Login Script for Reports

[klewis10367]

We are moving away from citrix and installing Great Plains on local clients. The problem I run into is when I make report or form changes and have to update all machines. I do not know how to create a logon script to automatically update these dictionaries and was wondering if any one would be able to help me?

 

[clicker666]

I use something like this:

I have a file on my GP server, in the GP dir, called Update_Reports.bat. Looks like this:

copy *.vba reports /y
copy forms.dic reports /y
copy reports.dic reports /y
copy wsrepts.dic reports /y

Whenever I complete a new report I test them, then copy to this server. Following this I run Update_Reports.bat, which copies all the files I may have updated to a subdirectory called reports.

On the client side, each user has a logon script. Some of my client machines have their GP in different dirs than others, so I use the following to address this. (Note, some non-relevant parts of the script are left out for shared drives, etc.)

rem Start checking for Great Plains

if exist "C:\Program Files\eEntrprs\dex.ini" goto eEntrprs
rem if exist "C:\Program Files\GreatPlains\" goto GP
if exist "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Business Solutions\Great Plains\dex.ini" goto MBS
if exist "C:\Program Files\eEntrprs\Great Plains\dex.ini" goto eGP

rem Copy to the appropriate directory

:eEntrprs
copy "\\Accounting\eEntrprs\reports\*.*" "c:\program files\eentrprs" /y
goto End

:GP
copy "\\Accounting\eEntrprs\reports\*.*" C:\Program Files\GreatPlains" /y
goto End

:MBS
copy "\\Accounting\eEntrprs\reports\*.*" "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Business Solutions\Great Plains" /y
goto End

:eGP
copy "\\Accounting\eEntrprs\reports\*.*" "C:\Program Files\eEntrprs\Great Plains\" /y

:End

I hope this helps you.

 

[martink1]

you can also create a shared form/report dictionary folder on a network drive. On the client machines change the path for the reports.dic and forms.dic to point to the shared folder. You change the paths in their dynamics.set file

 

[jazgeek]

the problem with your solution martink1 is that if you corrupt your centralized reports dictionary you've destroyed your only copy and you'll have to restore from backup (possibly after other report modifications have been made) I ran into this once about 5 years back and had to recreate 7 report customizations from memory.

IMO, the login script is a much safer method in which your "master" dictionary never gets touched.




-----------
and they wonder why they call it Great Pains!

jaz

 

[clicker666]

Exactly.

I hate the multiple layers, but know deep in my heart, that protecting my system from the users is paramount. At least this way I have one set of reports they *can't* touch, and that's the set in the GP dir of the accounting server. With users having only read rights to the reports share they can't do any damage there either. On our 10/100 network the loading of the files is barely detectable.

If you want to speed it up even more, you could purchase xxcopy, and have your logon script only overwrite older files on the user's end.