We are trying to use the new Kinetic UI with our barcode scanners that are configured to add a Tab character as a suffix and it is not working.
It looks like Kinetic UI is seeing the tab as a space or series of spaces. In some interfaces we can just backspace over the spaces. For other screens we are prompted if we want to add a new record and we have to cancel and manually enter the Job or Sales Order or PO - etc.
Has anyone encountered this issue? Do I need to tweek my scanner settings?
Your scanner might be sending the TAB in a way Kinetic doesnât like.
You should have a code to scan to turn on/off Function Key Mapping (It might be called something slightly different for your scanner) try playing with that setting.
Has anyone been successful at resolving this issue? I am also seeing this in 2022.1.11 and did try turning on/off Function Key Mapping but no luck. Barcode scans work fine in Classic but not Kinetic. We are upgrading our PILOT environment to 2022.2 in a couple of weeks so can try then.
I ended up having to hide the combo boxes and just add text inputs bound to the appropriate fields - it would be great to see it working w/ the combos out of the box though. Hope that helps.
First off, make sure the TAB key functions as expected using the keyboard. It could be that the tab order is different on Classic UI vs Kinetic.
If it happening specifically on certain fields, there might be be some hidden âhelpfulâ code that strips off white spaces, which the TAB char could be interpreted as.
As always test the scanner in word (with the formatting shown - the Paragraph button on the ribbon). Look for: tab (displayed as an arrow), spaces (as dots), CR/LF (as new paragraph). Better yet use a program like Notepad2 that will the difference between CR, LF, and CRLF.
Number one thing to remember about barcode scanners - they are just keyboards. They convert an optical image to keystrokes.
I did verify the items Calvin suggested. The tab order between Classic & Kinetic are the same. Tab is displaying when scanning in notepad and there are no unexpected characters. The difference I see between Classic & KineticâŚ
Kinetic when values are entered via manual or scan, in the Assembly or Operation fields, the drop down list automatically displays. If entering manual you can then tab to the next field. The scan with a tab is getting confused with the drop down list display.
Classic does not display the drop down list if a value is entered via manual or scan, the user has to select the down arrow to display the list.
The issue is that the first time the combobox is opened, Epicor is querying the system for the available values to populate the combobox list asynchronously, and if you enter a value and Tab to move on to the next field, you have entered a value before Epicor retrieves it from the database.
You can even reproduce this with a keyboard if you enter the values quickly enough.
If you keep the âStart Production Activityâ slider open, go back to the Job field and scan the Job/Asm/Opr again, it works because the comboboxes have already been populated with their data.
Printout the barcodes for individual characters: A thru Z, 0 thru 9, -, /, including the barcodes for the extended characters: TAB, CR, and LF. Space them apart so you can scan the one at a time.
Disable the automatically appended TAB in the scanner.
In classic screen, position the cursor in the field.
Scan the individual characters one at a time, like if you were typing on a keyboard. After the printable characters have been scanned, scan the barcode for the TAB key.
This should be no different than using the keyboard. I think you said the scanner works as desired in Classic.
Repeat steps 3 & 4 in the Kinetic screen. Making sure to provide a pause between the last printable character and the TAB.
If it doesnât respond to the TAB barcode as expected, try again but use the keyboards TAB key instead of scanning.
There should be no difference between a scanned character and pressed keyboard key.
One far stretch of a root cause would be if the field has a keydown event that responds differently to multiple keys in succession, than it does to individual keys. It could be trying to process the TAB as part of the string instead of as a single keystroke used to advance to the next field.
A test of this would be to put the desired string plus the TAB character on the clipboard and paste it into the field. You can use notepad to get the string and TAB on the clipboard. Donât use Word as that has many formats stored in the clipboard.
After sharing video, explaining the issue, and even a Teams call where I demonstrated the problem not only with the barcode scanner, but also with the keyboard, here is the response:
Thank you for your time yesterday in the remote session. I was unable to replicate this.
The go-to resource for this type of scenarios would be your Epicor Consultant as they are uniquely positioned to assist with this behavior. Epicor Consultants have access to the training materials and real-world scenario expertise to assist you with this setup, also they will be able to tell you if there is a customization for the feature you seek or if there is another way to make it possible by modifying your process. If you do not already have a consultant that you work with, your account manager would be able to put you in touch with someone that has the expertise needed to answer your questions regarding this call.
I will place this case under suggested resolution, please let me know if I can help you with anything else.
If anyone would like to submit a support case yourself, maybe you can reference mine in order to drive home the point that it is reproducible and several of us are experiencing it.
So the real issue is that the Kinetic interface doesnât respond to the same key strokes as the Classic?
Where does pressing TAB (in Kenetic) set the focus?
Or is the keystroke just absorbed and the cursor stays in the same position in the same control?
I believe it is a race condition. If you enter a value and âTabâ too quickly, the value is not committed to the field, the focus moves on to the next field and the dropdown is left open.
What Iâve gathered is you are basically entering a value and tabbing to the next field before Epicor has a chance to load the list from the database, so the value you try to commit doesnât exist in the dropdown yet. By the time Epicor has loaded it, you have already tried to move on to the next field.
Stuffing data in through the UI is always going to be iffy. This is how DMT was born. Some of us tried to add implementation data via programs that operated Vantage. Then we discovered that we could use the client DLLs and upload data quickly and handle errors better. Not long afterwards, the DotNetIT people came up with an amazing generic tool that did all that and better.
In the pre-Kinetic era, we talked about having a text area control on a form that would capture the barcode scan, parse it, check it, fill in the EpiDataView, then refresh the page. I assume one could do the same with a browserâŚ
