Modifying standard field datatype vs. new field

Johannes_Nielsen · 2010-06-29

Hi all

We are using NAV 5.1.

Our sales people needs a way of indicating on a Sales Quote, the promised delivery time.

The field "Requested Delivery Date" in Table 36 Sales Header seems like a good bet - but our customers don't need a specific date, but rather the time it takes for the order to be delivered, after it has been placed.

Should I change the standard field "Requested Delivery Date" to datatype=text
or
should I rather create a new custom field for this purpose (to not breaking any standard functionality)

Fordewind · 2010-06-29

First of all, you need a new field!
There are thousands reasons to do so instead of modifying an old field.

P.S. And if you need promised date, there is a Promised Delivery Date field in standart database

Johannes_Nielsen · 2010-06-29

Fordewind wrote:

P.S. And if you need promised date, there is a Promised Delivery Date field in standart database

Thank you Fordewind!

I need a field which will accept "2 weeks", "5 days" etc. So a data type=date -field, won't work...

DenSter · 2010-06-29

Hi Johannes, you need to ask your senior to get you the development training material and work on completing all the exercises.

There's a data type called 'DateFormula'. Go to the Help menu, click "C/SIDE Reference Guide" and type that into the search tab and see what you can figure out.

Fordewind · 2010-06-29

Johannes Nielsen wrote:

Fordewind wrote:

P.S. And if you need promised date, there is a Promised Delivery Date field in standart database

Thank you Fordewind!

I need a field which will accept "2 weeks", "5 days" etc. So a data type=date -field, won't work...

I see. We had the same problem. And more over, we needed something like that: "2 pieces - 3 weeks and another 2 pieces - 4 weeks". So, I can say: New field is the best choise!

Johannes_Nielsen · 2010-06-29

Thanks alot for your fast answers

We went with a text field because the sales people something, inputs text strings not compatible with dateformula.

But I shall do the exercises as mentioned.

DenSter · 2010-06-29

It would take about 15 minutes to teach your salespeople to work with dateformulas. It would take MUCH longer to develop functionality to interpret whatever they enter.

Johannes_Nielsen · 2010-06-29

DenSter wrote:

It would take about 15 minutes to teach your salespeople to work with dateformulas. It would take MUCH longer to develop functionality to interpret whatever they enter.

Hi DenSter

The input is not to be interpreted, just printed on Sales quotes as simple text.

DenSter · 2010-06-29

Why not use comments for that?

Johannes_Nielsen · 2010-06-29

DenSter wrote:

Why not use comments for that?

I hav'nt considered comments because we need this specific information to be grouped along with a few other related fields. See attached screen cut

themave · 2010-06-29

Johannes Nielsen wrote:

DenSter wrote:

Why not use comments for that?

I hav'nt considered comments because we need this specific information to be grouped along with a few other related fields. See attached screen cut

You are making this way more complicated then it needs to be.

enter in a new line on the sale order, leave the type Blank and type in the info in the description field. it would look identical to this, take no programing, and when you go to apply a service pack or upgrade in the future, it will require no modification. As an end user I wonder why the solution always has to be program changes. There is nothing special or unique about this and needs no special handling.

We do something very similar and use the standard text codes to cut down on data entry,
so we enter TU and it fills in thanks you for you order.
etc. Standard text codes can include extended text and can be almost unlimited in the amount of text that can be entered easily.

Johannes_Nielsen · 2010-06-29

themave wrote:

You are making this way more complicated then it needs to be.

enter in a new line on the sale order, leave the type Blank and type in the info in the description field. it would look identical to this, take no programing, and when you go to apply a service pack or upgrade in the future, it will require no modification. As an end user I wonder why the solution always has to be program changes. There is nothing special or unique about this and needs no special handling.

We do something very similar and use the standard text codes to cut down on data entry,
so we enter TU and it fills in thanks you for you order.
etc. Standard text codes can include extended text and can be almost unlimited in the amount of text that can be entered easily.

Thank you for your reply

We did consider simply to use extra sales lines(which they use for other comments), but it was discarded because it could'nt be grouped along with the other, related info.

themave · 2010-06-29

I was just going by the screen shot you gave as the example of what you want,

a standard text code would do that exactly. Now if you need something different then what you posted, maybe it wouldn't work. But then again, maybe you could modify the requirements to conform with Standard Navision behaivor, you would be way better off in the future, it you avoided programming everything special just because someone asked for it.

Just my opinion, but with a little training and some standard text codes, you could do this very easily.

Johannes_Nielsen · 2010-06-29

themave wrote:

I was just going by the screen shot you gave as the example of what you want,

a standard text code would do that exactly. Now if you need something different then what you posted, maybe it wouldn't work. But then again, maybe you could modify the requirements to conform with Standard Navision behaivor, you would be way better off in the future, it you avoided programming everything special just because someone asked for it.

Yes, I only mentioned the placement of the field in the 4th post, but not the opening post, sorry.
See attached image, the specific text(red boxes) goes in another section than the sales lines.

But you are absolutely right, also in regards to modifications.
And thanks for your input.

dkone · 2010-06-29

Hi Johannes,

Two years ago, i did the same thing for a customer : adding 3 extra text fields in quote.
I tought "3 simple fields, that's easy"

And if i can undo this, i will !

Because, if you add it, customer will surely ask you to put this in Invoice, Order, or Credit Memo, or Archived Quote, ... and you will spent your time to put thoses fields everywhere !

I have done it again this month, in a simplier way :
1- Adding standard text Code (eg. 'EXTRA')
2- Modifying quote report to show it the way i need (Just add a new section for this, that is shown only when Type='' and No='EXTRA').

Maybe themave have a smarter solution, but just for your need don't add those fields !

Regards,

dkone.

[EDIT] : Sorry i post on a solved topic !

David_Singleton · 2010-06-29

Johannes Nielsen wrote:

DenSter wrote:

It would take about 15 minutes to teach your salespeople to work with dateformulas. It would take MUCH longer to develop functionality to interpret whatever they enter.

Hi DenSter

The input is not to be interpreted, just printed on Sales quotes as simple text.

Believe me, you think now the customer "just needs this one thing. But it will grow. In six month time you will regret not listening to Denster.

On the bright side though this is one of those things that all consultants need to learn the hard way. Its near impossible for people like us to convince newbies to do things properly.

By the way I expect a post from you in the next few months something like "I have increased the length of the Name/Description fields and I am getting an over flow error"

Johannes_Nielsen · 2010-06-30

dkone wrote:

Hi Johannes,

Two years ago, i did the same thing for a customer : adding 3 extra text fields in quote.
I tought "3 simple fields, that's easy"

And if i can undo this, i will !

Because, if you add it, customer will surely ask you to put this in Invoice, Order, or Credit Memo, or Archived Quote, ... and you will spent your time to put thoses fields everywhere !

I have done it again this month, in a simplier way :
1- Adding standard text Code (eg. 'EXTRA')
2- Modifying quote report to show it the way i need (Just add a new section for this, that is shown only when Type='' and No='EXTRA').

Maybe themave have a smarter solution, but just for your need don't add those fields !

Regards,

dkone.

[EDIT] : Sorry i post on a solved topic !

Ok, this is clever. I will experiment with this, it saves me from adding the custom field on sales quote form and the report.

Thanks

Modifying standard field datatype vs. new field

Answers

Categories