SunBusiness reference manual

Giáo trình Oracle

SunSystems 4

SunBusiness Reference Manual

SunBusiness Reference Manual

Issue 10 March 1997 (based on software version 4.2)

Copyright © 1982-2001 Systems Union Holdings Ltd

All rights reserved

The copyright of this manual and the computer software described herein and provided herewith are the property of Systems Union Holdings Ltd No part of this publication or the computer software may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any human or computer language, in any form or by any means without the express written permission of Systems Union Holdings Ltd.

Systems Union Holdings Ltd

Systems Union House

Contents

User Assistance 1

SunSystems Tools, Buttons, and Keystrokes 5

FreeFormat Macros 13

What’s New in Version 4.2 of SunSystems 25

Actions 33

Multi-Lingual SunSystems 41

Address Analysis 45

Amend Password 49

Analysis Category Lengths 51

Analysis Codes 53

Analysis Definitions 57

Analysis Layouts 63

Analysis Mapping 73

Analysis Mapping Rule Sets 77

Assembly Structure 81

Assembly Structure List 83

Audit Control 85

Budget Check Definition 89

Business Definition 95

Calculation Definitions 107

Calculation Tables 115

Change Database 119

Change Printer 121

Change Terminal 123

Chart of Accounts 125

Commitment Inquiry 135

Commitment Transfer 139

Control Sequence Definitions 143

Conversion Definitions 145

Conversion Tables 151

Customer Inquiry 157

Customer Listing 163

Daily Conversion Tables 165

Data Access Groups 169

Database Definitions 171

Expired Items 175

File Backup/Restore 179

File Creation 187

Generate Stock Take 191

Goods Receipt Matching 193

Inventory Allocation 201

Inventory Balances 205

Inventory Cover 209

Inventory Evaluation 213

Inventory Inquiry 215

Inventory Listing 221

Inventory Status 223

Inventory Usage 227

Invoice Approval 231

Invoice Register 235

Item Descriptions 239

Item Inquiry 243

Item Records 249

Item Special Processes 263

Item Suppliers 267

Language Definitions 271

Ledger Interface 275

Location Definitions 289

Miscellaneous Documents 291

Movement Analysis 293

Movement Definitions 295

Movement Entry 303

Movement Import 309

Movement Inquiry 315

Movement Listing 319

Movement Presets 321

Movement Values Definition 325

Names and Addresses 327

New Period 329

Operator Buttons 331

Operator Definitions 335

Operator Permissions 341

Order Amendment Listing 351

Order Status 353

Period Cleardown 357

Price Book Definitions 363

Price Book Hierarchy 367

Price Book Listing 369

Price Books Maintenance 373

Print Acknowledgements 377

Print Alternative Picking Documents 379

Print Despatch Documents 383

Print Invoices 387

Print Movements 391

Print Picking Documents 393

Print Purchase Orders 397

Print Quotations 401

Print Statistical Declarations 403

Printer Definitions 405

Purchase Commitment 409

Purchase Detail Presets 413

Purchase Header Presets 417

Purchase Import 421

Purchase Inquiry 453

Purchase Invoice Entry 459

Purchase Invoice Matching 473

Purchase Listing 489

Purchase Order Definitions 493

Purchase Order Entry 507

Purchase Order Status 519

Quotation Conversion 525

Quotation Entry 527

Repor t Definition 537

Sales Analysis 559

Sales Format Definition 561

Sales Inquiry 567

Sales Listing 573

Sales Order Definitions 577

Sales Order Detail Presets 589

Sales Order Entry 593

Sales Order Header Presets 605

Sales Order Impor t 609

Statistical Layouts 621

Stock Take Approval 625

Stock Take Clearance 629

Stock Take Definitions 631

Stock Take Entry 635

Stock Take Inquiry 641

Stock Take Listing 645

Stock Take Valuation 647

Supplier Inquiry 649

Supplier Listing 655

System Labels 657

Terminal Definitions 661

Unit Conversion Tables 665

Update BSP 667

View Stored Report 669

1 User Assistance

User Assistance

OVERVIEW

This section outlines the manuals you can use to find out more about SunSystems

It also covers the other ways in which you can investigate SunSystems and itsfunctionality

THE REFERENCE MANUAL

Each SunSystems and SunBusiness function is presented in alphabetical order.This includes all functions in Sales Order Processing, Inventory Control, andPurchase Order Processing Each section provides an overview of a function,followed by descriptions of the boxes on the screen

Where you see the text Conversion Module, this indicates that the option described

is only operational if you have a licence for multi-currency processing

Where you see the text Multi-Lingual Module, this indicates that the option

described is only operational if you have a licence for the multi-lingual facility

The SunBusiness Reference Manual also covers the SunSystems tools and shortcuts,

such as FREEFORMAT and CALCULATOR

THE WORKBOOK

The SunBusiness Workbook teaches you the rudiments of SunBusiness It takes

you through logging in to SunSystems, navigating the screens, entering transactions,creating records, and other simple procedures

The Workbook examples use the demonstration database DEM, which is provided

with your system Your own system setup may differ from the demonstrationdatabase, the basic principles are the same

Throughout the Workbook there are practice sessions which will test your

understanding

THE APPRECIATION GUIDE

The SunBusiness Appreciation Guide describes the scope of SunBusiness It is

aimed at the manager responsible for implementing SunSystems, and for controllingbusiness procedures

There is a section describing the user definable reports and documents availablewithin SunSystems

THE REFERENCE CARD

A Reference Card is provided This is convenient when you start to use SunBusiness,

as it provides useful information on a single, easy to use, card

THE DEMONSTRATION DATABASE

Three demonstration databases are provided with each system: DEM, DM1, andDM2 Each is a fully operational database, which includes examples of all aspects

of SunSystems and SunAccount, with DEM including examples for SunBusiness.You can use them to familiarise yourself with the system, before using your livedatabase(s)

THE SUNSYSTEMS PLATFORM MANUALS

The SunSystems Platform Manuals have been written to help you install and run

SunSystems in a variety of environments They contain technical informationand advice and are critical to a successful implementation The platform manualsdetail SunSystems upgrade procedures for new sites

The SunSystems Platform Manual is divided into four sections:

Preparation, Installation, Running SunSystems, and the Appendices

THE TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL

The Technical Reference Manual is geared to the more technical user of

SunSystems It includes information about the programming language, thestructure of the programs, naming conventions, user hooks, and translatingSunSystems into other languages The appendices outline the layouts of allSunSystems files

3 User Assistance

If you are using a graphical user interface (GUI) version of SunSystems, you can

access the SunBusiness Reference Manual and SunBusiness Appreciation Guide

online This enables you to use the online manual’s powerful text searchingfacilities You can access the online manuals by selecting Help and then Contentsfrom the action bar

5 SunSystems Tools, Buttons, and Keystrokes

SunSystems Tools, Buttons,

and Keystrokes

OVERVIEW

SunSystems tools comprise a range of utilities designed to speed up and generallyassist with day-to-day operations

This section provides a comprehensive guide to the tools and keystrokes available

in SunSystems See the section FreeFormat Macros for information about the

FREEFORMAT tool

You can access SunSystems tools in three ways:

• By entering a unique character at the beginning of a box, followed by a spaceand then ENTER

• By pressing a function key

• By clicking an icon on the button bar (Graphical User Interface only)

If you are using the Graphical User Interface (GUI) version of SunSystems youcan use the SunSystems button bar If you are using the character User Interface(CUI) version of SunSystems you should use character or function keys to accesstools

Note: The function key numbers described are the standard keys used by

SunSystems However, on certain keyboards these keys are not available, so alternatives must be used See your Platform Manual for details of changes

to these key designations.

QUERY

You can access the QUERY facility by clicking the QUERY button, by entering ‘?’question mark, or by using the F5 key QUERY is available from certain boxes thataccess reference records For example, you can use QUERY from the Account Codebox in JE=Journal Entry

F

If you use QUERY in the selection box, an enlarged QUERY window is displayed.This window contains several columns of data; it provides more information thanthe QUERY windows which are accessed from the individual boxes on screen Youcan also access this enlarged QUERY window by choosing the action View from theselection box.

When you use QUERY, a window is displayed asking for a code to start the list Ifyou want to start the list of codes with a particular code, enter that code in the box

to be queried before you use QUERY When the list is displayed you can:

• Click OK, or press ENTER to list all records from the beginning

• Press LOOKUP within the QUERY window, to enter the Lookup code from whichthe list should start

Once the list of records is displayed you can use the arrow keys, PAGEUP/DOWN

keys, or scroll bar to move through them Press ENTER, or use a double-click tocopy the currently highlighted code back to the reference box

To close the QUERY window, either click the Cancel button, press ESC, or use ‘!’exclamation mark

BUTTON BAR

As well as the user-defined buttons, the button bar includes 11 predefined functionbuttons with icons representing their use As you move your cursor throughthem, you will notice a description appears beneath each one This is known asballooning

As well as using your mouse, you can press TAB from the selection box to accessthe button bar, and then use either TAB or the arrow keys to move through thebuttons

Most of the buttons relate to the SunSystems tools described below, others canspeed up your use of a mouse in SunSystems

OK

This is similar to pressing ENTER It tells the system that you want to acceptthe data entered on the screen and proceed to the next option

7 SunSystems Tools, Buttons, and Keystrokes

When you use HELP a window is displayed which contains information relevant tothe current box If you access HELP from the selection box you are presented withinformation about the current function

Click the OK button in the HELP window, press ENTER, or press the ESC key toclose the HELP window

F2: LOOKUP

This button accesses the LOOKUP facility, you can also use ‘=’ an equals sign

or F2 Some reference records have an alternative code, a Lookup Code.You might use this when you cannot remember the main code A shortened name

is often used as a Lookup Code For instance in the chart of accounts you mightenter part of the account name, so that the records can be retrieved alphabetically

In some reference record boxes, you may enter the Lookup Code instead of themain code

When you use LOOKUP a lookup window appears on the screen For example, inJE=Journal Entry you can use LOOKUP in the Account Code box:

• If you want to select an account called Brown, enter BROW ENTER You areoffered the first account whose Lookup Code starts with BROW You mighthave used the same Lookup Code for several customer account called BROWN

or BROWNE Scroll through the BROWN(E) accounts until you see the oneyou want

• Press ESC or click Cancel to close the lookup window

• Press ENTER to accept the selected address code

SQL users have an extra facility with LOOKUP By entering ‘%’ percentage in thelookup window or Lookup Code box, you can perform an SQL ‘like’ command

Using the previous example, enter BRO% and you are only offered the codeswhich begin with BRO This can speed up the searching process.

See the section Actions for further advice on using the LOOKUP facility

F4: FREEFORMAT

This button accesses the FREEFORMAT macro facility You can also access

FREEFORMAT by using ‘\’ a backslash or the F4 key The FREEFORMAT facility

is described in the subsequent section FreeFormat Macros.

F6: SHORTHAND

This button accesses the SHORTHAND tool You can also access SHORTHAND

b y using ‘~’ a tilde or the F6 key The SHORTHAND tool enables you to enterseveral commands at once in a window which appears at the foot of your screen.You can use the DUPLICATE tool to recall the previous SHORTHAND command line.The use of these two tools can speed up processes such as inputting similar records

When you have completed your command line, press ENTER or click OK and thesequence of commands begins

9 SunSystems Tools, Buttons, and Keystrokes

F7: DUP-TO-END

This button accesses the DUPTOEND facility You can also access DUPTOEND

by using ‘:’ a colon or the F7 key DUPTOEND is used with referencefunctions It repeats the contents of all remaining boxes, copying the informationentered on the previous screen, or filling them with spaces or zeroes as appropriate,

if the previous screen was of a different type In Amend mode, this key allowsyou to complete a screen without pressing the ENTER key in every remaining box

• Accumulator area where the current answer is displayed

• Input area in which you enter values

• Memory

The accumulator, input, and memory areas each can hold and display a number of

up to 13 digits and five decimal places

For example, you might enter a value in JE=Journal Entry and need to accumulatetwo figures to enter in the Amount box:

1 With the cursor in the amount box, press CALCULATOR Enter the first value i.e.282.49, then ENTER The value moves to the accumulator area

2 In the input area enter + 373.36 ENTER The accumulated figure appears in theaccumulator area and the input area reverts to blank

3 Use DUPLICATE to copy the value from the accumulator to the Amount Box(655.85)

Calculator Functions

The following functions are available in the calculator:

Code Function Description

accumulator

* or X Multiply Multiply accumulator by next entered

amount

M- Memory Subtract Subtract accumulator amount from memory

MR Memory Recall Replace accumulator amount with memory

amount

-M Subtract Memory Subtract memory amount from accumulator

*M or XM Multiply Memory Multiply accumulator by memory amount/M Divide Memory Divide accumulator by memory amount

The CALCULATOR responds to upper and lower case letters

Note: If the function area displays a ‘?’ question mark, it has not understood

the function you are asking it to perform.

Leaving the Calculator

Press DUPLICATE to leave CALCULATOR The result of the calculation is copied tothe box you were in when you activated CALCULATOR

Press ESCAPE to return to the box you were in when you activated the CALCULATOR

without copying the result of the calculation

F

11 SunSystems Tools, Buttons, and Keystrokes

See the section Operator Buttons for information about using operator buttons.

on the screen You can also use ESCAPE to cancel reports before printing hascompleted.

13 FreeFormat Macros

FreeFormat Macros

FREEFORMAT MACROS: AN OVERVIEW

FreeFormat macros allow you to automate tasks which are repeated used frequently

in SunSystems

This section shows you how to create, edit, and run FreeFormat macros It alsodetails the FreeFormat syntax rules and commands and tells you how you candebug FreeFormat macros

You normally run procedures by selecting options and entering values in the boxesprompted Using FreeFormat can save you time and effort in the following ways:

• By learning a sequence of commands which can then be rerun at any time Forexample, if you run a series of reports each week you can, instead of enteringall instructions manually, create a FreeFormat macro which replicates the

keystrokes with a single command See the subsections Creating a Simple

FreeFormat Macro and Running a Simple FreeFormat Macro.

• By allowing standard FreeFormat macros to be interrupted to allow operators

to vary a predefined selection See the subsections Expanding a Simple

FreeFormat Macro and Running an Expanded FreeFormat Macro.

• By allowing operators to use everyday language to run the macros See the

subsection Running a FreeFormat by Entering Part of the Name.

FREEFORMAT FILE LAYOUT

Each time you create a series of FreeFormat macro instructions they are written to

a file, normally called STANDARD.MDF The predefined FreeFormat macrossupplied with the Demonstration Database are held in a file called SSISSUE.MDF.The STANDARD.MDF file is not issued with SunSystems files, but is created thefirst time you activate FREEFORMAT The demonstration SSISSUE.MDFFreeFormat macros are copied to STANDARD.MDF when it is created

Note: SSISSUE.MDF is not appended to an existing STANDARD.MDF

during an upgrade.

If you prefer to use another file to hold your FreeFormat macros (for exampleCOMJLP.MDF), you can do so by amending the command file name which launchesSunSystems, for example:

sun COMJLP.MDF

FreeFormat macros which you create are then stored in COMJLP.MDF ratherthan STANDARD.MDF Similarly, if you want to access those predefinedFreeFormat macros kept in SSISSUE.MDF, you must enter:

sun SSISSUE.MDF

FREEFORMAT MACROS: WHERE TO START

When you create FreeFormat macros you should consider their usage before youbegin If they are always going to be run in background mode, your first entrywill be an operator Id (you might create a new operator specifically to runFreeFormats) You may prefer to start all your macros from the Ledger Accountingscreen so that the operator who carries out the command can be recorded in anaudit trail (or as the journal source)

F

15 FreeFormat Macros

CREATING AND EDITING FREEFORMAT MACROS

The following subsections lead you through the processes of creating a simpleFreeFormat and editing it to create an expanded FreeFormat ExpandedFreeFormats enable you to include prompts for selections that are to be made asthe FreeFormat is executed

Creating a Simple FreeFormat Macro

The following steps lead you through creating a simple FreeFormat macro whichgenerates and Stores on Disk a CA=Chart of Accounts report and stores the report

on disk

1 From within Ledger Accounting activate FREEFORMAT You can do this byclicking the FF icon, by pressing the F4 key, or by entering ‘\’ backslash in theselection box

2 Type LEARN CA_REPORT and press ENTER to name and create the macro

3 Select the pull down menu, Maintenance menu item, and then CA=Chart ofAccounts

4 Select the action Report

5 Enter the range 64001 to 64002 in the Account Code From/To boxes Acceptthe default for all other selection options, either by pressing ENTER or byclicking OK

6 Select Enter Store on Disk in the selection box

7 When the report has finished and the cursor returns to the selection box, activate

FREEFORMAT again Type STOP and FreeFormat ceases learning

You can run this FreeFormat by activating FREEFORMAT and entering CA_REPORT

in the FreeFormat window

See the subsection Running a Simple FreeFormat Macro.

Expanding a Simple FreeFormat Macro

The CA_REPORT FreeFormat is a simple macro You can expand a simple macro

so that it incorporates more complex instructions, such as prompting for selections,while it is being executed This means that you can vary your selections while

running a standard FreeFormat See the subsection Creating FreeFormat Macros:

Available Commands for details of additional instructions you can build into your

FreeFormats

This is how you can alter the CA_REPORT FreeFormat so that a range of accounts

is requested while the FreeFormat is running:

1 Begin by activating FREEFORMAT

2 Enter LEARN CA_REPORT This produces the message COMMANDALREADY EXISTS You are offered the options Delete, Replace, or Cancel

3 Enter R-Replace to overwrite the existing set of instructions

4 Continue to create the FreeFormat as explained in the subsection Creating a

Simple FreeFormat Macro, but stop at the Account Code From box.

5 In the Account Code From box activate FREEFORMAT again The FreeFormatwindow offers you the option to enter STOP, (ITEM NAME), or (COMMANDNAME) Type (ACCFROM) and press ENTER The cursor returns to the Frombox, where you should enter an account code This code is not learnt, but must

be entered for the learning process to continue

6 The cursor is now in the Account Code To box Activate FREEFORMAT Thistime type (ACCTO) and press ENTER Once completed, the cursor returns tothe To box and you must enter another account code to identify the last account

in the range This code is not learnt, but must also be entered to continue thelearning process

7 Continue with the FreeFormat as described in the subsection Creating a Simple

FreeFormat, and Store on Disk.

8 Complete the learning sequence by activating FREEFORMAT and entering STOPYou may wish to be prompted with the same item several times during a FreeFormatmacro For example, if you are printing a number of reports, you may want theFreeFormat to stop each time and prompt you to make an entry in the SupplementaryReport Name box The example FreeFormat command REPORTS+TITLES asksfor an item value for TITLE The title you enter is used as the supplementaryreport name for all reports selected in this FreeFormat

See the subsection Running an Expanded FreeFormat Macro.

Creating FreeFormat Macros: Syntax Rules

Case Sensitivity

When you are creating FreeFormat macros you can use upper or lower case apartfrom chaining or looping commands, which must be in upper case

17 FreeFormat Macros

Looping

You can make a looped macro to, for example, amend boxes such as the settlementterms for all debtor accounts To do this activate FreeFormat during the learnsequence and enter the name of the macro you are creating in upper case andwithin square brackets This stops the learning and creates the loop automatically

In the example above, you would create a FreeFormat macro which would selectthe Next account automatically, amend its details, and then rerun the command.Interrupt

Having started a FreeFormat macro, you can stop at any time by using pressing

ESC

Repeat

To repeat the previous FreeFormat macro, you can use DUPLICATE

To pause a macro and switch to debug mode you can use the BREAK command.When the macro is running, the debug box will appear where you have enteredBREAK and you can run the macro in debug mode as described in the subsection

Debugging FreeFormat Macros.

Editing a FreeFormat Macro

You can use the debug facility to edit FreeFormat macros on a line-by-line basis

within SunSystems See the subsection Debugging FreeFormat Macros for further

information

Editing a FreeFormat Macro from Outside SunSystems

You can create and amend FreeFormat macros from outside SunSystems by editingthe *.MDF file which contains the macros The *.MDF file is a text file so youcan use an operating system text editor or a word processor in ASCII text mode toedit the commands

Having accessed the *.MDF file you can see each line of each macro listed in thesequence of entry You should note that the following syntax is used:

FreeFormat Names: FreeFormat names appear in square brackets followed by

‘=’ equals

If you are chaining to another macro, its title appears in square brackets A chaincommand like this should be the last line of the macro as any further entries areignored

Item Names: Item names are identified by round brackets You can add alternate

names by including ‘=’ equals:

(ACCFROM = STARTACCOUNTCODE)

Operator Interaction: Operator interaction, where the FreeFormat pauses for

the entry of a value, is shown by the ‘<<’ symbol

Spaces: Spaces are represented by ‘-’ hyphens Space is not the same as ENTER

Backtabs: A backtab to the previous box on the screen is shown by ‘^’ carat Hyphens in macros: Where a hyphen is required as an entry in a macro it is

represented by an ‘_’ underscore in the *.MDF file

Carriage Returns: Carriage returns are represented by ‘<>’ or by a blank line.

‘<>’ is used when a carriage return is learnt but you can use ‘<>’ or a blank linewhen you are editing or creating a FreeFormat macro

19 FreeFormat Macros

Deleting a FreeFormat Macro

To delete a FreeFormat macro activate FREEFORMAT and then enter LEARN and thename of the FreeFormat you want to delete This produces the messageCOMMAND ALREADY EXISTS You are offered the options Delete, Replace,

or Cancel Choose Delete and the specified FreeFormat is deleted

RUNNING FREEFORMAT MACROS

Running a Simple FreeFormat Macro

Activate FREEFORMAT by clicking the FF icon, by pressing the F4 key, or by entering

‘\’ backslash in the selection box Once activated, enter the name of the macroyou want to run, for example CA_REPORT, in the FreeFormat window You canalso enter a shortened version of the FreeFormat name, for example, CA_REP

From the FreeFormat window you can also use QUERY to display a list of availablemacros, and then select the FreeFormat macro you want to run using the arrowkeys Press Enter to accept your choice and RETURN, or the mouse buttons

Running an Expanded FreeFormat Macro

Expanded FreeFormat macros are run in the same way as simple ones - you activateFreeFormat and then enter their name in the FreeFormat window However, whenyou run an expanded FreeFormat macro you are prompted for the selections chosen

by the author of the macro

Running the expanded CA_REPORT FreeFormat macro, described in the subsection

Expanding a Simple FreeFormat Macro:

You are prompted to enter a value for the first item name you created, ACCFROM.Enter the account code 64001 and then press ENTER

You are then prompted to enter the value for the second item name, ACCTO.Enter the account code 64002 and then press ENTER You can see the variousselections being made on the screen, ending with the report being stored to disk.You can also enter the item values at the same time as the FreeFormat name Forexample, for the expanded FreeFormat macro CA_REPORT, you might enter thefollowing:

Running a FreeFormat Macro by Entering Part of the Name

You can run a FreeFormat macro by entering a shortened version of the FreeFormatname - for example CA_REP rather than CA_REPORT If what you enter doesn’tmatch an existing FreeFormat, the nearest match is sought for This facility allowsoperators to use everyday language to run FreeFormats For example, you can runthe CA_REPORT macro by entering

PLEASE RUN THE CA_REPORT

Running a FreeFormat Macro with Switches

You can run FreeFormat macros with switches to change the way in which theybehave FreeFormat switches are entered after the name of the FreeFormat - forexample:

CA_REPORT/L

/D

Use a /D switch to run FreeFormat in debug mode See the subsection Debugging

FreeFormats for further information.

/L

Use a /L switch to generate a log file when running the FreeFormat macro See

the subsection Generating a FreeFormat Log for further information.

Note: You can also generate a log file by adding ‘,L’ as part of the command

string when running FreeFormat macros from outside SunSystems See the subsection Running FreeFormat Macros Without Logging In for further information.

F

21 FreeFormat Macros

Running FreeFormat Macros Without Logging In

You can enter a simple command from the directory where you normally accessSunSystems to access FreeFormat macros without actually logging in

Your Platform Manual contains additional information about this.

Note: You should run macros in interactive mode before running them in

background mode first, to ensure that they are working correctly;, as errors encountered in background mode are not brought to your attention.

The syntax is as follows:

sun commandfile,x,commandname (item1 item2 …)

The command file name must end with MDF - for example STANDARD.MDF

x can be any of the following:

b for background, the screen does not display what is happening with themacro The screen remains at the operating system prompt Your FreeFormatmust end with a command to log out of SunSystems

e for echo, all the usual SunSystems screens are displayed This operates

in a similar way to the background mode, but where an expanded sentenceexists, the FreeFormat requires confirmation before continuing

i or blank for interactive, all the screens are displayed to allow operators

to input where the FreeFormat macro has ‘<<’ If an error is detected, themacro stops

commandname is the name of the FreeFormat macro you want to run

(item1 item2 …) are the item values (for the item names created)which must be entered in the same order and must also be separated byspaces

Note: If you are using UNIX or VMS and you want to run a FreeFormat

macro from outside SunSystems, you should enclose the command in quotation marks - for example:

sun “STANDARD.MDF,i,CHARTACCOUNTREPORT”

F

DEBUGGING FREEFORMAT MACROS

Debugging FreeFormat Macros: an Overview

You can run FreeFormat macros line-by-line to check that commands and data areentered correctly This facility is called running FreeFormats in ‘debug’ mode.Running a FreeFormat macro in debug mode you can decide, on a line-by-linebasis, to proceed to the next line, to abandon the macro, to edit the line, or toproceed directly to the end of the macro

Debugging FreeFormat Macros

You can run macros in debug mode by using the /D switch, by activating

FREEFORMAT when a macro is running, and by using the BREAK command within

a macro

When you run a macro in debug mode, the FreeFormat window appears at thebottom of your screen The window shows the name of the macro and thatFreeFormat is running in debug mode You can see you the line number within themacro being executed, as well as the command to be executed at that line Youhave three alternatives:

1 To accept the command to be executed and proceed to the next line by pressing

ENTER

2 To abandon the FreeFormat macro by using the ESCAPE key

3 To edit the command by, type your amendment over the current entry

Note: You can replace the existing command with more than one command

by separating each command with ‘~’ tilde For example, AQ~110~E~N would run AQ=Account Inquiry with account 110, would then Extract the account details, and would then move on to the Next account.

4 To proceed to the end of the FreeFormat macro, or to the next point in themacro where there is a BREAK command, by pressing the F7 key (-Zoom)

5 You can leave debug and return to normal FreeFormat mode by pressing the F4

FREEFORMAT key

When you are in debug mode, any amendments you make to a macro are saved to

a file named STANDARD.M01 where STANDARD is the name of the macro andM01 represents the number of the revision to the macro (M01 for the first revision

to M99 for the ninety-ninth) You can then use this file to replace the originalSTANDARD.MDF

F

23 FreeFormat Macros

You can run macros in debug mode by using the /D switch, by activating

FREEFORMAT when a macro is running, and by using the BREAK command within

a macro

Using the /D Switch in FreeFormat

Appending ‘/D’ to the name of the FreeFormat you type in the FreeFormat windowruns the FreeFormat in debug mode

USING FREEFORMAT LOG FILES

FreeFormat Log Files: an Overview

You can generate a FreeFormat log file when running a FreeFormat macro Thelog file shows the commands that have been executed and the responses to thosecommands The log file also shows any messages displayed during the execution

of the macro and the responses to those messages

FreeFormat Log Files: an Example

Using the CA_REPORT FreeFormat created in the subsection Creating a Simple

FreeFormat Macro as an example, the log file is in the format:

You can see that each command executed appears on one line in the report

The log file is stored in the main SunSystems directory and is called NAME.Lnnwhere NAME is the name of the macro and nn is a two digit number that isincremented automatically by SunSystems You can use an operating system texteditor or a word processor in ASCII text mode to view the log file

25 What’s New in Version 4.2 of SunSystems

What’s New in Version 4.2 of

SunSystems

A number of powerful new features have been added for version 4.2 of SunSystems,while many existing features have been improved and enhanced If you havebeen using an earlier version of SunSystems, it is important that you take the time

to read this section to become familiar with the changes which have taken placesince version 4.1 of SunSystems

SUNSYSTEMS

Security Enhancements

Various security enhancements have been made:

• You can now set a password lifespan for operators or groups of operators

• When operators change passwords, they cannot use a password that they haveused previously

• You can now set a minimum password length for operators or groups ofoperators

If a user attempts to log in to SunSystems using the wrong password, they arerejected and their attempt is counted as a violation Once three violations havebeen recorded for an Operator Id, the operator code must be revalidated by theSystems Administrator before it can be used to log into SunSystems again

For further information see the sections Operator Permissions, Amend Password, and Operator Definitions You may also want to refer to the appendix Security in the SunBusiness Appreciation Guide.

Enhancements to RD=Report Definition

DD=Document Definition and RD=Report Definition have been merged intoRD=Report Definition You now need only use one function, RD=ReportDefinition, to maintain all your reports and documents

Data items used in reports and documents are now chosen from the data dictionarywhich makes the design of reports and documents easier and faster.

For further information see the section Report Definition You may also want to refer to the section Reporting in SunBusiness in the SunBusiness Appreciation

• You can convert digits to individual words, and into sentences

• You can produce cheques which are compliant with UK APACS formats

• You can control whether debit and/or credit values are printed

• You can specify whether or not cheques are to be printed

• You can set rules governing the ageing of transactions

• You can produce test pages for preprinted stationary

Improvements to the SunSystems Interface

There are a number of improvements to the SunSystems interface - both incharacter-based versions of SunSystems and in GUI (Graphical User Interface)versions of SunSystems

Introduction of ‘Pop-Up’ Windows

Some functions, such as IR=Item Records, which have been enhanced withadditional functionality, are now spread over more than one screen The location

of these ‘pop-up’ windows is indicated by ‘>>’ a double chevron When you areentering data, these windows are displayed automatically When you are examiningdata, you can use the action Overlay to choose which of these windows you want

to see

Changes to the way Query and Lookup Operate

The way in which the QUERY and LOOKUP tools operate has changed See the

section SunSystems Tools, Buttons, and Keystrokes for further information.

27 What’s New in Version 4.2 of SunSystems

Enhancements to FreeFormat Macros

There are several improvements to FREEFORMAT These improvements give youmore control when creating and running FreeFormat macros See the section

FreeFormat Macros for further information You may also want to refer to the

appendix Automating Your Work - FreeFormat Macros in the SunBusiness

Appreciation Guide.

Introduction of Online Manuals

If you run SunSystems 4.2 in a Microsoft Windows environment, you can access

online all the information contained in the SunBusiness Reference Manual and in the SunBusiness Appreciation Guide.

The online manuals are available from a new Help option on the action bar; theonline manuals complement and supplement the online and context-sensitive helpavailable by using the HELP tool or pressing the F1 key

In the online manuals you can search for information on a particular function byclicking the initial letter of that function and then choosing the function you areinterested in from the list presented

The online manuals also include a powerful text search tool which enables you toidentify which help topics include certain text You can see the context in whichthe text you have entered appears in a topic If a topic provides the informationyou are looking for, you can access information on that topic directly

SUNBUSINESS - GENERAL

There are many new features in the three SunBusiness modules:

Increased Cost, Quantity, and Value Fields

You can now record costs, quantities, and values with up to 13 characters beforethe decimal point and five characters after the decimal point

Enhanced Analysis

Since SunSystems version 4.0 the number of analysis categories in SunSystemshas doubled So that you can make the most of the potential of this enhancedanalysis, two hidden functions have been introduced which enable you to map andmove analysis categories

Increased Analysis Codes

Throughout SunBusiness, the ability to analyse your data has been improved.There are now ten Transaction Analysis categories (M-Codes), Address Analysiscategories (C-codes) and Item Analysis categories (I-Codes) Each analysis categorycan be up to 15 characters long If you are upgrading from a version of SunSystemsprior to version 4.1, you should know that in SunSystems version 4.1 the number

of SunAccount Transaction Analysis categories and Account Analysis categorieswas also increased to ten

For further information see the sections Analysis Category Lengths, Analysis

Definitions, and Analysis Codes.

Analysis Mapping

To assist you in making the most of the enhanced analysis, two new functionswere introduced in SunSystems version 4.1.4 MR=Analysis Mapping Rule Setsallows you to create a set of instructions you can use to map one analysis categoryonto another AM=Analysis Mapping enables you to process the rule sets created.Because of the powerful nature of this feature, both functions are hidden For

further information refer to the sections Analysis Mapping Rule Sets and Analysis

Mapping.

Enhanced Inquiry

A new action, Inquire, in transaction entry functions links you directly fromtransactions to items See the sections referring to transaction entry functions forfurther information

Introduction of Conversion Tables

If you are using a multicurrency version of SunSystems, you can now access thefunctions used for maintaining conversion rates and conversion information fromwithin SunBusiness

A new function, DC=Daily Conversion Tables, was introduced in SunSystemsversion 4.1.4 Using daily conversion tables, you can create a conversion rate toapply to a specific date If you are using highly volatile currencies you can usedaily conversion tables to record frequent fluctuations You can also use dailyconversion tables for time recording - for example, for recording special holidayrates

See the sections Conversion Tables and Daily Conversion Tables for further

information

29 What’s New in Version 4.2 of SunSystems

Enhancements to Ledger Interface

The functionality of LI=Ledger Interface has been enhanced by the addition ofeight account codes for each item record This brings the total of ledger interfaceitem account codes to ten

You can create or amend the names and ledger interface recognition codes usedfor each of these accounts in the new function SB=System Labels You allocateaccount codes to each of the accounts in the Account overlay in IR=Item Records

See the sections Ledger Interface, System Labels, and Item Records for further information You may also want to refer to the appendix Transferring Data To

and From SunAccount in the SunBusiness Appreciation Guide.

Enhancements to Calculations

The number of calculation codes available for a transaction type in Sales OrderProcessing has been increased from ten to 20 and the number of calculation codesavailable for a transaction type in Purchase Order Processing has been increasedfrom nine to 17 These increases to the number of calculation codes availableenable you to create complex calculations and to make full use of the Price Books,Discounting, Volumes and Measures, and Costing facilities added in version 4.2

of SunSystems

See the sections Sales Order Definitions, Purchase Order Definitions, and Price

Books for further information.

SALES ORDER PROCESSING

Introduction of Price Books

You can now specify multiple prices for a single item, with the prices beingdependent on the criteria you specify

At the simplest level, the introduction of four base selling prices and four nextselling prices to IR=Item Records, together with the dates at which each of thenext selling prices applies, means that you can create a basic price book aroundyour item records This new functionality is enhanced by the ability to create andamend names for each of the selling prices in the new function SB=System Labels

For further information about basic price books see the sections Item Records and

System Labels You may also want to refer to the section Pricing in the SunBusiness Appreciation Guide.

You can use three new functions, PM=Price Books Maintenance, PH=Price BookHierarchy, and PF=Price Book Definitions, to create very complex price books.Using these functions, you can control pricing by cumulative quantity and value,

by customer group, product categories, currencies, or by any of your A0-A9Account Analysis, C0-C9 Address Analysis, or I0-I9 Account Analysis codes Inaddition, you can control price books by date and date ranges

For further information about complex price books and about setting up and using

complex price books, see the sections Price Books Maintenance, Price Book

Hierarchy, and Price Book Definitions You may also want to refer to the section Pricing in the SunBusiness Appreciation Guide.

Enhanced Treatment of Volumes and Measures

The addition of the function UC=Unit Conversion Tables to Sales Order Processingmeans that you can now sell the same inventory item in multiple units of measure.You could use it, for example, to convert volumes at various temperatures tovolumes at an ambient temperature

See the sections Unit Conversion Tables and Item Records for further information.

Documentation Enhancements

Two new functions, SF=Sales Format Definition and PM=Print MiscellaneousDocuments, have been added to SunSystems to enable you to design and print awide variety of documentation based upon the information entered intoSunSystems, without updating Sales Order Processing data files

You can use PM=Print Miscellaneous Documents and the action Store on Disk tostore a ‘preview’ of order/invoice documentation Choose VR=View Stored Report

to see the documentation before printing it

See the sections Sales Format Definition, Print Miscellaneous Documents, and

Report Definition for further information.

PURCHASE ORDER PROCESSING

Introduction of Purchase Import Facility

A Purchase Import facility has been added This enables you to import purchaseorders, goods receipt notes, and invoices into SunSystems For further information

see the section Purchase Import.

31 What’s New in Version 4.2 of SunSystems

Introduction of Budget/Commitment Checking by Analysis Codes

The introduction of budget/commitment checking by analysis codes enables you

to check spending against budget by account code and by up to two analysis codes.You can use this new facility to, for example, set a budget for a project within adepartment within an account code

For further information see the sections Budget Check Definition, Commitment

Inquiry, and Analysis Codes.

Enhancements to Costing

You now have greater control over how you record changes to costs betweenordering an item and receiving it into inventory When unforeseen costs such asimport duties, excess carriage costs, etc arise you can record the costs inVM=Purchase Invoice Matching

A new interface, Cost Adjustments has been added to PD=Purchase OrderDefinitions This enables you to post amendments to orders in to SunAccountusing LI=Ledger Interface At the same time, data used by IR=Item Records isupdated to reflected changes to costs

For further information about these new features see the sections Item Records,

Purchase Order Definitions, Ledger Interface, and Purchase Invoice Matching.

You may also want to see the Costing section in the SunBusiness Appreciation

Guide.

Enhancements to Purchase Order Status Report

Several additional selection criteria have been added to PU=Purchase Order Statusreport You can now select transactions for inclusion in the report by TransactionDate, Transaction Status, and Transaction Analysis Code At the same time, OrderReference has been added as a selection criterion to the goods receipt and invoicereport selections These additions increase the ease with which you can followtransactions from one report to another

For further information see the section Purchase Order Status You may also want

to refer to the section Reporting in SunBusiness in the SunBusiness Appreciation

Guide.

INVENTORY CONTROL

Enhancements to Stock Taking

Two additions to stock taking functionality make it easier to run and to report onstock takes SC=Stock Take Clearance is a new function which enables you toclear and reset an incomplete stock take This means that items can be reselected

if you wish to rerun GS=Generate Stock Take SV=Stock Take Valuation nowenables you to include posted stock take movements in your report

For further information see the sections Stock Take Clearance and Stock Take

Valuation.

Implementation of Wide Columns in Movement Analysis

The MA=Movement Analysis report has been enhanced by the addition of widecolumns This means that the report can record values of up to 20 characters in

eight columns For further information see the section Movement Analysis.

MISCELLANEOUS ENHANCEMENTS

New Function for Defining Analysis Category Lengths

There is a new function, NL=Analysis Category Lengths, which enables you todefine the lengths of all analysis categories You no longer use DB=DatabaseDefinitions to define the Transaction, Account and Item analysis category lengthsfor a database Analysis code lengths are now held in the data dictionary

For further information see the section Analysis Category Lengths You may also want to refer to the section Analysing Information in the SunBusiness Appreciation

Guide.

SUNACCOUNT NEW FEATURES

New features in the Ledger Accounting, Fixed Asset Register, and Corporate

Allocations modules are described in the SunAccount Reference Manual.

33 Actions

Actions

This section describes the options which are available in the Action pull downmenu You can either highlight the option with your mouse and click to select it,

or use the arrow keys and press ENTER

If you are using classic menus, choose these actions by entering the appropriateletter in the selection box, and press ENTER

Information entered for each database is stored in files There are two main types

of file: the order/movement file and the reference file The stock take file, andvarious budget and history files also store data

Ledger files contain details of all transactions posted Reference files contain thestatic information that you have created in the reference functions For example,account records, journal types, and analysis codes Though each reference record

is concerned with different data, the data is maintained in a consistent way Thisallows for the same actions to be available in all reference functions

REFERENCE FUNCTIONS

The following list of SunBusiness and SunSystems reference functions is presented

in alphabetical order:

NL=Analysis Category Lengths LD=Location Definitions

BC=Budget Check Definitions OB=Operator Buttons

CD=Calculation Definitions PD=Printer Definitions

DC=Daily Conversion Tables PD=Purchase Header Presets

TQ=Commitment Inquiry DP=Purchase Order DefinitionsCS=Control Sequence Definitions SD=Sales Order Definitions

DB=Database Definitions HP=Sales Order Detail Presets

IP=Item Special Suppliers UC=Unit Conversion Tables

IS=Item Suppliers

Each reference function can comprise many records For example, you may havenumerous accounts Each record is identified by a unique code Chart of accountrecords each have a unique account code; name and address records each have anaddress code, etc

The following actions are available from all reference functions:

DELETE

If you want to remove an existing record, select Delete and enter the record code.You will then be asked:

DELETE?

choose Yes if you wish to continue with the deletion

To delete a range of records, press ENTER in the record code box A windowappears with From and To boxes Enter the range of record codes you want todelete You are then asked:

DELETE SELECTIVELY (WITH SCREEN ECHO)?