Table Item(27), Field Description(3), Isn't it too short?

juanborras · 2004-10-08

Hi There!

I'm involved in a migration project... the old system item table has CHAR(80) for item description... navision has only 30! I'll been looking around and it seems to me that it can be up to 50, based on other tables that store the description also...

Is there anybody with a Text:80 in the description without problems? or, what are the collateral effects if I set Item.Descript¡on up to 80?

Thansk a lot
Juan

Luc_VanDyck · 2004-10-08

Most Navision developers would say: don't do it. As their are numerous other tables/objects which needs to be modified.

You can use the Navision Developers Toolkit to find out where Item.Description is being used in the application. This are the area's where most likely some changes needs to be made as well.

To avoid this mods: create a new field Item.FullDescription with the required length and copy that to the tables where you need this info.

Savatage · 2004-10-08

you can also use Description 2.

divide up you current description -

Description 1 & 2 will allow you 60 characters.

you can combine them again anywhere

ex/

SourceExpr | Item."Description"+' '+Item."Description 2"

Our old system also required more than 60, but we used to add the Vendor_Item_no in the description also. Thank goodness it has a seperate space for that. It allowed us to then:

SourceExpr | Item."Description"+' '+Item."Description 2"+'#'+Item."Vendor Item No."

and put us right back where we wanted to be. There is probably a post in this forum somewhere about "string length"

dijcona · 2004-10-13

Well, we have increased it to 120 characters, but you need to know what you are doing. We used the toolkit and it took several days to find all the areas in the system. Begin by using the toolkit to find where the description field from the item table is used. Then when you find another table like e.g. the sales invoice line, do the same thing for that table, i.e. track it all the way through. As long as you work systematically you will be able to find all areas in the system you need to change. Unfortunately it does not stop at fields in the table, you will also need to do all of your variables.

All in all, several days work if you want to do it properly and your upgradability pretty much goes out of the window. You will also have problems with your reports where you can use the multiline propery to have the description printed over more than one line, but then it reserves space even for those items with short descriptions. Even that can be solved, but I won't bore you with that.

We had valid reasons to go through all of this pain, but it is only fair you know what you are letting yourself in for

Regards
Meint

mjrogers · 2004-10-13

Another possible route would be to take advantage of the Extended Text functionality. You will have to make some logic when uploading to split the description in 2 or more sections but you are then unlimited. This route means that you dont need to change tables / reports and puts all the effort in the data upload. Viability of this approach very much depends on the data.

If you go this route you may want to add a function to the SO / PO line to automatically expand the text.

DenSter · 2004-10-14

Why don't you just add a Description 3 field with a length of 80? You're going to customize reports anyway, so you can easily add that on reports. Then as you go along you will find where you want to add that description to other functionality.

emkpro · 2004-11-11

Anyone knows if Item::description2 field is used anywhere

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Table Item(27), Field Description(3), Isn't it too short?

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