Tasks

The Tasks SYSPRO Desktop function lets you create a checklist of tasks that you want to schedule for running on a particular day(s) in a specific sequence.

These tasks relate to the launching of programs, reports, or other applications and can be automated using task groups.

Exploring


  • The Tasks SYSPRO Desktop function is located on the right of the main menu as a fly-out pane. You can pin this pane to the desktop or auto hide the pane (the default).

Overview topic

SYSPRO Desktop

General topics

Customize and control application

Solving

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Using

  • Tasks can be configured system-wide or company-specific. This is defined against the Tasks tab of the Personalize functions. Company-specific tasks are only marked as complete in the company in which they are defined.

  • If a program is not listed in the Automation Design list view 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.

  • 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.

You can add parameters to SYSPRO programs.

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.

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).

Referencing

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:

Edit Task Group

This lets you maintain the details for the task group.

New Task Group

This lets you add a new task group.

Delete Task Group

This lets you delete the currently highlighted task group.

All tasks in the group are also deleted.

Copy Task Group

This lets you copy the currently highlighted task group to another operator or company.

New Task

This lets you add a new task to the currently highlighted task group.

Task groups are saved in the AdmTaskGroup table of the SQL database (SysproDb) while the task lists are saved in the AdmTaskItem table.

The form values used when running the tasks are saved on the server in the \Base\Settings\Automation\SYSTEM folder.
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

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 need 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.

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 list view.

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

This lets you 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 selecting either the Move up or Move down options in the Task Details list view.

Add this task after last task for this date

This lets you add this task after the last task having the same date as this task.

Insert after

This lets you insert this task after the task selected from the pulldown menu.

Insert before

This lets you insert this task before the task selected from the pulldown menu.

Set reminder if due

This reminds you 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.

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

The system does not use the 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

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.

If you selected a weekly schedule, then the system assumes the week starts on a Monday. So if, for example, it's a Wednesday when you add the weekly task and you indicate that the task must run on a Friday and a Tuesday, then the task will start running the next week Tuesday (i.e. not on the Friday).

This tree view 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

This lets you run a series of tasks sequentially, 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'

This lets you 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 lets the operator 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

This ensures that tasks are performed in the designated sequence.

Mark tasks as complete after having been run

This lets you place a tick in the Completed column of the Task Details list view when a task is completed.

Processing options

Suppress error messages

This lets you ignore any error messages 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

This lets you 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

This lets you prevent further tasks in the task group from being run if any one task fails.

Automatically do a company lockout

This lets you 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

This lets you avoid terminating 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 lets you terminate all unknown processes in the company from which the task group is being run.

Kill processes for all companies

This lets you terminate all unknown processes in all your SYSPRO companies.

Copy to another operator

This 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 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 is only enabled if the task definition option against your operator code is defined as By company (see Personalize).

This function lets you copy one or more task groups to a number of companies using the Copy Tasks program.

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 lets you run 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 lets you add a new task to the task group.

Edit Task

This lets you 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 lets you move the currently highlighted task up or down.

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

Print

This lets you print the contents of the Task Details list view.

Export to Excel

This lets you export the contents of the Task Details list view to an Excel worksheet.

Listview columns

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 Mark tasks as complete after having been run against the task group option 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.

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.