Navigation List in Dynamics GP 2010 | Dynamics GP Insights

Christina Phillips explains Navigation List in Dynamics GP 2010

Weekly Review: Export Navigation Lists to Excel

 

SmartLists have a big green Excel button that makes the idea of exporting a SmartList to Excel ridiculously obvious. But what about Navigation Lists? Navigation Lists can be exported to Excel too, it’s just not as obvious.

To export a Navigation List to Excel:

1. Pick Financial on the Navigation Pane
2. Pick Accounts from the list on the upper left
3. Check the white box on the header next to account number to select all accounts
4. Select Go To | Send to Excel from the ribbon on the right.

Even better,  Patrick Roth debuted a new Dex.ini switch which dramatically speeds up the export to Excel process from Navigation Lists. All you have to do is add the following line to your Dex.ini file.

ListsFastExcelExport=TRUE

This line is still experimental and unsupported so use it with care.

Originally Posted by Mark Polino at 6/01/2010 09:00:00 AM

Streamlined Purchase Processing in Dynamics GP from the List View

Sheldon from Etelligent Solutions shows off Streamlined Purchase Processing in Dynamics GP from the List View

Navigating Dynamics GP Data Using Navigation Lists | Dynamics GP Insights

Fellow MVP Charles Allen highlights Navigating Dynamics GP Data Using Navigation Lists

The Dynamics GP Blogster: Navigation List Builder not redeploying changes to a previously saved list

Mariano tackles Navigation List Builder not redeploying changes to a previously saved list

The Dynamics GP Blogster: Cannot insert the value NULL into column 'BASEUOFM' error when clicking on Items List in Navigation Pane

Mariano hunts down a Unit of Measure issue in Navigation Lists in his new post Cannot insert the value NULL into column 'BASEUOFM' error when clicking on Items List in Navigation Pane

GP 2010 R2 Feature of the Day: List View Performance Enhancements - Inside Microsoft Dynamics GP

The latest Feature of the Day from Inside Microsoft Dynamics GP covers List View Performance Enhancements. I have to say, even from a 50 tips demo standpoint, I’m looking forward to improved List View performance.

New Customer Case Studies showing the benefits of personalizing and connecting your solution - Inside Microsoft Dynamics GP

Inside Microsoft Dynamics GP bring us New Customer Case Studies showing the benefits of personalizing and connecting your solution . Get a look at what Extender and the Builders can do.

Navigation List Builder – Let’s add some Actions!

 

Devon Southall spends some time showing us how to add Actions to Navigation List Builder lists.

Making a new Navigation List in Builder for GP 2010 in Dynamics GP

Devon Southall has a great look at Making a new Navigation List in Builder for GP 2010. If you’ve wanted to get started with Navigation List Builder here is your chance.

Import / Export in the Builders for Dynamics GP

Devon Southall has a nice look at Importing and  Exporting items in the Builders (Smartlist Builder, Excel Report Builder, etc.)

Weekly Dynamic: Export Navigation Lists to Excel

SmartLists have a big green Excel button that makes the idea of exporting  a SmartList to Excel ridiculously obvious. But what about Navigation Lists? Navigation Lists can be exported to Excel too, it’s just not as obvious.
To export a Navigation List to Excel:

1. Pick Financial on the Navigation Pane
2. Pick Accounts from the list on the upper left
3. Check the white box on the header next to account number to select all accounts
4. Select Go To | Send to Excel from the ribbon on the right.

Even better, late last week, Patrick Roth debuted a new Dex.ini switch which dramatically speeds up the export to Excel process from Navigation Lists. All you have to do is add the following line to your Dex.ini file.
ListsFastExcelExport=TRUE
I expect David Musgrave to eventually incorporate these switches in the way cool Support Debugging Tool but until that happens, this method works just fine.

Copying Microsoft Dynamics GP Navigation Bar shortcuts from one user to another

Fellow MVP Mariano Gomez shows us how to Copy Microsoft Dynamics GP Navigation Bar shortcuts from one user to another using SQL. Yeah, you really need to read this. Go do that and then come back.

Leveraging Navigation Lists in GP v10.0

My transition from Dynamics GP customer back into the GP partner world with Tribridge occurred just after Dynamics GP v10.0 emerged on the scene in the summer of 2007, and since my previous employer was running GP v9.0 and not upgrading anytime soon, I had a lot of catching up to do in order to get up to speed on all things new. In the process of doing so, I found the new Navigation Lists within Dynamics GP v10. My initial thoughts centered on how they could possibly co-exist with SmartList, the reputable and trustworthy query tool most everyone already utilized.

Three years later while at GPUG Summit 2009 just outside Chicago, I stumbled across more users than expected that had either never used the no-longer-new Navigation Lists or hadn’t even heard of them! I had time during presentations or in discussion groups at the Summit to elaborate a little about what I liked/disliked about them, but still believe the pros far outweigh the cons here and more time and energy is certainly warranted for this area of Dynamics GP v10...so here goes.

SmartList isn’t headed to an early grave by any means, but Navigation Lists in Dynamics GP v10 are useful, easy to learn, and even have their own, third party-friendly Builder available. They’re not perfect yet, but my thought process has always been that if a positive spotlight was placed on them and more GP users knew about the power they possess, Microsoft (and others) would continue to build upon them and make Navigation Lists in Dynamics GP even better in the future. Here are a couple of functions I admire most that SmartList simply cannot compete with:

1) As long as SmartList (introduced originally as ‘Explorer’) has been in the box, the ‘Search’ button has never offered more than four data filters per query. Most of the time this is sufficient, but anyone who has used SmartList before has encountered a time when a fifth or even sixth filter would have been handy. With Navigation Lists, if you require more than four filters, you can have more than four, which means filtering in Excel doesn’t have to be your primary fall-back plan. An example of six data field filters against the ‘Customers’ primary list and saved as my own, modified list is shown:

2) SmartList queries can be shared with other GP users across all companies, within a specific company, or within a specific User Class if the author so chooses, but that opens the door to potentially uninvited edits, which are never fun to discover. Navigation List queries don’t have this issue, however, allowing for authors to not only decide which GP users can see their creation but also determine which of these users can write to a saved Navigation List and which ones can simply read.

a) A Navigation List can be ‘Private’ (author only) or ‘Public’ (shared) within the ‘Sharing Details’ window
b) If Public, Users can be added - ‘bmcadam’ and ‘sa’ have permission to make edits as the ‘Write’ box adjacent to their respective User ID is checked, but ‘malstott’ and ‘dbrooks’ only have read permissions as the ‘Write’ box adjacent to their respective User ID is not checked
c) The ‘Everyone’ option is always available for Public list distribution
d) If Public, Roles can be added, too - users tied to the ‘Accounts Payable’ Role only have read permissions as the ‘Write’ box is not checked. Roles, a hard-coded, validated list within Dynamics GP v10, are not user-defined as User Class IDs are and have been over the years, thus they’re easier for all to manage

These functions, additional search filters and more robust sharing capabilities, are just a couple of items within Dynamics GP v10 Navigation Lists that make them worthwhile to learn more about and utilize. While I’m optimistic that more improvements can and will be made in this area, I’m still somewhat perplexed with the number of users I’ve encountered that haven’t discovered the power and simplicity of this superb functionality. Perhaps pieces like this, accompanied by some enthusiastic knowledge sharing, will help get the word out to users while also informing Microsoft that new, exciting functionality is always welcome, not to mention highly encouraged!

Bob McAdam is a Manager at Tribridge in Tampa, spending the majority of his time working in the GP delivery area with existing customers. He is also an active contributor to the Dynamics GP User Group (GPUG). Bob has been fortunate enough to be involved with Dynamics GP as both partner and customer since 1998. One sincere 'hat tip' goes out to friend & former colleague Mark Polino for all his blogging encouragement.

Convergence Catchup

For those of you not at Convergence it's been a busy few days here. For the folks who are here, make sure you take some Advil for that hangover headache.
To catch folks up:
GP 10 is due to be released in June with a new interface. Smartlists are now Navigation lists with a deeper/stronger connection to the interface. Instead of a feature, it's now an integral part of the app.
Navigation lists also use a ribbon like interface a la Office 2007 but for some unexplained reason, they don't use the word ribbon. In fact they studiously avoid the word ribbon. What's up with that?
Palettes are back, sort of. Customizable transaction workflow is now included, I'll have more on that later. Also, the security model has been revised from an optimistic to a pessimistic security.
MS announced a new community initiative, a "MySpace for Finance Professionals" that is getting some press coverage. I see this as long overdue upgrade to their Newsgroups. The site will have RSS to make it easy to follow. I'm not sure why it took MS a year to build this, they have tools to get this done in a lot less time, but it is what it is, or rather, it what we, the GP community, make it to be.
I'll have more to say about workflow, security and the other pieces later. They each deserve their own post.
Today is nitty gritty day so I hope to be able to cut through the keynotes to what will work in the real world and what won't.
Meanwhile, I've recorded a podcast with Davis Sooknanan of Roadtown Wholesale. They were a 2005 Pinnacle award winner. Not easy when you're business is on an island in the Caribbean! So look for that next week. Also Mary Jo Foley and I are trying to hookup for a podcast today.
To the folks who recognized me from the blog or the podcast and stopped to say hi, I have to say that I'm thrilled that you get something out of site and I hope to continue delivering GP info for a long time.