Dynamics Confessor Blogspot: Posting multiple batches with a macro

Leslie Vail examines  Posting multiple batches with a macro

Automate Login To Microsoft Dynamics GP 10 | azurecurve

Ian Grieve looks at how to Automate Login To Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.

The only potential negative with this is that the user name and login are stored in clear text.

A Look at Dynamics GP Macros

Tod Heath at Ignify has an article up with another look at the benefits of macros in Dynamics GP.

Autoclose After Checklinks Example

Dave Mugrave has a nice example of using VBA and a macro to automatigically close GP after checklinks finishes.

GP Macro Video Now Available

Are you afraid of macros in GP? Never got around to figuring them out? Does the word "Macro" make your skin crawl and give you flashbacks to Lotus 1-2-3 or Excel 1.0? Have no fear, we'll show you how to get started with macros in GP in less than 5 minutes, 4 minutes and 46 seconds to be exact!
The newest Dynamic Sherpa video gives you a quick overview of setting up and running your first macro. Once you get that figured out, don't forget that we have more macro resources in the Weekly Dynamic tips area.
All the Dynamic Sherpa videos are here. The macro video is here.

Weekly Feature: Schedule Your Macros

You may have maintenance or reporting macros that you want to run when you're not logged in. I'm working on a set of prebuild maintenance macros for registered users to be available in the near future. As promised in the Macros weekly feature, to schedule a macro to run:

• Start GP, don't log in.
• At the Welcome window hit ALT-F8 to start recording. Name the macro and save it to a location where you can find it.
• Log in as you normally would. (The macro will record your password. You may want a separate, maintenance only login for automatic macros)
• After you are logged in, leave macro recorder running and either perform all the functions you want scheduled or run another macro that you've prebuilt that has all the functions you want. This second options adds increased flexibility. You can separate the scheduling macro from the macro used to perform maintenance.
• When done, pick Tools->Macro->Stop Recording.
• Almost Done. Open the macro (mac) file in notepad. Remove the # DEXVERSION line. (This removes version specific info from the file and makes it more version generic so you don't get burned by a service pack)
• Add the line: Logging file 'macro.log' to the top of macro. (This turns off macro dialog boxes)

To fire this macro off you need 3 pieces. The dynamics.exe location, dynamics.set location and the macro location. The line to run your macro from a windows shortcut looks something like this:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Business Solutions80\Great Plains\Dynamics.exe" "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Business Solutions80\Great Plains\Dynamics.set" "C:\Documents and Settings\mpolino\Desktop\login.mac"

Quotes are required. Create a shortcut with these locations and use the windows scheduler to fire off the shortcut. After that your macros will run as scheduled. Any error dialogs are logged in the macro.log file. Now you can run those maintenance macros while you are at the beach!

Weekly Feature: Advanced Macro Tips

We covered basic macro information last week. This week we've got some advanced features.

1) Move macros from version to version.

Sometimes recorded macros won't run after an upgrade or a service pack. Open the macro file (.mac) in notepad and remove the top line. It will look something like this: # DEXVERSION=DEX 8.00m076 2 2 and indicates the version the macro was recorded in. Since many GP updates add features, rather than changing features this usually works fine.

2) Split up macros.

This was covered in last weeks Weekly Gotcha

3) Allow access to limited areas.

This was more important in past versions but if a user needs to perform a single function behind the system password, you can create a macro that incorporates the password and allows them to perform the funtion. Other items behind the system password are normally not accessible because the password would be required again and the macro has hidden it from the user. BEWARE though, this puts the system password in an unencrypted text (.mac) file so you'll want to limit access to the macro file and track system activity. Also, if you change the system password, you break the macro.

4) Edit a macro by hand.

You can edit the macro (.mac) file with notepad. So if you have a long macro and you need to make a simple change (like a name or system password ;)) you can edit the file. I asked MBS support and developer types if there is a document outlining how the macro language works but I've been repeated told that nothing like that exists.

5) Step through the macro.

You can use the STEP (shift-f8) option to step through your macro one command at a time if you are having problems.

6) Macrotize your reports.

Report Scheduler and Report Groups are great but sometimes you need odd report settings (like yesterday). Remember that you can use macros to setup the report, let you enter the date and then finish printing.

7) Macrotize your maintenance.

Checklinks and Reconcile can both be run with macros. You can review the macro help file to even see how to autoschedule a macro. I'll probably cover it as well on a later post.

Weekly Gotcha: Macro Pauses

When building a macro, you can pause to allow for user input with the Insert Pause button. The problem is that the user has to know to go to Tools->Macro->Continue after they input their information. This extremely non-intuitive.

A better option is to build multiple macros. Let each macro stop before required input and a new macro be set to start after input. Then add all the macros to the shortcut bar with a number in from of them like a series of steps (you can use folders to isolate various processes. This way a user would see something like:

1) Click here to Start bank transfer
2) Enter Amount
3) Click here to post transfer

Steps 1 and 3 would be macros, step 2 would be a dummy shortcut. The user would click step 1 to populate all the bank account info. They would enter the amount as step 2 and the step 3 macros would post and finish processing.

This makes changes to the process easy since you don't have to re-record a giant macro and it funcitons as a poor man's workflow.

Weekly Feature: Macro Basics

In honor of Halloween, our featured item this week is something scary to many people, MACROS. (insert scary Halloween laugh here.)

A macro is a function that allows the automation of certain events in a program. In Great Plains, macros can be used to take out some of the annoying parts. For example, when we transfer money, we always transfer it one way, from Money Market to operating. Everything is the same but the dollar amount. So, I build a macro to fill in everything but the amount. Now I just run the macro, add an amount and I'm done.

Building a macro in GP is easy but somewhat tedious. Remember though, you only have to build it once, you get to run it over and over again. A GP macro works the same way as if you were sitting there keying in the info. That's important thing to remember as you build macros.

To start, select Tools->Macro->Record. Name the macro TESTand remember where you saved it. Pick Transactions->Financial>Bank Transfers for our example.

Key in everything but the amount to transfer. Click Tools->Macro->Stop Recording. You've now recorded all that work.

Push clear and close the window.

Pick Tools->Macro->Play. Find your macro file and click open. Close the box telling you how long the macro ran. You now have bank transfer waiting for your amount. To finish the transfer, enter the amount and click post.

Adding the macro to the shortcut bar is the easiest way to run a macro and it gets rid of the run time message.

There's more you can do with macros and we'll cover the advanced stuff another time. You can also learn more in the Great Plains help files.