How to add line item comments to graphical purchase order reports without creating additional white space in Microsoft Dynamics GP

Back up and then open the report

1. If you have modified any reports, back up the Reports.dic file. If you have not modified any reports, go to step 2.
   
   To locate the Reports.dic file, follow these steps:
   
   1. On the Tools menu, point to
      Setup, point to System, and then click
      Edit Launch File.
   2. If you are prompted to enter a system password, type your password.
   3. Click Microsoft Dynamics GP or Great Plains. The path of the Reports.dic file appears in the Reports box.
   Note The Reports.dic file only exists if you previously modified a report.
2. Start Report Writer, and then use the appropriate method:
   
   • In Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 click Microsoft Dynamics GP, point to Tools, point to
     Customize, and then click Report Writer.
     
   • In Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 and earlier versions, point to Customize on the Tools menu, and then click Report Writer.
3. In the Product list, click
   Microsoft Dynamics GP or Great Plains, and then click OK.
4. In Report Writer, click
   Reports.
5. In the Original Reports column, select the purchase order report that you want to modify.
6. Click Insert to add the report to the
   Modified Reports column.
7. Click Open, and then click
   Layout.

Modify the report sections

1. On the Tools menu, click Section Options.
2. In the Additional Footers section, click
   New to open the Footer Options dialog box.
3. In the Footer Name box, type
   ORD.
4. In the Report Table list, click
   Purchase Order Line Rollup Temp.
5. In the Field list, click
   Ord.
6. Click OK.
7. In the Additional Footers section, click
   Comment 1 Footer, and then click
   Remove.
   
   If you are prompted to remove the footer, click Yes.
8. Repeat step 7 for the following footers in the
   Additional Footers list:
   
   • Comment 2 Footer
   • Comment 3 Footer
   • Comment 4 Footer

Modify the calculated fields

1. In the resource list in the Toolbox window, click
   Calculated Fields.
2. Click sSuppressComment1, and then click
   Open to open the Calculated Field Definitiondialog box.
3. In the Expression Type section, click
   Conditional.
   
   If you are prompted to destroy the current expression, click Continue.
4. In the Expression Type section, click
   Calculated.
5. In the Result Type list, click
   Integer.
6. Click Constants.
7. In the Type list, click
   Integer.
8. In the Constant field, type
   0, click Add, and then click
   OK.
9. Repeat step 1 through step 8 for the following calculated fields:
   
   • sSuppressComment2
   • sSuppressComment3
   • sSuppressComment4

Adjust the report layout

1. In the resource list in the Toolbox window, click
   Purchasing Comment.
2. Drag the Comment field to the
   F3 section of the Report Layout dialog box. The Report Field Options dialog box appears. Enter
   1 in the Array Index field.
3. Repeat step 1 and step 2 so that you add a total of four
   Comment fields.
   When you are prompted for an array index for each field, type 2 for the second field, type
   3 for the third field, and then type
   4 for the fourth field.
4. In the F3 section, move the
   Comment4 field to the side of the report.
   
   Note This comment field will not appear in the printed report. However, this comment field must be in the margin so that a calculated field will work.
5. Drag the Comment Text field to the
   B section of the Report Layout dialog box.
   
6. Move the following fields outside the margin of the report:
   
   
   • Manufacturer Item Number
   • Manufacturer
   • Item Description
7. Drag the B section to create sufficient space in the body of the report so that the maximum number of comment lines that you might enter will fit.
   
   For example, if you print 10 lines of comments, the B section should be 10 lines long.
8. Resize the Comment Text field to occupy the whole B section.
9. Delete the following text fields from the
   H7 section:
   
   • Manufacturer Item Number
   • Manufacturer
   • Description

Create the first new calculated field

1. In the resource list in the Toolbox window, click
   Calculated Fields, and then click
   New.
2. In the Calculated Field Definition dialog box, specify the following settings:
   
   • Name:
     Comment
   • Expression Type:
     Conditional
   • Result Type:
     Integer
3. Click the Expressions Conditionalfield.
4. In the Field list, click F3_LAST Comment[1], and then click Add.
5. In the Operators section, click
   <>.
6. Click the Constants tab. In the
   Type list, click String, and then click
   Add.
7. In the Operators section, click
   AND.
8. On the Fields tab in the
   Field list, click F3_LAST Comment[4], and then click Add.
9. In the Operators section, click
   =.
10. Click the Constants tab. In the
    Type list, click String, and then click
    Add.
11. Click the True Case field.
12. On the Constants tab in the
    Type list, click Integer. In the
    Constant field, type 1, and then click
    Add.
13. Click the False Case field.
14. On the Constants tab in the
    Constant field, type 0, and then click
    Add.
    
    The calculated field should resemble the following:
    Expressions Conditional: F3_LAST Comment[1] <>'''' AND F3_LAST Comment[4]=''''
    TRUE CASE: 1
    FALSE CASE: 0
15. Click OK.

Create the second new calculated field

1. Click New.
2. In the Calculated Field Definition dialog box, specify the following settings:
   
   • Name:
     Comment2
   • Expression Type:
     Conditional
   • Result Type:
     Integer
3. Click the Expressions Conditionalfield.
4. In the Resource list, click
   Purchasing Comment. In the Field list, click
   Comment, and then click Add. Type
   4 when you are prompted to enter an array index.
5. In the Operators section, click
   <>.
6. Click the Constants tab. In the
   Type list, click String, and then click
   Add.
7. Click the True Case field.
8. On the Constants tab in the
   Type list, click Integer. In the
   Constant field, type 1, and then click
   Add.
9. Click the False Case field.
10. On the Constants tab in the
    Constant field, type 0, and then click
    Add.
    
    The calculated field should resemble the following:
    Expressions Conditional: POP_Comment.Comment[4] <>''''
    TRUE CASE: 1
    FALSE CASE: 0
11. Click OK.

Modify the report section options

1. On the Tools menu, click Section Options.
2. In the Additional Footer section, click
   ORD, and then click Open.
3. Click to select the Suppress When Field Is Empty check box. In the Calculated Field list, click
   Comment.
4. Click OK.
5. In the Body section in the
   Calculated Field list, click Comment 2, and then click OK.

Save your report

1. Close the Report Layout dialog box.
   
   If you are prompted to save the changes, click
   Save.
2. In the Report Definition dialog box, click OK.
3. On the File menu, click Microsoft Dynamics GP or Microsoft Business Solutions - Great Plains.

Grant access to the report

Microsoft Business Solutions - Great Plains 8.0 and Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0

Method 1: By using the Advanced Security functionality

1. Click Tools, point to
   Setup, point to System, and then click
   Advanced Security. Type the system password if you are prompted.
2. Click View, and then click by Alternate, Modified and Custom.
3. Expand the following nodes:
   
   • Great Plains
   • Reports
   • Purchasing
4. Expand the purchase order form that you modified.
5. Click Great Plains (Modified).
6. Click Apply, and then click
   OK.
   
   Note By default, when you open the Advanced Securitydialog box, the current user and the current company are selected. Any changes that you make are for the current user and for the current company. However, you can select additional users and companies in the Companyarea and in the User area of the Advanced Security dialog box.

Method 2: By using standard Microsoft Business Solutions - Great Plains security

1. Click Tools, point to
   Setup, point to System, and then click
   Security.
   
   If you are prompted, type the system password.
2. In the User ID list, click the user ID for the user whom you want to have access to the report.
3. In the Type list, click Modified Reports.
4. In the Series list, click
   Purchasing.
5. In the Access List box, double-click the report that you modified, and then click OK.
   
   An asterisk (*) appears next to the report name.

Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0

1. Create the ID to print the modified report. To do this, follow these steps:
   
   1. Click Microsoft Dynamics GP, point to
      Tools, point to Setup, point to
      System, point to Security, and then click
      Alternate/Modified Forms and Reports.
      
      If you are prompted for the system password, type the system password.
   2. Type the ID in the ID box, and then type the description in the Description box.
   3. Click Microsoft Dynamics GP in the
      Product field, and then click Reports in the
      Type field.
   4. Expand Series, and then click Modified Report.
   5. Click Save.
2. Assign the security to print the modified report. To do this, follow these steps:
   
   1. Click Microsoft Dynamics GP, point to
      Tools, point to Setup, point to
      System, point to Security, and then click
      User Security.
   2. Click the user ID and the company database.
   3. Click the menu next to the Alternate/Modified Forms and Reports ID field, and then click the ID that you created in step 1b.
   4. Save the changes, and then print the report.