Version 5.9
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Starting with Enterprise Edition 5.908, the Order Manager allows for the creation of an unlimited number of custom fields for customer and product (inventory) records. These advanced custom fields will be visible on user-defined tab pages that will be accessed via the View Inventory or View Customer screens. The process is basically the same for both types of custom fields. The Advanced Custom Fields are presently only for data storage and cannot be used as search criteria.
It is not possible to have more than one workstation/user editing the advanced custom fields at the same time. If it is attempted, the program will present a message stating that someone else is currently using this feature, and the user should try again later.
Depending on the type of advanced custom fields to be created:
set system parameter, UseAdvancedCustomCustomerFields to TRUE
set system parameter, UseAdvancedCustomInventoryFields to TRUE
The default setting of each parameter is False. For assistance with setting system parameters, refer to Knowledge Base topic, Set System Parameters.
Go to the Maintenance Menu > Setup Functions and select either the [Setup Advanced Custom Fields for Customer] or [Setup Advanced Custom Fields for Products] from the list of activities and click [GO].
The Custom Field Designer window opens with the title that reflects the type of custom field that is being created (customer or product). In this example, a custom customer field is being created:
Figure 1: Design Custom Field Pages screen - Customers
Click the [Add] button (as shown in section #1 of the figure above) to create the custom Tab Page on which the custom field will be displayed.
Figure 2: Enter Name for New Page
Enter a meaningful name for the Tab Page and click OK. The name of the new tab will appear under the Tab Pages heading:
Figure 3: Design Custom Field Pages screen - new Tab Page was created
It is also possible to Rename, Delete or Change the Tab Order of the custom tabs created in section #1 of the Design Custom Field Pages for Customers (or Products) screen.
Click the [Add Fields] button (as shown in section #2 of the first figure in the article), to add a custom field to the new Tab Page.
Figure 4: Design Custom Field Pages screen - defining and saving an Advanced Custom Field
Choose the desired Data Type and Display Type by selecting them from the lists of the same names (shown in section #3 of the screen).
If a Data Type of "Text" is selected, the program allows the user to specify the Maximum field Length by over-typing the default value of 255.
If a Data Type of Date is selected, the user can specify the Date Format:
Figure 5: Design Custom Field Pages screen - selecting the data (Date) and display type (Text Box) the Advanced Custom Field
If a Data Type of "Grid" is selected, the user can define up to 10 columns in the grid. Assign a Heading and Data Type to each column. Optionally, specify a field Width and Date Format as needed:
Figure 6: Design Custom Field Pages screen - selecting the data type (Grid) of the Advanced Custom Field
If a Data Type of "Integer" is selected, the user has a choice of Text Box, Combo Box or List Box for its Display Type. If the Display Type of Combo box or List Box is chosen, the user must also specify a List Source (Unique List, Shared List, or SQL Statement). Refer to the Configuring Custom Fields Knowledge Base article for more information about creating lists. The View/Edit List button will become visible as well:
Figure 7: Design Custom Field Pages screen - selecting the data type (Grid) of the Advanced Custom Field
Choose the Font Type and Font Size for each custom field and its label in the Field Format and Label Format section of the screen (see section #4, shown in first figure in this article).
If the user wants to choose a specific name for the custom field and its label, they may do so by typing in the appropriate values in Field Name and Field Label fields. The program will use the field name as the default label name if the Field Label field is left blank. If the user does not care to specify the field name, double-click in the Field Name field to have the program assign a unique name to the new field. In the future, the program will automatically generate a name for the field when a Data Type is selected. However, the user may still over-type the generated Field Name or Field Label fields, if desired. Be sure that the correct Tab Page is "selected", or "highlighted", (in section #1 of the screen), when assigning field names.
Click the [Save the Field] button and the new field will be displayed at the bottom section of the screen, entitled Design tab page here (#7). This is not the same as clicking the Save Changes button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. It only causes the field to be listed in the design section of the screen so that it can be further customized.
Figure 8: Design Custom Field Pages screen - Design Tab Page Here section of the screen
Use the Move field directional arrows to relocate the field on the tab page. The Step Size dictates how far the Move Field arrow will move the field each time it is clicked. Hold the arrow button down for continual movement of the field.
Use the Width and Height + or - buttons to increase or decrease the height or width of the selected field.
The other buttons in the design section of the screen allow the user to:
Change the text type of the selected text box to Bold or Italics.
Underline the text, Left Justify, Center or Right Justify the text within the text box.
The Cut, Copy, Paste or Delete buttons perform those actions against the selected object in the Design tab page section.
When satisfied with the changes that have been made, click the Save Changes button (#8) at the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
The other buttons at the top right-hand corner of the screen, Show Page Full Size, Cancel Changes or Exit are self-explanatory. If the user clicks the Exit button without saving their changes the program will prompt them for the appropriate action to take.
Figure 9: Design Custom Field Pages screen - Warning Message when changes have not been saved
Go to the Main Menu and click [View] in the Customers section of the screen.
Click on the [Custom Fields] tab of the Customer record.
Figure 10: View Customer screen - Advanced Custom Fields button on Custom Fields tab
Click the [Advanced Custom Fields] button to view the Custom Tab Pages and their fields:
Figure 11: Custom Tab Page for Customer record
Go to the Maintenance Menu >Setup Functions tab and select either the [Setup Advanced Custom Fields for Customer] or [Setup Advanced Custom Fields for Products] link and click [GO].
Select the appropriate tab page from the Tab Pages list.
Click the [Edit Fields] button (see section #2 in the first figure in this article).
Then select the field to be edited from the list of fields in the Design tab page here section of the screen and make the necessary changes to the field type or format.
Click the [Save the Field] button.
Click the [Save Changes] button.
Created: 2/3/11
Modified: 1/30/13
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