Microsoft Dynamics GP Development: Dexterity, eConnect, Extender

If you have Microsoft Dynamics GP (earlier versionsas Invoicing).  If you are Microsoft Visual Studio C# or
known as Great Plains Dynamics, eEnterprise, GreatVB.Net programmer, we encourage you to invest time
Plains Accounting for DOS, Windows and Mac) asin eConnect objects and libraries research - you should
your Corporate ERP, and you plan to undertakebe able to program eConnect with very short learning
customization project, please read this small publicationcurve or even immediately.  Good examples of
to get information session on Dynamics GPeConnect programming projects would be real time
modification tools.  We will concentrate on Microsoftecommerce shopping cart integration (both models
Dexterity, eConnect SDK programming and Extender,Business 2 Business and Business 2 Customer), EDI
as in our opinion other tools are derivative from either(Electronic Document Interchange) in both scenarios:
Dexterity or eConnect.  If you need additionalyour company is master (your vendors must supply
information on such tools as Integration Manager,their Vendor Invoices via EDI) and your company is
Modifier with VBA, Web Services for Dynamics GP,slave (you have to issue invoice to your EDI customer
please feel free to visit our web site or search officialelectronically)
whitepapers on Microsoft Business Solutions portal:3. Extender.  the idea of Extender is to deploy
1. Great Plains Dexterity, currently this IntegratedMicrosoft Dexterity, but provide reasonable abstraction
Development Environment is known as Microsoftlevel to enable non-programmer to extend GP with
Dexterity.  Dexterity was created as the shell tonew screens.  In Extender Enterprise version
abstract Great Plains Dynamics from the Operating(supported directly by eOne - Extender original
System and Database Platform layers back in earlierdevelopment company in Australia) you can even
1990th.  Dexterity shell was programmed in C++animate your new screens with Dexterity Sanscript
language, as it was common believe those days thatcode (no way to debug, however, but this is definitely
C is operating system and computer platforma large step forward).  If you have Extender
independent (as in nowadays we believe that XMLcustomization for Microsoft Dynamics GP or Small
and HTML are computer platform independent asBusiness Financials earlier versions: 9.0, 8.0, 7.5, 7.0 -
well).  Since the time when Microsoft acquired Greatupgrade should be very simple and should not require
Plains Software and abandoned all the DB versionscode review by Extender or Dexterity coders.
(Pervasive SQL,  Ctree), but Microsoft SQL Server Reviewing customizations, designed in Extender, we
and respectively concentrated on Windows platformfound that by whatever reason you may expect
exclusively (Great Plains Dynamics on Macintosh wasperformance degradation, especially when you
abandoned earlier by Great Plains Software) Dexterityupgrade to newer version of Dynamics GP, such as
came through various transformations, such asGP 10.0.  Probably it is related to several layers of
supporting Microsoft COM objects, Calling Microsoftabstraction: C++, Dexterity, Extender
SQL Server Stored Procedures directly from4. Beyond Dex, eConnect and Extender.  Well, with
Sanscript code - these transformations definitely madeGreat Plains Dynamics, everything was initially
Dexterity more Microsoft Windows and SQL Servercentered around GP Dexterity: Modifier with VBA,
dependent and reduced the chances to migrate toReport Writer, even Integration Manager, which was
different platform in the future.  Dynamics GPdeploying Microsoft OLE Server (Great Plains
Dexterity is virtually unlimited, however SanscriptDynamics user workstation was playing the role of
programming language is relatively proprietary - even ifOLE Server).  With the introduction of eConnect,
you can install Dexterity and try to find sample codesDexterity paradigm was deemphasized and currently
to give you an idea on primitive programming in Dex - itmost of the new tools and older tools (such as
should take you several years to become proficient inIntegration Manager) are getting based on eConnect
Dexterity, as it is tightly coupled with Dynamics GPtechnology
tables structure, business logic and architecture in5. Automatic Batch Posting Add-on.  By its
general.  Also, there is an opinion among somearchitecture, Microsoft Dynamics GP user workstation
Dexterity programmers, that you have to have accessreserves the right to review and post GP batches:
to Dynamics GP Source Code program (Dynamics.dicSOP, POP, GL, Receivable Management, Payable
with Sanscript source code scripts in - Dynamics.dic,Management, Payroll, Inventory Control, Bill of Materials,
which you can install from GP CD or DVD comes withetc.  We have Alba Spectrum Posting Server
scripts stripped out)Add-on, which allows you to extend eConnect,
2. Dynamics GP eConnect.  This is SDK or SoftwareIntegration Manager logic to schedule batches for
Development Kit with Sample Codes in C# and VB.automatic posting (the matter of minutes)
 eConnect base is coded in SQL Stored Procedures6. Supporting Dynamics GP Modification Projects
(that are encrypted, so you cannot alter or use theirremotely.  Initially we pioneered in this service back in
logic directly).  eConnect was initially dedicated toearlier 2000th.  Our company has presents in all
Great Plains eCommerce programmers to open GPmajor US metros and hub offices in Chicago, Houston,
objects for ecommerce shopping cart - on archaicSan Diego, Los Angeles, Atlanta.  We also support
versions of econnect.  Later on eConnect expandedyou in Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South and
and currently  (Dynamics GP 10.0 and we expect GPCentral America, Mexico and Caribbean and
11.0 version to be released in May 2010) it covers mostinternationally.
of the GP modules (except such exotic old modules