Updateable Dashboards and Method Directives

Kinetic ERP
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21

It really depends on which one we are talking about. In this case, what I am trying to make sure is that a job is not released without a final operation being marked on the main assembly.

In effect, what I am doing is checking if JobHead.Release has been changed to true and if so, with the related JobAsmbl table with AsmblSeq = 0 that FinalOpr <> 0.

I could check if ds.JobHead.Released = true within the method, then send the JobNum into the function and in the function, check if the related JobAsmbl table with a sequence of zero has a finalopr <> 0 and if not, throw an exception then. But honestly, at that point, itā€™s pretty much pointless to send it to a function. If I were checking all of it within the function, it would only be beneficial if I were to use it in a couple of places. But if Iā€™m doing the first check in the method directive then there really isnā€™t much advantage to making the second check in the function as Iā€™m still going to have to make the first check in every method where I want to use it.

22

If I understand correctly, making a function call from a BPM has pretty low overhead, since it a local call.
If youā€™re going to have to re-write code several times, it is advantageous to make it a single function call in each location - especially considering the possibility of having to re-write that same code in the future: just changing in one place is better than keeping the same code in sync across several BPMs/data directives. Even if it is only a few lines/widgets.
Two-cents-worth from a wannabe software engineerā€¦

1 Like
23

Iā€™m a huge fan of functions. I use them in my programming outside of Epicor.
However, in Epicor, if I canā€™t send in the dataset that is currently being updated and I have to perform checks against the dataset that is being updated outside of the function, it really limits how much that function is helping me. In this case, Iā€™m doing a check prior to the function, then would be sending it to a function that would consist of a single conditional followed by a raise exception.

So Iā€™d be adding an object in my BPM to call the Function. Creating a function library, then creating a function within that library, then putting two things within the function, then going everywhere I want to use this and do the same thing. For something more intense, this might be worth it. For something this simplistic, if I canā€™t do it all in the function, thereā€™s no point in doing a tiny portion within a function and calling the function. In essence, Iā€™m basically doing more work to perform the same task which is the opposite of the reason to use the function in the first place.

1 Like
24

Iā€™m with you.

Sometimes it isnā€™t the right move.

25

Now this is all code, but itā€™s basically the same for widgets.

TDRayExamplesExport.bpm (12.2 KB)

TDRay.efxj.json (2.3 KB) ā† Remove (.json)

Code for BPM on JobEntry.Update ā†’ 

//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
//Example 1 ->
//No Output Variables, This is passed by reference since it's internal...

InvokeFunction("TDRay", "TestPassTS", ds);

InfoMessage.Publish(ds.JobHead.FirstOrDefault().CommentText);
//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
//Example 2 ->
//Replacing a TableSet (ds) with another...


JobEntryTableset jeTS = (JobEntryTableset)InvokeFunction("TDRay", "TestPassTS2", ds)[0];
  
dsHolder.Attach(jeTS);

InfoMessage.Publish(ds.JobHead.FirstOrDefault().CommentText);
//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Code for Function TestPassTS (No Outputs (Reference)) ā†’ 

inJETS.JobHead.FirstOrDefault().CommentText = "Hello World!";

Code for Function TestPassTS2 (Outputs) ā†’ 

CallService<Erp.Contracts.JobEntrySvcContract>(je =>
{
    outJETS = je.GetByID("266745-1-1");
    
    outJETS.JobHead.FirstOrDefault().CommentText = "I am a man of constant sorrow.";
     
});
2 Likes
26

TDRayExample

27

Thanks for this. Although I wonā€™t be using a function for this issue in particular, I am excited about the possibility of using them for other things. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction to start as Iā€™ll be taking this code and modifying it to try out a couple things and hopefully start leaning into using functions where possible.

3 Likes
28

I wouldnā€™t either.

Note for above, look at the service references in the function.

That is how I was able to choose that particular tableset to be available as a variable type, by choosing the expanded option of ā€œSelect Typeā€.

Not everything will be available. In that case, you pass Json and work your way around the problem.

29

Apparentlyā€¦ I had the wrong client openā€¦

Our scheduler just knocked on my door and said ā€œI am a man of constant sorrow, wtf man?ā€.

Yep, I did your example in Production. Fun times. :rofl:

5 Likes
30

That is awesome!

1 Like
31

Wow. Iā€™ve NEVER done that.

At least I havenā€™t done it yet today.

2 Likes