Reporting in Microsoft Dynamics GP How do I find the right $#%^@ tables to use with SQL Server Reporting Services or Crystal Reports? Demo’s open: Dynamics GP with Table Import DynamicAccounting.net Excel Sheet DDB ERD from SDK SQL Management Studio (Smartlist Builder Views & Search whole DB) IG.pdf (c:\program files\Microsoft Dexterity\Manuals) Page 313 SQL Saturday Jacksonville - May 3, 2008 Mark Polino, CPA Microsoft MVP - Dynamics GP Senior Consultant, I.B.I.S., Inc.

Butt Ugly Table Names in GP Other Systems Chart of Accounts Chart, COA, Accounts Inventory Inventory, Inv, Inven Microsoft Dynamics GP GL00100, GL00105 IV00101, IV00102

History Great Plains -> Microsoft Dynamics GP GP table names go all the way back to Btrieve Tables names are part of the legacy

Logic Dynamics DB holds system wide settings Company DB holds company specific settings and transactions Table names have an Alpha prefix and numeric ID (usually 5 digits) Alpha prefix identifies the module (Example: PM=Payables Management) There is logic to the numeric ID

Common Table Prefixes GL – General Ledger PM – Payables Management RM – Receivables Management POP – Purchase Order Processing SOP – Sales Order Processing IV – Inventory CM – Cash Management (Banking) PA – Project Accounting

Table Number Logic ‘00000’ - Master tables contain all the permanent data about your business. Accounts, vendors, customers, items, and so on. ‘10000’ - Work tables contain unposted batches of transactions entered using windows that can be opened using the Transactions button on the toolbar. Temporary transactions that can be changed or deleted until they are posted to an open table. ‘20000’ - Open tables contain posted transactions for the current year, of which some may be unpaid. Information in open tables is moved to history tables when the transactions are paid. ‘30000’ - History tables contain paid transactions, or transactions from a previous year. ‘40000’ and up - Setup tables contain all the default settings and module options you’ve specified in the setup windows for each series.

Tip Dex_Row_ID is a unique identifier within a table It DOES NOT cross table boundaries and is of little or no use for reporting. It CANNOT be used to link tables

Tools Different tools for figuring out the tables and fields that you need There is no single magic tool Start with comprehensive but slow tools and move to faster tools with experience GP is NOT highly normalized. The application is balanced between entry and reporting. This can make reporting easier.

Lookup Tools

Table Descriptions inside GP Dynamics GP->Tools->Resources Descriptions -> Tables Table Descriptions, Fields, Windows Available Comprehensive but clunky and slow Requires a GP login Demo Demo’s open: Dynamics GP with Table Import DynamicAccounting.net Excel Sheet DDB ERD from SDK SQL Management Studio (Smartlist Builder Views)

Excel Based Guide Free Download Same Data as GP Table Descriptions DynamicAccounting.net Same Data as GP Table Descriptions Faster Access Not as comprehensive as GP Descriptions for fields and windows. Demo

Table Import Instructions Open Window Select Tools->Integrate->Table Import Window opens with all the tables tied to that entry window with friendly names. Use Excel guide or Table Descriptions to get SQL Names. Demo

Dynamic Data Browser Free Download DynamicAccounting.net Similar to SQL but with English field names, table keys and toggle to SQL field names Requires a GP login Demo

Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERD) Part of the Software Development Kit (SDK) on CD 2, requires an install. Can use the 120 day trial if CD 2 not available Free Good Luck with the ERD’s, GP is a beast of an app with an ERD to match Demo

Info Flow & Posting Book Covers Transaction Flow Shows Tables Updated by a Transaction Type Written by another Dynamics GP MVP Not Free. Not all that cheap. Very Good. So good, we’re giving one away. http://www.accoladepublications.com/?a_aid=661e6862

Smartlist Builder Views Need to Install Smartlist Builder (even if not registered) Smartlist Builder allows creation of new Ad Hoc reporting templates (Smartlists) Install creates SQL Views suitable for reporting Smartlist diagrams are in Dexterity Integration Guide (c:\program files\microsoft dexterity\manuals\ig.pdf) Pg 272 Demo

Other Tools

Tracing Tools Dex SQL Log SQL Profiler SnapShot GP based tracing of SQL Calls http://msdynamicsgp.blogspot.com/2007/09/weekly-dynamic-dexini-settings.html SQL Profiler SnapShot Free, Complicated WinthropDC www.winthropDC.com

Desperation Tools SQL Script to search for Column name across tables http://dynamicsgpblogster.blogspot.com/2008/03/in-past-days-i-have-found-lot-of-people.html SQL Script/Stored Proc to search for a piece of data across http://vyaskn.tripod.com/search_all_columns_in_all_tables.htm

Other Tools Modifier Pre-built SSRS files Modify a form to see tables and fields Pre-built SSRS files Use these as building blocks Pre-built connected Excel files Use the connections built in here as building blocks Report Writer Temp tables can cause problems

Resources DynamicAccounting.net (Mark Polino) Dynamics GP Newsgroup www.dynamicaccounting.net Dynamics GP Newsgroup Newsgroup / Table Structure Thread VS Tools Forum/4Penny.net (Steve Gray) http://forum.4penny.net/blogs/ About Dynamics, Development & Life (Jivtesh Singh) http://www.jivtesh.com/ CustomerSource https://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/customersource.mspx Accolade Publications (Richard Whaley) http://www.accoladepublications.com/?a_aid=661e6862 Call a professional like I.B.I.S. http://www.ibisinc.com