The Store Definitions Screen is a new screen that is used by both the Order Manager Version 6 and the integrated Enterprise Edition feature, Warehouse Manager. Its purpose is to ensure that all workstations in the configuration access the shared data file by the same name.
When either application is launched, the Stone Edge Store Definitions screen will be pre-populated with the names of any “store” databases (data files) that have been previously opened by the current instance of the Order Manager on a given workstation. If none are found, the program will prompt the user to provide the location of a pre-existing Order Manager data file and create a Store Definition for it. The Warehouse Manager has a setting, Automatically reopen the last Store database, to bypass this dialog on startup.
If the Warehouse Manager is unable to make a successful connection to any of the files in the Stone Edge Store Definitions list, the program will mark those definitions as disabled (the Enabled check box will be un-marked).
Figure 1: Store Definitions Screen (A List of Store Definitions)
Select a row in the list (it turns peach when clicked), and then click the Select button; or double-click on the row to establish the connection to the store data file and open the Warehouse Manager.
Click the Add button to open the Store Definition screen (pictured below) and create a connection to a new data file. Please be aware that the Store Definition screen is not the same as the Store Definitions screen, and their very similar names may initially cause some confusion. The former is for setting up a connection to a data file, while the latter displays a list of existing store definitions (shown above). See the discussion that follows later in this article for more information about the Store Definition screen. Please note that adding a new store definition is not the same thing as creating a new Order Manager “store” file, you are only creating a link to the Order Manager “store” file. To create a new store database, use the Create New Store function, found in the Maintenance Menu of the Order Manager.
Select a store definition from the list and click the Edit button to make changes to it. Making changes to a store definition should be a rare occurrence. For example, if an MS Access data file is converted to an SQL database, use this button to change the connection information.
Click the Delete button to remove a store definition from the store list. It will not delete the actual database, it will only delete the store definition that was saved in the \StoneEdge\Configuration\Store Definitions directory.
This screen is opened by clicking the Add or Edit buttons on the Stone Edge Order Manager Store Definitions screen. The next several paragraphs explain the fields on the Store Definition screen:
Figure 2: Store Definition Screen (To Create a Store Definition)
At the top of the screen there are four fields:
Store Definition Name: The program creates the “official” Store Definition Name which will be the name of an Order Manager data file with all spaces removed (MyWebOrders as opposed to My Web Orders). All workstations in the complex must refer to the same Order Manager Store data file by the same Store Definition Name.
Friendly Store Name: This will initially be the same as the Store Definition Name, but it can be changed by the user without affecting the Store Definition Name, which must remain constant.
Description (optional): The program will auto-populate this field with “Order Manager Data File”. The user can modify this field, if so desired.
Connection Enabled: By default, this box is checked when a new store definition is created. The Warehouse Manager tests all connections upon startup and will automatically uncheck the box if it is unable to successfully connect to a database.
In the lower portion of the screen there is a Connection tab that displays the details of the type of connection that will be used to access the Order Manager’s data file. Some of the fields on that tab change depending on the connection type, and are described below:
Username/Password: For password-protected databases, enter the login information in these fields. Leave both fields blank if using a “trusted connection” (same as Windows Authentication when connecting to SQL Server databases).
The Connection Type: Select the appropriate type for the data file. The choices are:
Figure 3: Connection Tab of Store Definition Screen
button to
browse to the location of the Order Manager data file.Open Exclusive check box
Use Workgroup File (.mdw) check box
Database Password checkbox
Figure 4: Data Connection - Successful Login
SQL databases can be accessed by one of three methods: ODBC DSN, SQL Server, or Connection String. Choose the one that is appropriate for your environment.
Figure 5: Connection Tab settings for ODBC Data Source
If using SQL Server to secure the data base, enter the Username and Password in the fields of the same name. If using a trusted connection (Windows authentication), leave these fields blank.
Select ODBC Data Source from the Connection Type drop-down list.
The DSN Type will be set to System by default, which is the recommended type for an Order Manager data file.
Next to System DSN,
click the 
button to select the appropriate
DSN from the list of data sources that are defined on the workstation.
Click OK.
If using a connection string rather than a DSN to connect to the database (unusual), manually type the Full Connection String into the System DSN field.
Timeout: Users will not normally need to change this setting. It is included on the screen for troubleshooting unusual situations.
Click the Test Connection button to verify the accessibility of the database. If successful, the following message box will be displayed:
Figure 6: Data Connection - Successful Login
Figure 7 : Connection Settings for SQL Server
If using SQL Server to secure the data base, enter the Username and Password in the fields of the same name. If using a trusted connection (Windows authentication), leave these fields blank.
Select SQL Server from the Connection Type drop-down list.
The Timeout field specifies the number of seconds the system should wait before failing (to make the connection).
In the SQL Server Connection section of the screen:
a. Enter the SQL Server name in the Server field
b. Enter the SQL Database name in the Database field.
c. The Network Library check box is for special setups and is not typically used.
Figure 8: Data Connection - Successful Login
This method can be useful when having difficulty connecting to an SQL database via the more typical SQL Server or ODBC type connections. It is used when the server requires additional parameters to be set. Refer to Microsoft's Help for more assistance.
Figure 9: Connection tab settings for Full Connection String
Created 5/11/10