Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Table-Group-All pattern filtering in forms

When we need to support business scenarios with different types of relations for the same table, it comes to using enums like Table-Group-All. You can find the biggest example, I believe, in PriceDiscTable.

This post is to explain the same approach in a simpler way.

Say, we have a table with two fields defining different possible values for two other relation value fields.





The whole idea is in adding a range with an expression to the form query.



The challenge here is to support correct filtering on the form and combine it with the user filters, after it is open for a particular record. In our case it is a customer that can have a value in Sales commission group (or not) and some matching ZIP code in its primary business address.


void  reSelect()
{
    str filter;

    element.cleanDSQuery();
    filter = this.buildViewAllCustomerFilter();
    blockCustomerGroupRelation.value(filter);

    mySalesGroupAssignation_DS.executeQuery();
    mySalesGroupAssignation_DS.queryRun().saveUserSetup(false);
    mySalesGroupAssignation_DS.refresh();
}

This method is supposed to be triggered from linkActive() of the data source. First we clear the original query from possible dynamic links and ranges and create our new range for an expression. You can make it visible to see the final expression for debugging.

private void cleanDSQuery()
{
    mySalesGroupAssignation_DS.query().dataSourceTable(tableNum(mySalesGroupAssignation)).clearDynalinks();

    mySalesGroupAssignation_DS.query().dataSourceTable(tableNum(mySalesGroupAssignation)).clearRanges();
    blockCustomerGroupRelation  = mySalesGroupAssignation_ds.query().dataSourceTable(tableNum(mySalesGroupAssignation)).addRange(fieldNum(mySalesGroupAssignation, myCustomerTableGroupAll));
    blockCustomerGroupRelation.status(RangeStatus::Hidden);
}

Then we create a complex range expression for two fields in two methods.


private str buildViewAllCustomerFilter()
{
    str viewAllAgreementFilter;


    viewAllAgreementFilter = '((';
    viewAllAgreementFilter += element.buildFilterCustomer();
    viewAllAgreementFilter += ') && (';
    viewAllAgreementFilter += element.buildFilterZipCode();
    viewAllAgreementFilter += '))';

    return viewAllAgreementFilter;
}

We add Group based condition only if Sales commission value is set up for a given customer.

private str buildFilterCustomer()
{
    str                 filter;
    // (
    filter = '(';
    // (myCustomerTableGroupAll = Table and myCustomerGroupRelation = account code)
    // OR
    // (myCustomerTableGroupAll = All)
    // AND
    //

    filter += strFmt('((%1.%2==%5) && (%1.%3=="%4")) || (%1.%2==%6)',
                        mySalesGroupAssignation_DS.queryRun().query().dataSourceTable(tableNum(mySalesGroupAssignation)).name(),  // 1
                        fieldStr(mySalesGroupAssignation, myCustomerTableGroupAll),                                               // 2
                        fieldStr(mySalesGroupAssignation, myCustomerGroupRelation),                                               // 3
                        queryValue(custTableFrom.AccountNum),                                                                       // 4
                        any2int(TableGroupAll::Table),                                                                              // 5
                        any2int(TableGroupAll::All)                                                                                 // 6
                        );

    if(custTableFrom.CommissionGroup)
    {
        // OR
        // (myCustomerTableGroupAll = Group and myCustomerGroupRelation = sales commission group)

        filter += strFmt(' || ((%1.%2==%5) && (%1.%3=="%4"))',
                        mySalesGroupAssignation_DS.queryRun().query().dataSourceTable(tableNum(mySalesGroupAssignation)).name(),  // 1
                        fieldStr(mySalesGroupAssignation, myCustomerTableGroupAll),                                               // 2
                        fieldStr(mySalesGroupAssignation, myCustomerGroupRelation),                                               // 3
                        queryValue(custTableFrom.CommissionGroup),                                                                  //4
                        any2int(TableGroupAll::GroupId)                                                                              // 5
                        );
    }

    filter += ')';
    return filter;

}


private str buildFilterZipCode()
{
    str                 filter;
    // (
    // (myZipCodeTableGroupAll = GroupId and myZipCodeGroupRelation = myBusinessAddressZipCode)
    // OR
    // (myZipCodeTableGroupAll = All)

    filter = strFmt('(((%1.%2==%5) && (%1.%3=="%4")) || (%1.%2==%6))',
                        mySalesGroupAssignation_DS.queryRun().query().dataSourceTable(tableNum(mySalesGroupAssignation)).name(),  // 1
                        fieldStr(mySalesGroupAssignation, myZipCodeTableGroupAll),                                               // 2
                        fieldStr(mySalesGroupAssignation, myZipCodeGroupRelation),                                               // 3
                        queryValue(custTableFrom.myBusinessAddressZipCode().myZipGroupId),                                       // 4
                        any2int(myGroupAll::GroupId),                                                                              // 5
                        any2int(myGroupAll::All)                                                                                 // 6
                        );                                                                               // 6

    return filter;

}

You can easily adapt this code to your own scenario. Just be meticulous with the syntax of the extended range expression.

Saturday, December 9, 2017

EDT and tables wizard for AX 2012

AX 2012 Wizard allows to create new Extended data types and new tables with relations, delete actions, indexes and find methods, based on a simple Excel file. Two sample Excel files are included in the zip-package.

Just import two classes (ADO class is to support Excel import).

You can set up new types (if needed) and new tables with all bells and whistles, then run the Wizard and can go fishing until it does its job.

Happy fishing!




It creates:
first
- all new types based on basic types; (ignores if exists)
- all new labels for US-EN and FR-CA or finds existing one for US-EN;
second
- new tables;
- new fields;
- new field group with all new fields and the same label as for table;
- new index based on the first field and set is as cluster index;
- normal relation to the main table if given (one only);
- cascade delete action for all new relations from subordinated tables;
- method find based on the first field.


If it fails to open Excel file, check your currently installed Excel version and adapt the connection string.




How to create an AOT table field for a given Extended data type

As you can see from the following code, we have to get the primitive or container type for a given EDT. It comes from method AOTtpeStr() as an abbreviation. Then you should call an appropriate method to create a new field.

private void createFieldInTableInAOT()
{
    TreeNode            treeNode = treenode::findNode(#ExtendedDataTypesPath);
    TreeNode            treeNodeEDT2extend  = treeNode.AOTfindChild(edtType);
    AOTTableFieldList   fieldNode;
    str                 typeStrCode = treeNodeEDT2extend.AOTtypeStr();

    if(!treeNodeEDT2extend)
    {
        warning(funcName() + ".\n Extended data type "+ edtType + " not exists in AOT!");
        return ;
    }

    switch (typeStrCode)
    {
        // string
        case 'UTS':
            treeNodeFields.addString(edtName);
            break;
        // real
        case 'UTR':
            treeNodeFields.addReal(edtName);
            break;
        // integer
        case 'UTI':
            treeNodeFields.addInteger(edtName);
            break;
        // int64
        case 'UTW':
            treeNodeFields.addInt64(edtName);
            break;
        // date
        case 'UTD':
            treeNodeFields.addDate(edtName);
            break;
        // time
        case 'UTT':
            treeNodeFields.addTime(edtName);
            break;
        // datetime
        case 'UTZ':
            treeNodeFields.addDateTime(edtName);
            break;
        // enum
        case 'UTE':
            treeNodeFields.addEnum(edtName);
            break;
        // container
        case 'UTQ':
            treeNodeFields.addContainer(edtName);
            break;
        // GUID
        case 'UTG':
            treeNodeFields.addGuid(edtName);
            break;
        default:
                throw error(funcName());
    }
    
    fieldNode       = treeNodeFields.AOTfindChild(edtName);
    fieldNode.AOTsetProperty(#PropertyExtendeddatatype, edtType);
    fieldNode.AOTsave();
    currentFieldGroupTreeNode.AOTadd(edtName);

    info(strfmt("Field '%1' of type '%2' created", edtName, edtType));
}


Tuesday, October 3, 2017

D365: passing through public method by means of Pre- and Post-event handlers

Let's say we need to change the logic of a standard public method in terms of Extensions approach in D367 (AX7).

The whole idea is basically in saving values provided by XppPrePostArgs parameter in Pre-event handler method in new parameters and then restoring them in Post- one from the latter.

pre()>Save
standard method()
post()>Restore

For example, our business scenario is to allow the user to select Default company without selecting a Project while creating a new Purchase requisition. (I added a new parameter to the module)



Therefore, we have to change the logic of validateCoexistenceOfProjectAndBuyingLegalEntity method, which is called inside of PurchReqTable.validateWrite().

Standard, it does not allow to have an empty Project once Default company is chosen.


First, we create Pre- and Post-event handlers.



Then we put them into a new class and add new "by-passing" logic.


class PurchReqTableHandler
{
    #define.CompanyInfoDefaultArgName('CompanyInfoDefaultArgName')
    
    [PreHandlerFor(tableStr(PurchReqTable), tableMethodStr(PurchReqTable, validateCoexistenceOfProjectAndBuyingLegalEntity))]
    public static void PurchReqTable_Pre_validateCoexistenceOfProjectAndBuyingLegalEntity(XppPrePostArgs _args)
    {
        RefRecId        companyInfoDefault;
        PurchReqTable   purchReqTable   = _args.getThis();

        if(PurchParameters::find().PurchReqAllowCmpInfoDefWithoutProjId)
        {
            
            // if the user opted for setting Company without a project
            // we have to save it and use after this standard validation process
            if ( !purchReqTable.ProjId && purchReqTable.CompanyInfoDefault)
            {
                companyInfoDefault                  = purchReqTable.CompanyInfoDefault;
                purchReqTable.CompanyInfoDefault    = 0;
            }
            // make it zero to pass through the standard validation
            _args.setArg(#CompanyInfoDefaultArgName, companyInfoDefault);
        }
    }

   
    [PostHandlerFor(tableStr(PurchReqTable), tableMethodStr(PurchReqTable, validateCoexistenceOfProjectAndBuyingLegalEntity))]
    public static void PurchReqTable_Post_validateCoexistenceOfProjectAndBuyingLegalEntity(XppPrePostArgs _args)
    {
        boolean         ret;
        RefRecId        companyInfoDefault;
        PurchReqTable   purchReqTable   = _args.getThis();

        if(PurchParameters::find().PurchReqAllowCmpInfoDefWithoutProjId)
        {
            ret                 = _args.getReturnValue();
            companyInfoDefault  = _args.getArg(#CompanyInfoDefaultArgName);
            purchReqTable       = _args.getThis();
            // restore it
            if (ret && companyInfoDefault && !purchReqTable.CompanyInfoDefault)
            {
                purchReqTable.CompanyInfoDefault = companyInfoDefault;
            }
        }
    }

}


Thursday, June 8, 2017

How to change user font

static void tmxSetUserFont(Args _args)
{
    #define.fontName('Arial')
    #define.fontSize(8)
    UserInfo userInfo;

    select forUpdate userInfo
        where userInfo.id == curUserId();
    if(userInfo)
    {
        ttsBegin;
        userInfo.formFontName = #fontName;
        userInfo.formFontSize = #fontSize;
        userInfo.update();
        info(strFmt("New user '%3' font set to '%1' of '%2' size", userInfo.formFontName, userInfo.formFontSize, userInfo.id));
        ttsCommit;
    }
    else
    {
        error(strFmt("User '%1' not found!", curUserId()));
    }

}

Monday, April 10, 2017

InMemory and TempDB in joins on forms

One of the tricky point of the previously announced project for AIF external code mapping and Reverse view is the usage of temporary tables in the latter's form.

As we know there are two different temporary table types in AX 2012: InMemory and TempDB.

In my project I needed to join a temporary table with internal values to the regular table with external codes.

"Cannot select a record in xxxx.
InMemory temporary tables must be the outer tables when they are joined to a TempDB table or permanent table."

How to avoid this famous error?

Brief, I need to populate the temp buffer at the server side and then to pass it to the form data source.

The easiest way to understand how they are processed by AX is switching the type for and debugging then the Reverse view form opening in Init and temporary table populating method. Seeing is believing.

This is how Reverse View regular and temp table are joined.







Let's start with InMemory type. The form considers it as the client tier based table.




In the server based populating method, we need to instantiate the local temp buffer and then set it to the argument buffer via setTmpData() method so that it was still on the server tier. Old school.




Then the same approach to set it to the caller data source. Our temp InMemory table is still on the server and can be joined.




Now, change the table type to TempDB and debug it again. As you can see the form determines it as the server based object.




This time we need to insert new records directly to the argument buffer so that it could be linked to the caller form data source via linkPhysicalTableInstance() method.






If do not have any special reason, the TempDB is recommended to use.




AIF Many to One External Codes Value Mapping and Reverse View Extension

I do not see any reason why we are not allowed to map many external codes to one internal for AIF inbound port value mapping.

In fact, this is just a question of one additional table, which can be easily created as a copy of the exting one, and a slight change to three classes and AIF related forms.


For the demo's sake it is implemented for Customer and Units only, but you can add the same to any AX externally enabled table.

 Please download and use this extension to the standard AIF in AX 2012.

Another valuable feature of this project is the External codes Reverse View.


Any time I saw something like depicted, I dreamt to have a way to look into this halo in reverse.



The Reverse view enables you to find any existing relation between 1:1 and N:1 external and internal codes.

Filter by any column, export them to Excel, and go directly to the internal table by Edit or double-clicking.

Besides aforementioned, there are examples of using the powerfull AX objects, like:
- table map;
- Data Dictionary operations for scalability;
- set;
- InMemory and TempDB usage in Form and joins.