How to display a date in any format in a report in Microsoft Dynamics GP

If you want to display the date in a different format, you can use the RW_DateToString user-defined function to change the date into almost any format. To use this function, follow these steps.

Step 1: Back up the report, and then open the report

1. If the existing Microsoft Dynamics GP reports have been modified, back up the Reports.dic file. 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 the system password, type your password, and then click OK.
   3. Use the appropriate step:
      •  In Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 and higher, click Microsoft Dynamics GP in the Edit Launch File window.
      • In Microsoft Business Solutions - Great Plains 8.0 or 7.5, click Great Plains in the Edit Launch File window.
   4. Note the path that appears in the Reports box.
   5. Click OK to close the Edit Launch File window.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Customize, and then click Report Writer.
3. Use the appropriate step:
   •  In Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 and higher, click Microsoft Dynamics GP in the Product list, and then click OK.
   • In Microsoft Business Solutions - Great Plains 8.0 or 7.5, click Great Plains in the Product list, and then click OK.
4. Click Reports.
5. In the Report Writer window, click the report that you want to modify in the Original Reports list, and then click Insert.
6. In the Modified Reports list, click the same report, and then click Open.
7. Click Layout.

Step 2: Modify the report

1. In the Report Writer layout window, click Calculated Fields in the Toolbox list.
2. Click New, and then type a name for the date field.
3. In the Result Type list, click String.
4. In the Expression Type area, click Calculated.
5. Click the Functions tab, and then click User-Defined. In the Core list, click System. In the Function list, click RW_DateToString.
6. Click Add.
7. Click the Fields tab.
8. In the Resources list, click the table that includes the date field that you want to modify.
9. In the Field list, click the date field that you want to modify.
10. Click Add.
11. Click the Constants tab, and then click String in the Type list.
12. In the Constant field, enter a format string.
    
    Note For information about how to create a format string, see the "Options for the RW_DateToString user-defined function" section.
13. Click Add.
14. Click OK.
15. Drag the new calculated field to the report.
16. Close the report. When you are prompted to save the changes, click Save.
17. Use the appropriate step:
    •  In Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 and higher, click Microsoft Dynamics GP on the File menu.
    • In Microsoft Business Solutions - Great Plains 8.0 or 7.5, click Microsoft Business Solutions - Great Plains on the File menu.

Step 3: Assign security permissions to the modified report

To assign security permissions to the modified report, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Use Advanced Security

1. On the Tools menu, point to Setup, point to System, and then click Advanced Security.
2. If you are prompted, type the system password in the Please Enter Password box. Then, click OK.
   
3. In the Advanced Security window, click View, and then click By Alternate, Modified and Custom.
4. Use the appropriate step:
   •  In Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 and higher, expand Microsoft Dynamics GP.
     
   • In Microsoft Business Solutions - Great Plains 8.0 or 7.5, expand Great Plains.
5. Expand Reports, expand the series for the report that you modified, and then expand the report that you modified.
6. Use the appropriate step:
   •  In Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 and higher, click Microsoft Dynamics GP (Modified).
   • In Microsoft Business Solutions - Great Plains 8.0 or 7.5, click Great Plains (Modified).
7. Click Apply, and then click OK.
   
   
   Note By default, when you start the Advanced Security tool, the current user and the current company are selected. Any changes that you make affect the current user and the current company. However, you can select additional users and companies in the Company area and the Users area of the Advanced Security window.

Method 2: Use standard security

1. On the Tools menu, point to Setup, point to System, and then click Security.
2. If you are prompted, type the system password in the Please Enter Password box. Then, click OK.
3. In the User ID list, click the ID of the user to whom you want to grant access.
4. In the Type list, click Modified Reports.
5. In the Series list, click the series for the report that you modified.
   
6. In the Access List box, double-click the report that you modified, and then click OK.
   
   Note An asterisk appears next to the report name.

Options for the RW_DateToString user-defined function

The following is a sample format string:The format string uses the following codes. These codes are substituted when the function is run.
The following table contains several examples that are based on a date of April 12, 2007: