How to set fields to display on Dataport at run

gadzilla1

Hello all,

I was presented with the following question:

Can a dataport be set up to only display the fields you select as filter fields on the dataitem when running the dataport? (instead of setting a set group/or all available dataitem fields as dataport fields)

Has anybody had success with this? Just wondering...it sounds great and extremely useful but I was not sure if this is possible.

Thanks for any feedback. Chris

ara3n

you can filter when you export.

Or are you talking about import?

gadzilla1

Hi Rashed, how have you been?

I was referring to just exporting, and please let me explain a bit better. If I set up on the Customer dataitem all of the Customer table fields as dataport fields, but a user only wants the Customer No., Name and Address to export to excel, can I select those 3 fields prior to executing the dataport.

I thought it would be very beneficial to be able to limit the fields to export prior to running. Please let me know if I've explained this correctly.

Have a great day. Chris

DenSter

No, dataports do not give you that option. The easiest to do what you're saying is to use the export to excel function from the customer list form, and hide the fields you don't want. You could think about a form that displays tables and fields that you can select, and then you run a process that uses the Excel Buffer table, but I'd try the standard first.

ara3n

You can use RIM Toolkit for this and export the table you want to excel.

gadzilla1

Ok, thanks for the replies.

We are currently running 4.01 SP3, and the only Export to Excel function I'm familiar with is on the Analysis by Dimension form.

Daniel - Are you aware of any downloads that allow for selecting the fields for tables you'd like to select for dataport?

Thanks - Chris

DaveT

Hi Chris,

As Rashed is suggesting the RIM tool does all you want but you would be best to disable the import option.

Another option is to do a technical upgrade to at least version 5.0 and use the Send to Excel button.

DenSter

gadzilla1 wrote:

We are currently running 4.01 SP3, and the only Export to Excel function I'm familiar with is on the Analysis by Dimension form.

Daniel - Are you aware of any downloads that allow for selecting the fields for tables you'd like to select for dataport?

Then one option would be to do a technical upgrade, like Dave's suggesting. RIM would be your other standard option. The other Excel export uses the Excel buffer table, which would mean some custom development.

Like I said before, dataports don't give you the option to dynamically select columns. There might be a download that generates a dataport based on fields that you select, but you'll have to check out the downloads section for that.

gadzilla1

All - Thanks again for your replies, I appreciate your insight. I will research the RIM toolkit and NAV 5 capabilities.

I'm assuming the 'technical' upgrade is a full upgrade and not just utilizing a NAV 5 executable, correct? Please let me know if possible.

If that is the case I'll attempt to develop a solution...if unsuccessful I just may have to wait for NAV 5.

Have a great day. Chris

Savatage

If you just want those three fields why not goto the customer list - hide all the column you Don't want, filter the list as you need & simply copy & paste the data from Nav into excel table?

gadzilla1

Great point Harry, that is done already for native form lists like the Customer List.

I really want a more dynamic output (dataport) for more complex tables like the Item Ledger Entry...where creating a form list for cut/paste to Excel would cause performance issues (to my knowledge).

gadzilla1

...so Customer table was a bad example! I apologize.

Savatage

How about going into designer - View->Dataport Fields & Uncheck "enabled" for the fields you don't need to export.

then those won't export and the dataport fields don't have to be removed in case you need them for some other function

Savatage

unless I was reading poorly today - It sounds to me that you have a dataport (perhaps with all the fields from a table)

but you don't always need to export everything. So instead of keep changing it you want a way of just selecting certain fields to export.

That's why I was thinking of unchecking enables field. Let me know if I'm not following correctly.

gadzilla1

How about going into designer - View->Dataport Fields & Uncheck "enabled" for the fields you don't need to export.

then those won't export and the dataport fields don't have to be removed in case you need them for some other function

I can do this...but I don't want to give users access to object designer. Plus, I created an Integer dataitem with the corresponding Field names as Headers in single quotes: 'No.', etc. which would have to be unchecked as well.

unless I was reading poorly today - It sounds to me that you have a dataport (perhaps with all the fields from a table) but you don't always need to export everything.

Exactly...the user wants flexibility.

Savatage

Have you thought about trying one of the many downloads?

Here's one.
http://www.mibuso.com/dlinfo.asp?FileID=207

you pick the table
you pick the fields
you set the filters
Export->excel

Scroll down to the "Related Download" section for a bunch more