Tasks

Task Groups

Field Description

Click here to add a new task group

This is displayed if no task groups are currently defined.

Right-click this line to display a shortcut menu of options you can choose:

Option	Description
Edit Task Group	This enables you to maintain the details for the task group.
New Task Group	This adds a new task group.
Delete Task Group	This deletes the currently highlighted task group. When you delete a task group, all tasks in the group are also deleted.
Copy Task Group	This copies the currently highlighted task group to another operator or company.
New Task	This adds a new task to the currently highlighted task group.

Task groups are saved in the \Work folder on the server in a file named ADMTKG.DAT. Task lists are saved in a file named ADMTKI.DAT.

Task groups

This treeview is displayed once you have added at least one task group and you right-click the item and select the Edit Task Group or New Task Group options.

Field	Description
Description	Enter a description for the task group you want to add, or the name of the task group you want to copy to another operator.
Automatically run tasks sequentially	Select this to sequentially run a series of tasks, which have the same start date, one after the other. When you exit the program assigned to a task, then the program assigned to the next task is launched automatically.
Pause at each task marked as a 'comment'	Select this to force a pause between tasks that are being run sequentially. You would use this if you have included comment type tasks in the task group and you want the system to stop at these tasks. This enables the operator to follow an instruction (e.g. change the paper in the printer) before the next task is processed. A task is marked as a comment if no program is assigned to it. A 'comment' task can be inserted between any two tasks in the series.
Automatically check previous task completed	Select this to ensure that tasks are performed in the designated sequence.
Mark tasks as complete after having been run	Select this if you want to place a tick in the Completed column of the Task Details listview when a task is completed.
Processing options
Suppress error messages	Select this to ignore any error messages which are displayed during the running of the tasks in the task group. Error messages encountered are written to the report of results created for each task. This report can be emailed to the relevant operator.
Email log file to operator's email address	Select this to email a report of the tasks that ran (including any error messages encountered) to the operator who ran the task group. Ensure a valid email address is defined against the operator code.
Stop processing tasks if any errors occur	Select this to prevent further tasks in the task group from being run if any one task fails.
Automatically do a company lockout	Select this to prevent operators from logging into the system while a task group is running.
Before processing any task group (client/server only)	If you elect to kill processes, then that action is only performed once per each run of SYSPRO (i.e. if you run two or more task groups per SYSPRO session, then the processes are only killed for the first task group run. Thereafter, it is assumed that the processes have been killed and additional task groups will not perform this action again.
Do not kill any processes	Select this if you do not want to terminate any processes before running the tasks in the task group. Selecting this option may result in background processes preventing the task group from running successfully.
Kill processes for the current company	This terminates all unknown processes in the company from which the task group is being run.
Kill processes for all companies	This terminates all unknown processes in all your SYSPRO companies.
Copy to another operator	This option is only available when you select the Copy Task Group option. Enter the operator code to which the task group must be copied.
Copy to another company	This option is only enabled if the task definition option against your operator code is defined as By company (see Personalize). If you copy a task group to an operator whose Task definition is not the same, then the copy is not visible until that operator's Task definition is changed.
More	This option is only enabled if the task definition option against your operator code is defined as By company (see Personalize). You use this function to copy one or more task groups to a number of companies using the Copy Tasks program.

New Task - General tab

Field Description

Task

Enter a name or title for the task.

This description is displayed in the Task List pane and the Tasks Now Due pane.

Start date

Enter the date from which the task must be run. This defaults to the current system date but can be changed.

If you select to run the task once only, then this is the date on which the task must be run.

Comment

Enter a comment to assign to the task.

This comment is inserted into the body of the task that is created in Outlook's task manager, if you select the option to insert the task into Microsoft Outlook.

You can create a task item that is just a comment, (i.e. you do not need to associate a program with the task). For example, you can create a task that simply defines the procedure: 'Change the paper in the printer.'

Program details

Field Description

Select program

This loads a shortcut wizard to select the program this task must run.

Depending on the type of program item you select to add, you will be required to define additional information such as a name for the shortcut, the icon you want to use and the location of the program executable file (if not a standard SYSPRO program). Program types include:

SYSPRO program
SYSPRO customized report
Any NetExpress program
Any other application
SYSPRO Reporting Service report

Program This indicates the program you selected to run. See Automation considerations in the Notes and Warnings section, which includes information on the parameters you can run.

Description This indicates the description for the program.

Automation form values

These options are only enabled if the program you selected is listed in the Automation Design listview.

They add parameters to the program name in the Program field so that the program can be run without operator intervention.

Group name

Enter the name of the group to which the program belongs, that you want to run. You cannot design a form for a task if the group name is blank.

A single program can be linked to more than one group and you can define different default form values for the program in each group.

Define Form

Select this to indicate the form values you want to use when running the program.

Although you can also define these form values using the Automation Design program, the changes made here will overwrite those values.

A folder for each group name defined is created in your \Base\Settings\Automation folder on your application server. Each program linked to a group is listed within this folder as: FormValues_program nameLV.xml (e.g. FormValues_GENP01LV.xml). These files contain the default values you defined for running the program automatically.

Automation Design Select this to use the Automation Design program to view the groups currently defined.

Run this task using automation

Select this to add the Group name to the RUN= parameter in the Program field. This enables the program to be run automatically without operator intervention.


	The group parameter is only added to the program name if no group parameter currently exists against it (i.e. this function will not overwrite an existing group name).

Task order

You need to indicate the task order if you add a new task where items already exist for the task group. Tasks can be re-ordered by select either the Move up or Move down options in the Task Details listview.

Option	Description
Add this task after last task for this date	Select this to add this task after the last task having the same date as this task.
Insert after	Select this to insert this task after the task selected from the pulldown menu.
Insert before	Select this to insert this task before the task selected from the pulldown menu.

Set reminder if due

Select this to be reminded when the task is due (i.e. for any task that is not yet complete where the start date is on or before the current system date).

You can configure the system to remind you of any due tasks when SYSPRO is loaded (see Personalize).

Insert into Microsoft Outlook

Select this to integrate SYSPRO's Task List with the task list of Microsoft Outlook.

Tasks are inserted into the Tasks folder of Outlook (within the Personal Folders parent folder).

No tasks are inserted if SYSPRO is unable to locate these folders.

The description of the task is inserted into the Subject column; the start date is inserted into the Due date column of Outlook and the Comment is inserted into the body of the task list.

New Task - Recurring tab

This enables you to indicate how often you want to run a task.


	The system does not use the Company Calendar (Company Calendar) to validate whether the current day is a working or non-working day (i.e. If you set a task to run on a daily basis it will run on each day regardless of whether it is a working day).

Field

Description

Task occurs

Option	Description
Once only	Select this to perform the task once only.
Daily	Select this to indicate a daily interval for this task to be performed. Enter the number of days on which the task must be performed. For example: If you enter 1 here, then the task is performed every day. If you enter 2, then the task is performed every second day, etc.
Weekly	Select this to indicate a weekly interval for this task to be run. You specify which week and which day of the week you want the task to be performed. For example: If you enter 1 here then the task is performed every week. If you enter 2, then the task is performed every second week, etc.
Monthly	Select this to indicate a monthly interval for this task to be completed. You can indicate a fixed day of every month, or a specific day of the month.

Start date

This displays the start date for the task as defined on the General tab.

Task next occurs on

This indicates the date on which the task will next be performed.

It is automatically calculated based on the Start date entered and the selections made against the Task occurs options.

Task Details

This displays details of tasks defined for the currently highlighted task group in the Task Groups pane.

You can drag a program from the Program List or Recent Programs list onto this pane to add a new task once a task group has been selected.

Field

Description

Open

This runs the currently highlighted task. Tasks with the same start date will be executed in the sequence in which they appear in this listview.

New Task

This adds a new task to the task group.

Edit Task

Select this to maintain the details of the currently highlighted task.

Delete Task

This removes the currently highlighted task from the task group.

Move Up/Move Down

This moves the currently highlighted task either up or down.


	You can only re-sequence tasks if more than one task with the same start date has been assigned to the task group.

Print

This outputs the contents of the Task Details listview to the printer.

Export to Excel

This exports the contents of the Task Details listview to an Excel worksheet.

Listview columns

Column	Description
Completed	This indicates whether the task has been run (i.e. it does not indicate whether a task was successfully completed). If you enabled the option: Mark tasks as complete after having been run against the task group then this is automatically set to complete after the task is run.
Task	This indicates the name or title defined against the task.
Start date	This indicates the start date for the task.
Program	This indicates the program that must be run for the task.
Comment	This indicates the comment defined against the task.

Task Messages

Column	Description
Task group	This indicates the task group under which the task was run.
Task	This indicates the task which was run.
Completed	This indicates whether the task is complete.
Task message	This indicates any message which occurred as a result of running the task. These messages appear on the task report and can be emailed or printed for subsequent analysis.
Program	This indicates the program which was run for the task.
Program description	This indicates the description of the program which was run for the task.

Notes and warnings

Automation considerations

If a program is not listed in the Automation Design listview and you have not defined Automation form values, then the operator will have to make the necessary screen selections when the program is invoked.

Programs located in either IMPAUT.IMP or CUSAUT.IMP (in the CUSPROGS folder) can be run using automation.

Passwords

SYSPRO automation does not process a request when a password is required. It exits and displays a task message. The reason for this is that only information on a form can be defined as a parameter to an automated task.

If a password is required, then you can use SYSPROAuto.EXE instead. Otherwise, use the security for roles, groups, operator activities, or eSignatures to ensure that only authorized operators can run the task without the use of a password.

Parameters

You can add parameters to SYSPRO programs.

Parameter Usage

Parameter	Usage
RUN=GroupName	This applies if you used the Automation Design program to add the program to a group. This will run the program (without operator intervention) using the default form values for the program as defined in the `\Base\Settings\Automation\GroupName` folder of your application server. For example: If you used the Automation Design program to add `APSP01` to a Group called Balance, then you can enter `APSP01 RUN=Balance` to run the `APSP01` program without operator intervention. This uses the default form values in the `FormValues_APSP01LV.xml` file located in the `Base\Settings\Automation\Balance` folder.
RUN	This parameter applies if you did not use the Automation Design program to add the program to a group. This runs the program (without operator intervention) using the default form values for the program located in the `Base\Settings\` folder on the application server (e.g. you logged into SYSPRO as an administrator and entered `APSP01 DESIGN` using the File->Run program. If the Load Previous Form Values option is used to define form values after the form values were defined using Design mode, then the Design mode form values can be overwritten. This happens when the program name and operator code are identical. The Load Previous Form Values and the Save Form Values options both save the form values to the same file in the `\Base\Settings` folder.

RUN=GroupName

This applies if you used the Automation Design program to add the program to a group.

This will run the program (without operator intervention) using the default form values for the program as defined in the \Base\Settings\Automation\GroupName folder of your application server.

For example: If you used the Automation Design program to add APSP01 to a Group called Balance, then you can enter APSP01 RUN=Balance to run the APSP01 program without operator intervention. This uses the default form values in the FormValues_APSP01LV.xml file located in the Base\Settings\Automation\Balance folder.

RUN

This parameter applies if you did not use the Automation Design program to add the program to a group.

This runs the program (without operator intervention) using the default form values for the program located in the Base\Settings\ folder on the application server (e.g. you logged into SYSPRO as an administrator and entered APSP01 DESIGN using the File->Run program.

If the Load Previous Form Values option is used to define form values after the form values were defined using Design mode, then the Design mode form values can be overwritten. This happens when the program name and operator code are identical.

The Load Previous Form Values and the Save Form Values options both save the form values to the same file in the \Base\Settings folder.

Form fields

You can change the values of form fields for automatable programs on the command line, as well as apply a pre-configured form.

For example:

The command:

INVP01 RUN=Myform;FIFO VALUATION=1;warehouse selection=1;warehouse=E;

launches the Inventory Period End program and automatically applies the form fields from the saved form automation file (Myform.XML)
enables the FIFO Valuation form field
selects Single at the Warehouse selection field
sets the Warehouse to E.

These form changes are applied before the program processing begins.

If you haven't pre-configured any form values, you can leave the RUN= parameter blank (e.g. INVP01 RUN=;FIFO VALUATION=1;warehouse selection=1;warehouse=E; will change the FIFO Valuation, Warehouse selection and Warehouse form values.


Date values should be passed in the format `CCMMYYDD` and can optionally contain the wording `{today}` to indicate the current system date (e.g. `ARSP80 RUN=;reporting date={today};`and `ARSP80 RUN=;reporting date=20151201;close this application=1;` Check box fields can be set to 1 (checked) or 0 (unchecked). Radio buttons can be set using a numeric value from 0 upwards (e.g. if there are four radio buttons and you want the third button to be set, then you must pass the value 2).

Date values should be passed in the format CCMMYYDD and can optionally contain the wording {today} to indicate the current system date (e.g. ARSP80 RUN=;reporting date={today};and ARSP80 RUN=;reporting date=20151201;close this application=1;

Check box fields can be set to 1 (checked) or 0 (unchecked).

Radio buttons can be set using a numeric value from 0 upwards (e.g. if there are four radio buttons and you want the third button to be set, then you must pass the value 2).