Macro - Prompt for values
Completed
The option to ask a user for input while executing a macro.
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Official comment
Added to internal todo but not yet planned for a specific release
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Does this feature now integrated in B1UP ? -
It is not something that is in the product yet but it is on the todo list. It has not been planned yet as it would technically require that the add-on needs to be SAP 9.2 only and until now we have also supported 9.1.
But in 2018 we will release an SAP 9.2 or higher only version and at that time we will reconsider if we can find a good way to do it.
If/when we implement we will comment again on this post.
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This would be a very handy feature with the new create Activity and Internal Message functions in the latest release.
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Brainstorming at the moment on this and need your help/input.
The idea so far is to have it as Macro Command or perhaps a brand new UF Type so it can be used more broadly.
Could people that want this please comment of the different scenarios they would use it for and what would be asked on the input screen (The most common will properly be a Date or a BP, but what sort of combination inputs would be needed?)
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The most frequent use I would do is to ask for an input and store it in a @STORE variable.
The input should be of a specific type (numeric, alphanumeric, date) or linked to object (OITM, ORDR, OCRD, etc...)
Also, it would be great to ask for multiple inputs at once (same form) and store them in different variables.
Ex.
AskIntput(How many items do you need?;numeric;@STORE1;Which is your mandatory date?;date;@STORE2)
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Good Morning,
I have two scenarios at the moment that I would use this feature for.
1) When our sales team creates a sales order they need to alert purchaseing to raise a corresponding purchase order against the correct supplier. At the moment they press a button that via a macro launches the SAP B1 Send message tool. It the populates it with the correct contacts using a line loop and then puts in some pre-defined text, they then customise this text and then send it off. What i would like to be able to do would be when they press the alert button a text box would pop asking them for the comments they wish to send to purchasing. The value entered into the text box could then be passed to the Internal message function, processed and then sent all in the back gound. This would mean that I could set the contacts and standard text so that no key contacts or information is missed out from the internal message.
2) There are a few date fields we have created on various documents that when you change the date field you have to enter a reason as to why. At the moment the B1 Validation module opens an activity set to the correct type,subject and document so the user can then enter the reason for the date change into the contents box. What would b great would be for B1 Validations to lanch the input text box for the user to put in there reason, this value could then be passed into a UF to create the activity in the background, again like in point 1 preventing users from removing key bits of data.
It would be good to be able to customise the text on the input screen so we can inform the user what we are wanting them to enter.
Im sure I could think of lots of other scenarios but those are two examples that I know i would use it for.
Thanks
Oliver
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Date (from:, to:)
BP
BP-Group
BP-Tax-Group
Country
Article
Article-Group
Article-Tax-Group
Sales Employee
UDF
UDT (mostly the index field)
Combinations: Every field in combination with date
Usability:
If FROM is empty > start with lowest
If TO is empty > end with highest
(if both are empty > select all)
If FROM is typed > copy the value to TO (that only 1 record is selected or if FROM is "111111111111a" then I only have to change the last letter to "111111111111z"
Last Value should be saved (Y/N) = default, preset
I can show you a video, how other manufacturers do this - but I can't post it publicly
Our scenarios are totally different for our existing customers. -
This would make testing much easier. Temporarily change each dynamic syntax variable with a prompt, do all the testing of the main logic, then put back the dynamic syntax.
Also how could / would this work with SQL Reports?
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Depends on how sophisticated it can be made to be.
Could it be used for a simple option selector. Examples:
- Product configurator when selecting an Item on a document e.g. Colour? Black, Size? Medium, etc. The options could be either free text of a drop down option. the answers would be copied either onto individual colums or concatenated onto a single field;
- Customer onboarding compliance form e.g. Has the credit limit been checked? yes; Have the GDPR data compliance terms been sent to the customer? Yes; Has the customer op-ted in for marketing campaigns? No.
It would be great if it would be made to work with simple forms like these.
Hope this makes sense.
Thank you,
Vitor
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@Dave: Not sure I understand your question about SQL Report - It already have the SQL Variable [%0] system.
@All. What if it general was the [%0], [%1] system that was used the input system. Then the system could detect if the macro contained the [%0] syntax and if found it will do delayed execution of the macro and instead show the Input screen (for the entire Macro). And then, when pressed submit, the macro will be run with the entered values.
The drawback of this is that you give all parameters up from in a single and it will be delay execution (example it can't block event (aka you could not ask for input on an add button and wait with execution))
Comments?
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Hi Rasmus,
I do not understand if, done in that way ([%0],[%1],...) , it will be possible to just store the user input for future uses...
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It would be possible to do something like this
@Store1 = [%0]
and after input screen say the value seleted for %0 was ‘hello’ it would be like you had written
@Store1 = ‘hello’
… so if I understand you correctly, then yes it would be possible to store value for future use in a normal @Store1 (untill overwritten)
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Hi Rasmus,
This syntax you suggested makes sense
@Store1 = [%0]
Also, when getting values from the prompt screen, it would be nice to have different data entry objects, such as plain text boxes, combo boxes and checkboxes.
Maybe having an UF for it could be better. So each line from the UF could store a new input object, having it's own configurations and valid values.
When the UF is triggered, it launches a small input form.
However, maybe a simple macro command with a text box should be enough to start.
Or we could have a macro command just for simple scenarios, and the UF for times when multiple input entries are needed.
What do you think?
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I think this will be a great solution for a forgotten mandatory field.
Like user has forgotten to fill the customer reference, a popup appears with only that field instead of an error.
Aka : field "example" is mandatory, type in the value and process it further, instead of pressing ok, search the field, type a value and start the process again.
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Hi Rasmus,
@Store1 = [%0]
is ok, but how would you specify the data type?
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@Damiano: The idea is to do it similar to how we do it in SQL Report, UF - Crystal and B1P&D Mass Delivery
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@Ramon. That idea will be a bit hard to make as from a technical standpoint the SDK does not allow us to do blocking popups. So yes we could show the popup to enter the value but SAP could continue to add the document not waiting for the user the provide the value :-( ... We have some ideas for such a scenario as well that might work but it will need to be a more limited system, unfortunately.
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Hi All
Sorry for the long silence on this but summer and other stuff got in the way :-(
But this is not forgotten and we are in fact so far that we have an internal prototype up and running now :-)... I've made a small video on how we think it should work
The video is here: https://youtu.be/aTJgXarZ01s
Actions for you all:
1. See the video
2. Give your feedback on the scenario I show
3. Tell me other scenarios you think I should test/check(btw: since the video was recorded I've found a resolution of closing the source window :-) )
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Looks good Rasmus.
Regarding the question about whether or not to make the parameter entry window model - why not let the macro writer decide? I'm thinking to add a checkbox with the prompt 'Make Parameter Pop-Up Window Model' on the Variables screen. This would be outside of the current grid (with 1 row for each variable). If the macro writer checks it then users cannot click back to other screens, if blank then the system behaves as it does in the video.
Also what are the options for the Source column in the grid on the Variables screen?
Thanks
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The development team has now completed this request. Expect it to be in the next release of the product. Thank you again for helping us make the product better :-) -
@Dave: I'm not so keen on making it an option as it would require the screen to either have two different form types based on if it is Modal or not (confusing) or have the screen re-draw itself (slow). For those reasons I think we will start out with Modal only and see how it goes.
As for the options you have the same options as variables on SQL Report, Crystal Report and Mass Delivery: Here is a screenshot of all the options
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In order for you to test this, I've created an early test-version that include this new feature. If you wish to help test it please get it here (Version 2018.09.1): https://www.boyum-it.com/sbo/Beta/ ... However, do not use it in production systems as this version is not tested fully.
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Hello Rasmus,
Depending on the logic of the macro, it may not be interesting to load all the variables at once.
I believe we could have groups of variables, which would be displayed when the first variable of the group is found in the macro.
That way, we could have several pop-ups, not just a single one containing all the macro variables.
For example, based on your video, the variables appear in the macro in the following sequence:
- [%1]
- [%2]
- [%3]
- [%0]
- [%4]
And they are all displayed in the same pop-up in the following order:
- [%0]
- [%1]
- [%2]
- [%3]
- [%4]
We can have an additional column on the Variables Wizard, to group them and create multiple pop-ups if needed.
Since variable [%1] is the first to be called by the macro, all Group 2 variables could be displayed in the first pop-up.
First Pop-Up:
- [%1] - Item 1
- [%2] - Item 2
Then, when the variable [%3] is called by the macro, the second pop-up would be displayed with the variables from Group 1:
Second Pop-Up
- [%0] - Delivery Date
- [%3] - Item 3
- [%4] - Remarks
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It needs to be an all or nothing load of the variables due to technical reasons.
Second, why bother the user with two/more popups when you can have one? IMHO 1 is better usability.
If you really want multiple popups it can technically be done using chaining of two or more macros (each asking for parameters)
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In complex decision trees sometimes it may be necessary to trigger additional pop-ups.
However, chaining different macros might work well.
Thanks!
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Hi Rasmus,
I have a question about the feature 'macro-variables' (https://help.boyum-it.com/B1UP/index.html?macro-variables.html).
I case of 'Custom decimal number', is it possible to specify the number of digit after decimal point ?
(Indeed, in my application, I need 3 digits after decimal point)
Thanks
Guillaume
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Hi Guillaume
The number of decimals is controlled by the Quantities field in the General Settings
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Hi Rasmus,
Thanks lot !!
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