Released on = March 28, 2007, 2:47 pm

Press Release Author = Alba Spectrum Group

Industry = Computers

Press Release Summary = Microsoft Great Plains is ERP with long implementation,
customization, integration history and it has large number of installation across
USA and Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, South Africa. You should expect that
over the years Great Plains developers used different tools and methods to modify
GP. In this small article we would like to give, programmer, historical excurse
into GP software development.

Press Release Body = Alba Spectrum Group http://www.albaspectrum.com
http://www.enterlogix.com.br help@albaspectrum.com, 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918

Microsoft Great Plains is ERP with long implementation, customization, integration
history and it has large number of installation across USA and Canada, Australia,
New Zealand, UK, South Africa. You should expect that over the years Great Plains
developers used different tools and methods to modify GP. In this small article we
would like to give, programmer, historical excurse into GP software development.
. Great Plains Dexterity. This tool was designed as the core of Great Plains
Dynamics. In its turn, Dex was created as C-Shell (application written in C
programming language). Main business logic dictionary is DYNAMICS.DIC, ISV had
options to create their own dictionaries and obtain product ID from Great Plains
Software. Around 2003-2004, when Microsoft Business Solutions had Project Green
plan, there were some opinions that Dexterity will be replaced by direct .Net C#
code, even Dex source code partner program was closed for new GP partners. However
later on in the Summer of 2005, source code program was resumed, which indicates
that Dexterity termination was either postponed or canceled. In dex theoretically
you have unlimited development instruments, however, due to the fact of being
legacy, it is not object oriented language, rather procedural
. Microsoft Dynamics GP SDK. This tool virtually opens the door to MS Visual Studio
developer to write add-ons to GP, using .Net C# (or VB.Net). Screens are seamlessly
integrated into Microsoft Dynamics GP Dexterity-written client application and you
can utilize the same color schema and icons collection to imitate GP application
windows. You can ask - maybe this is the replacement to Dexterity. We also were
very impressed by the tool, when watching initial demo. However, later in became
clear, that (and we agree with MS realization) there were no other way, but expose
old-good days Dex forms and objects via .Net libraries, so behind the scenes you see
old dex shell. Real alternative to Dexterity is the possible advancs in eConnect,
because eConnect doesn't touch dex shell, but instead works with SQL database side
via the set of stored procedures.
. VBA/Modifier. This is when you use Modifier to change Microsoft Dynamics GP
forms: take off some fields, add buttons and attach VBA scripts to new buttons. VBA
scripting were also popular in Ms Excel, MS Access and other MS tools, exposed as
OLE server to developer. Probably good idea to consider other options, prior to
deploying heavy VBA modification, due to the risk of future upgrade and support
termination.

Andrew Karasev, Alba Spectrum Group http://www.albaspectrum.com
http://www.enterlogix.com.br help@albaspectrum.com, 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918,
service US nationwide: Illinois, Texas, California, Florida, Colorado, Minnesota,
Wisconsin, Indiana, New York, Virginia. Local service is available in Chicago:
Naperville, Aurora, Plainfield, Villa Park, Woodridge, Downers Grove, Lisle,
Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Joliet, Lockport, Orland Park, Wheaton, Lombard,
Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Marseilles, Morris, Oswego, Montgomery, Batavia,
Elgin, Geneva. In Houston: Richmond, Sugar Land, Rosenberg, Bellaire, Pearland,
Pasadena, Katy, Creek Village as well as in Dallas area.


Web Site = http://www.albaspectrum.com

Contact Details = Alba Spectrum Group http://www.albaspectrum.com
http://www.enterlogix.com.br help@albaspectrum.com, 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918