box as indicated above. Now enter any new properties as required a new title, color and/or program name (if you want to remove a program name click on the Remove check box). Now click on the Add To List button and your properties will be added to the list. Now you can click on another shape and repeat the exercise of adding properties. When you have finished click on Insert VBScript Code and an XML code snippet will be inserted into your current edit point in your script. You might wish to implement different functionality depending on the shape that is clicked, and you can achieve this by interrogating the FlowGraph.CodeObject.NodeClickedID variable.

35 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 36 Here s an example of doing this: Function FlowGraph_OnClicked() if FlowGraph.CodeObject.NodeClickedID = then FlowGraph.CodeObject.FlowgraphNodes = "<FlowgraphNodes>" & "<Node Caption='AR Period End' Id=' ' Title='Blank' Program='------'/>" & "</FlowgraphNodes>" end if End Function You can also cause the OnClicked event to be set as false so that no action occurs as a result of clicking on a shape: Function FlowGraph_OnClicked() End Function FlowGraph_OnClicked = false Deploying the Flow Graph Unlike most other controls using VBScript within SYSPRO, the VBScript that is created for a Flow Graph is saved in the Flow Graph XML file itself. This means that once you have created your Flow Graph and created a script for it, then you can the Flow Graph XML file to another person or organization and it should work correctly; there are no extra files that need to be deployed. Dynamic Menu Navigation Prior to SYSPRO 7 a menu in SYSPRO was considered to be a way of launching applications, and in addition menus were defined as simple tree views. Now in SYSPRO 7 a menu can be either a tree view OR constructed as a TASK PANEL. If you use a TASK PANEL to construct a menu, then menu items (known as TILES) can be used as: A method of launching an application A method of navigating to a group of menu items

36 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 37 A method of opening a named flow graph Additionally, the behaviour of a tile can be controlled by VBScript. Tiles behave exactly the same as described for the Favorites Task Panel. Menus can be exported and imported in the same manner as you can export and import customized panes. In this screenshot you can see various categories and tiles: Clicking on the GO TO FLOW MENU which then opens the FLOW MENU group layout: Notice the BACK button to navigate to the previous menu Clicking on the AP FLOWGRAPH tile then opens the appropriate flow graph, and you can then launch applications directly from the flow graph:

37 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 38 The behaviour of a tile to navigate to another menu or open a flow graph is determined by using ACTIONS. Right-click on any tile in a menu and select the Actions option to define this behaviour: Navigate to Menu Select this check box and then select a menu to navigate to when the tile is clicked. The list of menus includes both Task Panel and Listview-style menus. For a Task Panel menu you can then additionally select the category within that task panel. Open flow graph file Select this check box to define a flow graph you wish to display when the tile is clicked.

38 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 39 Importing and Exporting Menus and Favorites In SYSPRO 7 you can export your personal menus and your Favorites task panels. An exported file can be subsequently imported to another person s system. Note that any VBScripts associated with any menu items will be automatically included in the exported file. Click on the Export button to export your menus. Click on the Export button Alternatively you can right-click on any Task Panel and select the Export/Import option to Export Menus All your personal menus and Favorites will be listed, as shown below. Select the items you wish to export, optionally check the the export file (if you wish your exported file to be ed), and click on Export. You will then be asked to enter or select the name of the export file.

39 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 40 Notes: Menus designed at the role, company or group level are not shown. If a menu or Favorite task panel contain links to pictures or contain actions to open Flow graphs, then a warning icon will be displayed in the Notes column. This is just to make you aware that your exported menus may not work correctly on another person s machine if your file paths to images or flow graphs are not valid for the target machine. Click on the Import button to import a previously exported set of menus, or you can right-click on any Task Panel and select the Export/Import option to Import Menus You will be asked to select the name of a valid import file. A list of menu items in the import file will be displayed: Select the menu items you wish to import and click Import. Notes: Menu items will be created as new menus in your Navigation Pane. A check will be made to prevent duplication of the menu title; you can modify the name of the menu title in the data grid if required. A check will be made to prevent importing more than the maximum number of menu items in the Navigation Pane. If you import a Favorites task panel then the entire contents of your current Favorite items is overwritten by the contents in the import file.

40 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 41 Conversion of main menu tree view The main menu tree view, representing all the main SYSPRO applications, has been re-engineered as a list view with a tree view style. This allows the user to extensively customize the appearance and behaviour of the list. The docking pane name for Main Menu has been renamed to Program List as this more aptly describes the purpose of the list. You can use the Field Chooser to select the Program column this column indicates the name of the application that will be launched. This column effectively replaces the Program Details pane that no longer exists in SYSPRO 7. In addition, the MyMenu menu structure will be removed from the main menu tree view and placed into the Navigation Pane as an operator menu labelled MyMenu. Prior to SYSPRO 7 it was possible to modify the contents of MyMenu by an administrator for other operators. In SYSPRO 7 you can now create and design menus at the OPERATOR level to achieve the same result; click on the DESIGN MENUS button on the Ribbon Bar, click on New and select Operator to add menus at the operator level:

41 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 42 The MyMenu menus constructed in SYSPRO 6.1 are converted to personal menu files in SYSPRO 7 (and are shown in the Navigation Pane). Because these menus are now personal to the operator the administrator cannot control them centrally. If you wish to have control over these personal menus then you can use the option in the Design Menus toolbar called Convert 6.1 MyMenus. This will convert any MyMenu menus from being under the personal operator control to be saved as OPERATOR menu files which can then be controlled by the system administrator. Note that MyMenu files can only be converted AFTER operators have logged in at least once to SYSPRO 7. By default when you call up SYSPRO 7 either for the first time ever, OR if you are loading SYSPRO 7 after a upgrade from a previous version of SYSPRO, then by default the category Browses will not be included in the Program List tree view. This is to simplify the menu structure as Browse programs are not really useful as standalone programs, but are typically used to select items for use in a transactional or query program. However, the user may still wish to view the category Browses in the main menu, and this can be achieved by right-clicking on the tree view and selecting to Include Category Browses (see screen shot below). In addition, to simplify the menu structure further, the user may select to not include the category Reports if the user never produces any reports. These include options are automatically saved in the operator s preference file.

42 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 43 New chart controls in SYSPRO 7 SYSPRO 7 implements a new set of chart controls used throughout the product. The functionality remains basically the same as the previous set of chart controls. Customized panes built using the previous set of chart controls (prior to SYSPRO 7) will still function just as they did in SYSPRO 6.1. New customized panes for charts will automatically use the new chart controls. The toolbar for the new chart controls is built to the normal SYSPRO standard, and to modify the look or behaviour of the chart you just click on the options button, as indicated in the screen shot below. For each graph you may have up to 8 series and up to 100 points within each series. The series may all reside within one diagram (or panel ) or you can show each series in a different panel using multiple diagrams. Right-click on the chart legend, title or axis legend to show a context-sensitive menu, which allows various other options, such as changing the font for legends or docking the legend to top, bottom, left or right.

43 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 44 Within a customized pane for a Chart you can now construct Gantt charts and also multiple diagrams within a single chart using VBScript. Both the Gantt and Multiple Diagram charts are available as sample graphs from within the Customized Pane editor; these samples provide all the VBScript code on how to create these types of graphs.

44 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 45

45 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 46 New features for forms in SYSPRO 7 1. Form field limitations Maximum number of fields per form is now 150. In SYSPRO 7 the maximum number of fields you can have on a form is now 150. Prior to SYSPRO 7 that limit was 100. Validation rules for up to 100 custom forms are now catered for. Prior to SYSPRO 7 if you had more than 25 custom form fields that incorporated validation rules then only the first 25 such fields would be able to be added to the custom form table. The maximum length of a multiline form field is now 1,750 characters (previously 100). The maximum length of an alpha field is now 255 characters (previously 100). However, alpha fields described in a customized pane can be up to 3,000 characters in length. 2. Read only property for non-editable forms Prior to SYSPRO 7 you could set a form field to be read only for a non-editable (display) form. Using Field Properties you can now designate any form field to be read only. This is especially useful for a form field defined as a hyperlink as you can now set that field to be read only so that the user cannot click on the link. For example, in this screen shot below, you can see that the READ ONLY attribute has been set for the form field; the hyperlink is still shown but is now disabled. 3. Word wrap You can now set WORD WRAP on for ALPHA type fields in a form. When focused on the caption of a form field simply press SHIFT+ or SHIFT- to increase (or decrease) the height of a form field; as you press SHIFT+ then word wrap will be automatically applied to the field. If you subsequently press SHIFT- to decrease the height of the form field, when the height is reduced to the default height then word wrap is automatically switched off.

46 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 47 Alternatively, you can use the Field Properties to switch word wrap on, as shown in the screen shot below. Note that the height of the caption should then be adjusted so that the contents of the data value are visible. 4. Indicating required fields. You can indicate that a form field should be marked as being required to be entered. Simply select the option Indicate required field in the Field Properties:

47 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 48 and the selected field will be shown with an asterisk (*) next to the caption: 5. Disallowing negative values for a numeric field. You can indicate that a numeric field may not become negative. Uncheck the option Allow negative values in the Field Properties to prevent entry of a minus sign. 6. Getting MAP directions using the Geolocation. Where the address fields include a GEOLOCATION field then you can click on the GeoLocation browse button to access the MAP directions in a web browser. The MAP product that is used in your web browser depends on the definition of the Map URL to use option as defined in the System-Wide Personalization. The default is to use Google Maps, but you can use any map product that takes latitude and longitude as parameters. If your address fields are editable then you can automatically populate the Address and GeoLocation fields by clicking on the button this will show a popup list of addresses

48 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 49 that match your current address form fields. Click on the appropriate address and your form fields will be populated with the selected address information (including the GeoLocation). This uses Google Maps to provide the addresses so you will need an Internet connection for this to work. Click here to view map directions using the GeoLocation field Click here to update your form address fields Click here to select an address 7. New header associated panes There are 3 new associated panes Stock Code Header, Supplier Header and Customer header. These panes provide basic information about the relevant key field in a form and are implemented by right-clicking on a key field (Stock code, Supplier or Customer) and selecting Insert Associated Pane, Stock Code Header (Customer Header or Supplier Header).

49 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing Form Designer Enhancements The Form Designer now allows you to create new types of form fields: GEOLOCATION. This type of form field allows entry of a latitude and longitude decimal values separated by a comma. The tooltip of such a field shows the DMS (Degrees, Minutes, Seconds) value. Filename and Folder names. This type of form field behave as normal alpha fields with the addition of a browse button that allows browsing on files or folders, either on the local client machine or on the server. Here s an example of such fields after having been added to a form: To create Geolocation or File/Folder fields you can use the new CATEGORY attribute. Create an alpha field as normal, and then select the appropriate category attribute from the drop down list:

50 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 51 Adding custom columns to list views in SYSPRO 7 You can now add custom columns to any display list view. A custom column can be either for a custom form field, a master table or can be a simple blank column. Data for a custom form field is automatically populated into the list view without the need for any scripting. Data for blank columns is derived using VBScript in the OnPopulate event for the list view. Notes: 1. To add a column based on a custom form field you must be running a SQL Server system, and only if you are using the new table+ custom form structure. However, you can always add blank columns. 2. Custom columns may only be added to display list views that is, list views that are not editable. 3. A maximum of 30 custom columns may be added to any list view. 4. No more 100 columns in total may be applied to any list view. Thus, if a list view already has 75 columns then no more than 25 custom columns may be added. 5. When exiting the application the data about custom form columns is written away as Meta data to the current List_xxxxxxxx.XML file. Custom columns can therefore be created at the operator or role level. 6. Data for custom form fields is automatically populated by the system using a special VBScript that is executed; this script calls the business object COMCOL to retrieve all the necessary custom form data. 7. Data for table fields is automatically populated by the system using a special VBScript that is executed; this script calls the business object COMCOL to retrieve all the necessary table data. To add a custom column, right-click on any column header and select Add Custom Columns

51 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 52 Adding columns for a custom form field The list of available custom form types are shown in a drop down list. This list is created automatically by the system by scanning all the list view captions to see if there any key columns from which custom form data can be derived. Thus, if there is a column caption named Stock code then Stock code will be shown in the drop down list. This list of column captions and associated custom form types is stored in the side-file IMPQVW.IMP. After selecting the custom form type a selection of available custom form fields will be shown in the drop down list in Custom form field. Simple select one of the entries and click on Add Column in the toolbar. A column will be added to the list view and shown as the first column. Adding blank columns Enter the description for the column and type of field (Alpha, Numeric or Date) and click on Add Column. A column will be added to the list view and shown as the first column. Note: You can also enter a tooltip that will be shown in the column header. This is useful to indicate the purpose of the custom column to the user. Adding columns from a master table Click on the option Master table column then select the table from which you would like to add columns. The fields for the selected table are shown in a list view. Simply click on the Add hyperlink to add the column. The list of available tables is created automatically by the system by scanning all the list view captions to see if there any key columns from which table data can be derived. Thus, if there is a column caption named Stock code then the associated master table will be shown in the drop down list. This list of column captions and associated master tables is stored in the side-file IMPQVW.IMP. The custom column can be positioned anywhere in the list view, and can be grouped and sorted with all the normal list view functionality. You can indicate custom columns that have been added to a list view using the SYSTEM-WIDE PERSONALIZATION program, and switching on the option Show icons for custom columns; an icon will be shown next to the column caption that is a custom column.

52 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 53 Changes to Customized Panes in SYSPRO 7 New UserControlDestroyed execute method There is a new method 'UserControlDestroyed' that can be executed when a control is destroyed. In other words, when you exit an application in which you have a user control, then the following method is automatically executed on that control: UserControlDestroyed Two null parameters are passed to this method. No error message will appear if this method does not exist. An example method signature in c# is as follows: public void UserControlDestroyed(String Parameter1, String Parameter2) { }.NET User Controls and executing VBScript A.NET user control can now execute VBScript directly without having to raise an OnRefresh event. This makes it simpler to interact with a script from a user control and makes it easy to call a business object from a user control (without having to licence the business object), and simplifies the process to publish a.net User Control app on the SYSPRO App Store since the VBScript to be executed can be contained within the DLL. The source code to the script is also protected since it s contained within the DLL. The user control can raise a special event to invoke a function in a script provided by the control. This is achieved by the user control raising the ExecuteScript event followed by : and the procedure to execute, and a second parameter containing the actual VBScript to execute. The procedure to execute must exist in your script otherwise an error message will be displayed. Up to 4 parameters (max length 255 string characters each) can be optionally supplied with the procedure to execute. The VBScript to execute can be of any length and may contain any valid references to SYSPRO s variables, such as forms or customized panes. To return a value to your user control from the VBScript function, assign the value to the name of the function: Example: Function getnumber getnumber = "423" End Function

53 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 54 The value 423 will be returned in the second parameter of the call statement. C# syntax: String MethodName = "ExecuteScript:procedure(param1,param2)"; String vbscriptinput = "VBScript code"; MyGetSetSYSPRO(ref MethodName, ref vbscriptinput); Example code: //With no parameters passed String MethodName = "ExecuteScript:RunMe"; String vbscriptinput = txtvbblob.text; MyGetSetSYSPRO(ref MethodName, ref vbscriptinput); //Passing Parameters into the Execute script event String MethodName = "ExecuteScript:RunMe(" + Para1.Text + "," + Para2.Text + ")"; String vbscriptinput = txtvbblob.text; MyGetSetSYSPRO(ref MethodName, ref vbscriptinput); Example VBScript code to calculate a total from two parameters, and pass back the answer to your user control: Function RunMe(test,test1) total = test1 - test msgbox total Runme = total End function Dashboards Executive dashboards are now grouped by department and source. This makes it easier to identify the dashboard you wish to add to an application. Department is a group of dashboards relevant to a specific division within a company, and the source represents the respective element within the department, which the dashboard is based on.

54 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 55 New List views for customized panes There are a number of new customized panes for list views. Examples include list views for each of the GL Balancing Reports. The list views show the reasons for any imbalances between GL Control Accounts and the sub-modules for the current period to allow a user to act upon them regularly instead of having to deal with a large number of issues at month-end closing time. Here s an example of these added as customized panes to SYSPRO s main menu system:

55 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 56 Application Builder There are now 20 Application Builder applications to launch. The additional 11 application programs are named IMPDHA to IMPDHK. Application builders can be defined at the role, system-wide or industry level. The Application Builder now allows for a VBScript to be executed when closing out of the Application Builder. Click on Options, OnClose VBScript Event... on the Application Builder toolbar, and the VBScript editor will be displayed. Double-click on the event onclose to define your code. This code will be executed when attempting to close the Application Builder window. If you wish to prevent the App Builder window from closing (perhaps a field has not yet been entered in a form), then set the AppBuilder_OnClose event to be 'false', as in this example: AppBuilder_OnClose = false The name of the script that is created is IMPDH?XX, where? is number 1-9, A-K. New LIST VIEW features in SYSPRO 7 You can prevent the user from removing a column in a list view in a customized pane using the new AllowRemove attribute, as in this sample code: dim ListXML ListXML = "<Columns PrimaryNode='Item' >" & _ "<Column Name='Description' />" & _ "<Column Name='Current' Description='Current month' Type='numeric' AllowRemove= false />" & _ "</Columns>" CustomizedPane.CodeObject.ListviewProperties = ListXML You can define the maximum number of characters that can be entered into an editable cell using the new MaxLength attribute: dim ListXML ListXML = "<Columns PrimaryNode='Item' >" & _ "<Column Name='Description' />" & _ "<Column Name='Current' Description='Current month' Type='numeric' MaxLength= 20 />" & _ "</Columns>" CustomizedPane.CodeObject.ListviewProperties = ListXML There is a new {populated} footer attribute that developers can be apply to a list view using VBScript. Against an alpha Column XML element you can use the {populated} attribute: this will count up the number of rows in which a column has non-blank cells. Example:

56 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 57 <Column Name='Customer' Description='Customer' Footer='Rows={populated}' />" Dynamically appending rows to a list view You can now append rows to a customized pane list view dynamically using VBScript. When this VBScript statement is executed CustomizedPane.CodeObject.ListviewData = ListData the contents of the list view is first cleared and then populated with the XML values contained in ListData. If you wish to append rows to your list view then you can set the variable ListviewClearData to be false ; this will make the subsequent ListviewData statement append rows to your listview. Example: CustomizedPane.CodeObject.ListviewClearData = "false" CustomizedPane.CodeObject.ListviewData = ListData

57 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 58 New VBScript features in SYSPRO 7 1. VBScript syntax editor The syntax editor now supports a 4-way splitter frame. Procedures (Functions and Sub) are now shown in collapsible regions. Any generated script code or double-clicking on any variable will cause the code to be inserted into the current syntax editor window - either the main syntax editor or the VBS Modules editor, depending on the current focus. The SystemVariables (in the Variables pane) are now split into properties and actions to make it easier to understand how some variables behave. Most system variables are readonly properties with the exception of the 4 Global Variables. However, action variables (such as SYSPROProgramToRun) cause a dialog box to appear to request input these are now shown in a separate tree view entity. Additionally, most variables display a tooltip to help explain their purpose or use.

58 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing VBScript changes because of increased field sizes Because of the change in size of certain fields you may have to change your scripts if you are explicitly checking for a key value. For example, this code in SYSPRO 6.1: if CustomerProperties.CodeObject.Customer = " " then. might not work as expected in SYSPRO 7 if the CUSTOMER key field is numeric. Instead the above code would need to be changed to: if CustomerProperties.CodeObject.Customer = " " then 3. New List View header properties for a customized pane There are four new list view properties that can be defined against the COLUMNS XML node for the list view header: The property AllowDEL may be set to 'true' to indicate that pressing DEL will remove the current row from the list view. The property AllowUndo may be set to 'true' to indicate that deleted records can be undone by pressing CTRL+Z.

59 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 60 The property DragDrop may be set to 'true' to indicate that the records may be repositioned in a list view using drag & drop. The property HighlightRow may be set to 'true' to indicate that the first column in a list view is to be used as a highlight (an icon is shown in this column to indicate the currently selected row). Here is an example of these new attributes: ListXML = ListXML & "<Columns PrimaryNode='StockItem' Style='DataGrid' AutoInsert='true' AllowDEL='true' AllowUndo='true' DragDrop='true' HighlightRow='true'>" 4. New VBScript Field Properties You can now adjust the following attributes of a form field using VBScript: The height of a form field The background color of the caption The foreground color of the caption Whether the caption is to be bold Whether the field is to be indicated as required The XAML theme to be applied to the caption These attributes can be seen in the Field Properties pane in the VBScript editor: And here s an example of applying a VBScript to a form field. The height of the field Locality has been adjusted, as well as the background and foreground colors of the caption.

60 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 61 You can now dynamically change a form caption s appearance using VBScript. Prior to SYSPRO 7 the following code would have been ignored because applying a XAML theme to a form field would have had no effect. Function Quantity_OnAfterChange() if Receipts.CodeObject.Quantity > 100 then Receipts.CodeObject.Quantity = "<Field XAMLCode='Cappuccino'> </Field>" else Receipts.CodeObject.Quantity = "<Field XAMLCode='Blue'> </Field>" end if End Function In SYSPRO 7, the above code will now change the appearance of the QUANTITY field by applying the BLUE XAML theme:

61 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing New VBScript system variables Two new variables can help developers identify the name of the script and what is being executed: ScriptFunction contains the name of the procedure or function that is being executed (such as CustomizedPane_OnLoad). Specifically, the variable contains the name of the function that caused the script to be executed; it does not necessarily contain the name of the current function being executed (if you use nested functions). ScriptName contains the 8-character VBScript name (such as IMPMEN01 or ARSPENLV). MapURL contains the URL for the map directions as defined in System-Wide Personalization. SYSPROVersion contains the SYSPRO version. NationalityCode contains the nationality code. PostChangeEvent is a write-only variable. If set as 1 it forces the current form to be marked as changed. This has the effect of enabling the SAVE button in maintenance forms. Example code: SystemVariables.CodeObject.PostChangeEvent = "1" 6. Creating drop down lists for forms Using VBScript to dynamically create a drop down list in a form, it now returns the actual value as defined within the [ ] instead of the display value. Consider the two statements: DropForm.CodeObject.DropDowntext = "<Field List='Scheduled Order;Billing;Normal order' > </Field>" DropForm.CodeObject.DropDowntext = "<Field List='Scheduled Order[SH];Billing[B];Normal order[o]' > </Field>" In the first statement, when BILLING is selected from the drop down list then Billing will be returned to your VBScript as the value. In the second statement, when BILLING is selected then B will be returned to your VBScript.

62 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing New List view Designer to create list views If you are not using business objects to populate a list view and simply wish to create the list view column headers for VBScript, then it s easier to use the new ListviewDesigner option. Double-click on the ListviewDesigner variable and the following window will be displayed: A list view consists of two parts: properties (where you define the column headings and other basic information) and data (where you define the data to be populated in a list view). In both cases the definitions are in XML format. The Listview Designer will help create the

63 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 64 properties AND will generate sample code to populate the list view. You define the Properties of the list view and then add the Columns that you require. When you are finished doing this click on the Insert VBScript and this will generate and insert the VBScript code into the script editor window. Notes: The PrimaryNode is an XML element in an XML data stream, and the column names are child XML elements. The Column name element refers to the name of an XML child element that should exist beneath the PrimaryNode XML element in the XML stream. This must be an exact match. The columns will be shown in the sequence displayed. You can drag and reposition the columns as required. In the above example, clicking on the Insert VBScript button will generate this code: dim ListXML ListXML = ListXML & "<Columns PrimaryNode='SalesOrders' Style='DataGrid' AutoSize='false' FreezeColumn='0' AllowDEL='true' AllowUndo='true' DragDrop='true' HighlightRow='true' PopulateVisible= true >" ListXML = ListXML & "<Column Name='Order' Description='Order number' Type='Alpha' Alignment='Left' HdrAlignment='Left' />" ListXML = ListXML & "<Column Name='Customer' Description='Customer number' Type='Alpha' Alignment='Left' HdrAlignment='Left' />" ListXML = ListXML & "<Column Name='PONumber' Description='Purchase order number' Type='Alpha' Alignment='Left' HdrAlignment='Left' />" ListXML = ListXML & "</Columns>" CustomizedPane.CodeObject.ListviewProperties = ListXML 'Sample XML fragment to populate your list view dim ListData ListData = "<SalesOrders>" ListData = ListData & "<Order>ABC</Order>" ListData = ListData & "<Customer>ABC</Customer>" ListData = ListData & "<PONumber>ABC</PONumber>" ListData = ListData & "</SalesOrders>" CustomizedPane.CodeObject.ListviewData = ListData 8. VBScript technique to control the behaviour of toolbar buttons In SYSPRO 7 you can dynamically control the properties or behaviour of buttons in any toolbar using VBScript as follows: You can make a button hidden or visible You can make a button disabled or enabled You can change the value of a button, if it is an editable control You can cause a button to be executed (that is, behave as if you had clicked on it)

64 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 65 You can also control the behaviour of context menus within an application. To control toolbar buttons or context menus follow these steps: Launch the VBScript editor, double-click on the event from within which you wish to control a button and then double-click on the SystemVariables (actions) item ToolbarButton, and the Modify Toolbar Buttons dialog box will appear. Click on a toolbar button in the current application that you wish to modify. The properties (Caption and ID) of that button will be displayed: Now select the options you wish to apply (Enabled, Visible etc.), and click on Add to List You may now select another button to be modified or executed. If you wish to modify a context menu then click on the Modify Context Menus button; this will populate the drop down list beneath this button with a list of available menu titles. Select a context menu from this list and the menu will be shown as a popup:

65 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 66 Now click on the required menu item and the properties (Caption and ID) of that button will be displayed so that you can modify the behaviour of that item. When you have completed adding your buttons to the list click on Insert VBScript Code, and an XML snippet of code will be inserted into your VBScript code at the current insertion point in the editor. An example of this code is shown below: SystemVariables.CodeObject.ToolbarButton = "<Toolbars>" & _ "<Toolbar Name='ARSPENTB' Id='42107' Visible='False' Caption='Play'/>" & _ "</Toolbars>" Note that the caption of the button is shown in the XML snippet to help identify the toolbar button you are referring to in the code; this caption is not used as part of the VBScript code and you could change this XML element value to make it more meaningful for annotation purposes. You can make a button be executed simply by selecting the Execute option from the Action drop down list. This is equivalent to the user having clicked on the button or pressed Enter on a edit control. If the button is an editable control (such as the Customer control in Customer Query) then you can change the value of that button AND execute it.

66 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 67 Customizing SYSPRO for the Enterprise Customization of SYSPRO is traditionally accomplished either at the personal (operator) level or by using roles. In SYSPRO 7 you can now customize for the enterprise using SYSTEM-WIDE or INDUSTRY options. System-wide and Industry customization works in a manner similar to that employed for roles, with some notable exceptions. In principle both system-wide and Industry options allow the administrator to define how programs appear and work, and these definitions are stored in a folder on the SYSPRO application server. The definitions are automatically copied to the client machine when required. System-wide and Industry definitions are applied across the enterprise for all users rather than by operators associated with a specific role. To design at the system-wide level click on the Design UI Layouts button on the Ribbon Bar: and the following dialog box will be displayed:

67 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 68 Select System-wide button and click Start Design Mode to enter design mode. As you launch any program and adjust how the programs are to appear or work so your changes are being stored in the \base\settings\role_### folder on the client machine. When you have finished click on the Exit Design Mode. All your changes will now be copied back to the application server and saved in the \settings\role_sys folder. The file Version.txt in this folder will be updated to reflect the current date and time the contents of this file are used to determine when these customization changes need to be copied to a client machine. How to apply system-wide definitions for users System-wide definitions are automatically applied to all users across all companies using SYSPRO when you are not using roles, and if you haven t defined an industry layout for the logged in company. If a user is associated with a role then UI definitions for that role will always be applied; if a user is not associated with a role then system-wide UI definitions will be applied. Industry UI definitions work in a similar manner to system-wide except that they are applied at the company level (this is explained further on in this document). System-wide and industry definitions behave slightly differently to how role definitions work, as explained below. (The XXX characters in the text below refer to system-wide or the industry layout code). 1. Only programs that have been changed in system-wide design mode will be locked down for the user. If, for example, the administrator only adjusts how the Customer Query (ARSPEN) program works then only files for that program will appear in the Role_XXX folder, and then only that program cannot be further adjusted by the user. As SYSPRO is launched a check is performed to see which programs have been adjusted by scanning the layout and script files that are stored in the Role_SYS folder; an internal table is created containing a list of all the programs for which layout changes have been done, and any program found to be noted in this list will be automatically locked down.

68 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing Even if a program is locked down the user may still be allowed to adjust the overall appearance of the UI if the security option Save docking layout when using roles is checked - see the Operator Security tab in Operator Maintenance, and edit the Configure Activities option: Similarly, a user may be allowed to adjust columns in a list view if the option Save list view layout when using roles is checked. In both cases, changes for the user will only be applied until such time as the administrator makes further adjustments to the docking or list view layouts using system-wide design mode; a version number is contained within the docking and list view layout files and if that doesn t match the version number saved in the user s definition file then the administrator s changes will be applied again. The user s user definition files are saved on the client machine and named as follows: For docking layouts: \settings\dock_operator_xxx_arspenlz.xml For list view layouts: \settings\list_operator_xxx_arspenlv.xml 3. All VBScript files that are created or maintained during design mode will be saved in the Role_XXX folder. This differs from using roles for which scripts are saved in the \work\vbscripts folder. This means that the contents of the Role_XXX folder contain everything to define how programs are to appear and work; the folder can be created offline and then deployed at a customer site. 4. When designing using system-wide for the APPLICATION BUILDER programs (1 to 20) then the Application Title will be saved in the Role_XXX folder. Here s a screen shot where the title has been applied in the Application Builder:

69 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing You can use the CUSTOMIZATION MANAGEMENT program (IMPROL) to help manage customizations created at the system or industry level. Select the option System-wide Layouts or Industry Layouts from the Layout Category menu option: Using this program you can view (and reset) the overall changes applied at the system-wide or industry level. How to apply Industry Layouts Layouts applied at the Industry level are applied by linking the industry layout to one or more SYSPRO companies. Thus, if you login using a company code of 1 and this is linked to an Industry layout of PLA (standing, for example, for Plastics Mouldings), then any layouts defined for PLA will be applied. Here s an example of how this works. Select Industry and then select an industry from the drop down list to be able to start design mode.

70 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 71 To add a new industry click on the Add button and this dialog box will be shown: Enter the industry code. This must be a 3-character code, each character being the letters A-Z. Enter an industry title. Enter a list of companies, separated by a semi-colon (;), that will be associated with this industry code. Click on the OK button to add the new industry. A folder in \base\settings\role_xxx will be created for you, and a file called Information.txt will also be created in that folder this contains the title and associated companies information about that industry. Designing UI Layouts and the staging folder The mechanism of how UI layout files are used in design mode has changed in SYSPRO 7. This section describes these changes. When entering DESIGN MODE the system first deletes all the files for the role from the role folder on the client, and then copies across all the files from server to client. This is to ensure that the designer is using the latest set of UI layout files. To prevent problems occurring while someone is designing for a role, the system will copy the role files to a new staging folder on the client; the folder name will be...\base\settings\role_### This means that while someone is designing he/she is not interfering with anyone about to login or is already logged into SYSPRO. When exiting design mode the system will first create a temporary file in the Role_xxx folder on the server. This file will serve as a folder lock for that role; in other words, while the file exists it means that files are being copied from the client back to the server, and therefore you will not be allowed to login using that role until the copy is complete and then the temporary file is removed. This process of copying files from client to server normally takes only a few seconds; the user can press RETRY (to retry the login process) or CANCEL to exit SYSPRO. When self-healing executes then all files in the role folder get removed first and then the files get copied from server to client. It is possible that if multiple users try to login in at the same time then each instance of SYSPRO will try to copy the files to the server. To ensure that when the first instance of SYSPRO does do the copy then a temporary file will be created in the client Role_xxx folder; while the copy is in progress then no other user will be allowed to login for that role. If, when in design mode, the system crashes (for whatever reason), then the files in the staging folder Role_### remain untouched and will not have been copied back to the original designed role.

71 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 72 When the same operator logins in again the system will prompt the operator to ask if he/she wishes to resume editing for that role. If so, then the files for the role will not be copied to Role_### before the operator is placed into design mode for that role.

72 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 73 Designing Customized Panes Systemwide or by role for inclusion in the main menu You can design customized panes at the system-wide or role level and have these visualised in the main menu. These customized panes will not interfere with the user s personal layout of his main menu. There are two new docking windows in the main menu called System View and Role View. These windows act as the host container for the customized panes design using an App Builder. The operator cannot add or adjust any customized panes that get added to these containers. There are two new Application Builders specifically to design customized panes to be inserted into these containers. These work in a similar manner to the current Application Builder programs. Steps to building customized panes for the SYSTEM VIEW: 1. Click on Design UI Layouts. 2. Select to design System-Wide layouts and click on Start Design Mode. 3. To begin designing a system-wide view on the ribbon bar click on Application Builder, Design System-Wide View in the Customization group of the Administration tab. 4. Define your customized panes. 5. Exit the App Builder. 6. Click on Exit Design Mode to save the layouts. 7. The next time any user in the organization loads up SYSPRO then these panes will be automatically shown in the System-wide View in the main menu. Steps to building customized panes for the ROLE VIEW: 1. Click on Design UI Layouts. 2. Select to design the required Role and click on Start Design Mode. 3. To begin designing a role view on the ribbon bar click on Application Builder, Design Role View in the Customization group of the Administration tab. 4. Define your customized panes 5. Exit the App Builder. 6. Click on Exit Design Mode to save the layouts. 7. The next time any user associated with the role loads up SYSPRO then these panes will be automatically shown in the Role View in the main menu. The user may re-order or move around the customized panes in both the system-wide and role views the layouts will be remembered until such time as the administrator changes any customized panes in the view, then the new layout will be applied.

73 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 74 It is important to note that it is possible to have both a system-wide AND a role view running concurrently within the main menu. This is unlike any other program within SYSPRO since typically you cannot have system-wide and role layouts running concurrently. Example of the main menu with the two new containers, system-wide and role views:

74 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 75 Designing Search Windows system-wide Administrators can create search windows that can be applied system-wide. Click on the Search Windows button on the Administration tab of the Ribbon bar. Check the option Apply system-wide for the search window to be the preferred browse for all operators. Click on Design to design the list view result layout for the search window for all operators.

75 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 76 Customization Profiler in SYSPRO 7 In SYSPRO 7 you can now analyse the customizations applied to any application including the main system menu. Prior to SYSPRO 7 it was quite difficult to visualise all the customization changes that have been done to an application, such as VBScript events being trapped. The Customization Management program does indicate what changes have been made to an application using either roles or system-wide customization, but it does not indicate what VBScript procedures, for example, are being executed in any given application. The Customization Profiler provides a complete customization analysis of the current application. To load the profiler simply right-click on any docking pane caption (or select the docking pane menu pull-down option) and select Customization Profiler. A report of the customization changes are presented in a list view report. The report shows the following sections: Customized panes All customized panes are indicated. It also shows if there are any associated panes present and to which form field that pane is linked. Custom form fields All custom form fields that have been dragged onto any form are indicated.

76 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 77 Form actions All VBScript actions that have been added to any form are indicated. The action text is shown along with the equivalent VBScript procedural name. VBScripts All VBScripts are indicated, showing the title of the form, list view or customized pane in which the script is being executed. The filename of the actual script being executed is shown so that you can determine if the script is by role or system-wide, or designed just for the current operator. In addition, all functions or procedures present in each script are shown along with any references to the following statements: CallBo, CallWorkFlow, CreateObject, Toolbarbuttons, enetguid, LoadModule These references are useful because it can help pinpoint problems occurring at a customer site as a result of using either business objects or loading DLLs from within the script. Layouts This section shows the docking layouts, list view layouts and form layouts used to define the UI layout for the application, and specifically indicates the filename of the layout that was applied.

77 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 78 Using Roaming Users 1. Conversion of Roaming Users file for SYSPRO 7 Prior to SYSPRO 7 if you used roaming users then a user s settings and UI preferences would be typically saved in: C:\Users\operator-code\AppData\Roaming In SYSPRO 7, with roaming in use, these files will now be saved in: C:\Users\operator-code\AppData\Roaming\SYSPRO\settings The system will automatically move any files from the \Roaming folder to the new Roaming\SYSPRO\settings folder as they are referenced by an application, so there s nothing required to be done by the administrator. To use roaming users in SYSPRO you need to define the registry key RoamingUser (in the SYSPRO\e.net solutions entry) as a string value of 1 : 2. Switching on Roaming Users for the first time for a computer If you decide to switch on roaming users for a computer, then when you next login to SYSPRO you will see this message:

78 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 79 If you select Yes then your current operator preference files are moved from the \base\settings folder to the roaming user folder. When this process has completed (it should take a second or two), then this message will appear: Note: Not all files are moved to the roaming user folder. Some files, such as ADMPNL.DAT, ADMWIN.DAT, ADMLST.DAT, ADMLFR.DAT are shared across operators, and in a terminal server environment the contents are still required by other users.

79 SYSPRO 7 Performance Testing 80 Miscellaneous Features XAML Markup Editor The editor now indicates in the status bar if the XAML markup is valid and if not gives an indication of the problem. DPI (dots per inch) awareness SYSPRO 7 is more DPI aware, particularly the Ribbon Bar and toolbars. This is more noticeable if the display settings are greater than 100%. New CUSAUT.IMP side-file for Automation Design Automation Design (IMPFRG program) now automatically displays any custom-developed programs for automation. Simply create a text file in the same format as IMPAUT.IMP (found in the SYSPRO programs folder) and save in the CUSPROGS folder as CUSAUT.IMP. Add your program names to CUSAUT.IMP, and also add your program description starting from column 15.

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