Personalization, Customization and Productivity Tools

[rolandc]

Our company is currently using MAS 200. Like most companies, we need to customize it to meet our special needs but instead of consulting a reseller, we would like to learn how to customize it ourselves. Our I.T. staff has programming experience and is willing to learn how to create and customize each module in MAS. Of course, we need to have access to the source code to accomplish this. I've heard this is what a Master Developer does. How do we get started?

[BShockley]

Your main options are using the BOI (Business Object Interface), Custom Office UDFs, UDTs, and scripts, and importing data using Visual Integrator.

Can you list an example of what you need to do?

[rolandc]

Sure, here is a fairly simple one:

Under Inventory Inquiry (or any program where you can input an item number), we need a way to have it detect the item if certain symbols are omitted, such as hyphens or slashes.

For example, if we type the item number ABC123 and the actual item number is ABC-123, it should automatically pick it up. Also, perhaps an auto-complete screen can be displayed below the text box with suggestions that show which items match the first characters that are typed.

Is it possible to program this with the tools you mentioned?

[connex]

You should look at UDS (User Defined Scripting) in 4.40. You could come pretty close to what you're looking for.  I've implemented a Next function for different master file fields and your need to search for delimited items would require similar techniques. 

There is a BOI (Business Objects Interface) class available and a number of resources for UDS on the community here.

The auto complete is similar to the standard MAS feature where you enter the item prefix and press F2.

You may find the developer licensing very expensive.

[rolandc]

Thanks for your help. Do you know how expensive the developer licensing typically is?

[connex]

I don't have first hand knowledge but I have always recalled $10K.  I don't think that included Library Master which holds many of the common routines that would likely be where the look-up enhancement would be targeted.

[mas90guru]

I'd definitely recommend against source code changes since it will make the product:

a. Harder to upgrade

b. More troublesome to support

c. Potentially more expensive to maintain

I'd get with Dan or any of the other BOI experts or take a look on sageu.com for the BOI classes that Sage offers periodically.

[timmjlane]

I'd second Wayne's suggestion to avoid source code mods if at all possible.  Before I got here my company had a MD add functionality to our MAS200 system through source code modification and it is the main reason we are still on 4.05.

I'm working on a sandbox 4.4 environment right now to see if I can reproduce the mods using the tools referenced here.

[rolandc]

mas90guru,

Where exactly do I go at sageu.com to find more information on the BOI classes for MAS 200? Also, is the BOI available on version 4.05 or 4.4 only?

Jeremy,

We are in the same situation as you are -- v4.05 with modifications from multiple developers.

I do have access to 4.4 installed using the CDs from Sage to test on an old laptop. I am checking out the BOI forum right now and will post more questions there that I have regarding the development of new customizations and the reproduction of our current ones.

Thanks!

[mas90guru]

Give this link a try

http://goo.gl/OA0b

It should take you to the Object Interface self study on Sageu