Visual programs, customized reports, and user custom reports for execution by all users
Server RDS1
The programs and reports in the C:\Infor folders are for shared execution by all users. These are the files upon which your daily use of Visual Manufacturing and Payroll depend.
They should only be modified, patched, or replaced by someone with knowledge of the proper procedures. This includes the following:
- Box_label_report – The customer executable software and report layout for printing box labels with bar code.
- Folder CrystalReports – All the custom Crystal Report files for shared execution by Crystal Report users
- Folder CUSTOM QRP – All the modified versions of standard Visual reports – to be modified only by someone familiar with Unify Report Builder and the procedures needed to reference these report files from within the Visual software.
- Folder PR Reports – All the modified versions of standard Visual Payroll reports - to be modified only by someone familiar with Unify Report Builder and the procedures needed to reference these report files from within the Visual Payroll software.
- Folder Unify – Visual runtime dll’s and sql.ini file – to be patched or updated only by someone trained in the installation and patch procedures for Visual.
- Folder Visual – all Visual executables to be patched or updated only by someone trained in the installation and patch procedures for Visual.
Server RDS1
The programs and files in the C:\Visual Install folders are the files needed for Visual installation on the server, and copies of all custom Crystal Reports, Access Reports, and custom applications. These are the saved versions of the programs and files and are not used for the day to day execution of the Visual application or execution of the custom reports and applications. Their purpose is for archiving of the files necessary to reload or restore the files used in actual operation of the system, and in the case of the custom reports and applications to serve as a development version of the software for testing changes before deployment for all users.
These include the following:
- Folder Desktop Shortcuts – Contains standard shortcuts to start Visual Manufacturing, CRM, Word, and Excel; and, a folder Visual Reports etc. which contains shortcuts to the custom Access and Excel spreadsheet reports which are accessible to all users. These are archive copies – these files are copied to the public desktop for use by all RDS1 users.
- Folder Installation folders – This folder contains a series of shortcuts which point to the storage location for the actual Visual installation files, most of which are iso images (DVD’s) of the Visual installation files and Visual patch discs which have been applied to the system. There are also sub-folders which contain various custom reports and applications as follows:
- Box_Label _Report – archive/development copy of box label application/report
- Code39barcodefont – installation files for code 39 bar codes
- Dev_Saved_Files – custom Access, Excel, macros, and Crystal report files for archive and development purposes
- Code39.zip – zip file folder containing the code 39 font files (which has been unzipped to the Code39barcodefont folder above)
- Folder LogonScript – script prepared by Bill Cox to copy a set of files to each user’s local configuration folder (VMFGini) at each logon. These the files to be copied are saved in the folder VMFGiniFilesForLogon (see below)
- Folder VMFGini Master – A base set of files including on line documentation, help files, and configuration files (.ini files – the files which have column layouts for order entry, customer inquiry, and the various browse windows) which can be used to initialize a new RDS1 user’s VMFGini folder at the time a new user is created.
- Folder VMFGiniFilesForLogon – This folder contains all of the custom Access applications, Excel files, and macros which can be executed by RDS1 users. Whenever one of these files gets modified, it is saved here so that at next logon by a user to RDS1, they will get a copy of the updated files.
In addition, this folder has a copy of all the same files which are in the folder VMFGini Master except for the configuration files (.ini files). This allows automatic deployment of help and documentation files when a Visual Upgrade or patch disc is installed. The configuration files are not included as the users may have personalized them and thus do not want them to be replaced.
ADDITIONAL:
Charleston Forge
Instructions for making custom reports, macros, and required Visual ini files available to newly added network Visual users
Background:
Macros, Visual help files, Visual documentation (On Line Books), and Visual ini files (the files which store line item column positions and widths) are always stored in what is known as the local configuration folder. I have also chosen to store custom Access applications and Excel query files in this location of each user because these files are not shareable – each user needs their own copy to run.
For a user in a network where remote desktop is used to execute Visual, this folder exists on the terminal server for each user in a unique location – for Charleston Forge server RDS1 this location is C:\Users\<network user name>\VMFGini. For Charleston Forge, the network user names are typically end in a 1, so the folders look like the one below for tdunlap1:
In the screen shot below we see pdf files for On Line Books, chm files for Visual Help, and ini files for column layouts for the various Visual modules (menu items);
Other files in this folder include accdb files (Access applications), xlsx files (Excel queries), miscellaneous txt and log files which get created when certain things run in Visual, and vms files (macros).
Starting below is the simplest way to get files where they belong for a new network user. This assumes that Bill Cox has already created the network user and the VMFGini folder for the new user:
- Find an existing user VMFGini folder whose ini files will have the column layouts which will be very close to those which the new user will need (example: For a new order entry person you might want to use the files in VMFGini folder for kgwaltney1, for a new purchasing user you might want to use the files in the VMFGini folder for tdunlap1).
- Copy all the files from the VMFGini folder chosen and paste them into the VMFGini folder for the new user.
- These files will include all the custom Access applications, Excel query files, and macros which are available
- Shortcuts to Visual, CRM, the standard Access applications, and Excel query files are automatically included on the public desktop for all users (C:\Users\Public\Desktop)
- For Access applications or Excel query files which are only used by certain users – see instructions in 3 below
- For those Access and Excel queries which are used only by certain users, a shortcut must be created on that users private desktop (see sample below for abeekman1):
- The folder CrystalReportShortcuts must be copied from C:\Visual install\Installation Folders\Dev_saved_files\CrystalReportShortcuts and pasted to the private desktop for the user who needs to run them
- Shortcuts to Access applications which are not generally available to all users (like Bookings By Date Range and Dans Daily must be added manually to the private desktop for the user who needs to run them. Remember that the reports themselves actually exist in the VMFGini folder – it is adding the shortcut to the desktop that allows the user to run them.
- There may be other specific considerations for users who are running bar code scanning or other special applications like the box label. In most cases this will be a matter of establishing a shortcut on the user’s private desktop. Best way to determine what is required is to look at the shortcuts on a workstation running the same application – like bar code scanning.