The Classes functionality allows you to create Item modules that are industry specific. E.g., For a restaurant you can create modules for Menus, Ingredients, Consumables and toggle between them. The Items created in the Classes modules, behave the same as Items set-up in the Fixed Items module and can be used in the throughout the application process, e.g., Estimates, Sales Orders, Work Orders, etc. You are also able to view these Class Items in the Item Summary.

The motivation behind this functionality is to simplify the interface to only display the fields required for the Class. With this in mind a number of Settings are available to show/hide sections and fields as well as to set default values for fields that are not displayed.

Discover Classes

• Get Started

• Classes Setup

• Class Items

Get Started

• User Access must be set to Access the Classes Setup. Access to Classes Setup is Role based and therefore Access needs to be granted in Main Menu > Settings > Roles > Role Settings > Classes Setup - Access Allowed (image below).

Classes Setup

In Classes Setup you are able to create custom Item modules.

Navigation

Main Menu > Setup > Classes

1. Edit - When you want to edit an existing Class, you first need to click on the Edit button.

2. New - This will create a new Class, populating the Classes data grid (5) with a new row.

3. Copy - This allows you to copy a Class. This is handy when you want to create a Class similar to an existing Class. By copying the Class, all the Settings, Input Fields and Output parameters will be copied too.

4. Menu - The Menu button provides the following additional functionality:

   • Set Roles Access - This allows you to specify which Role has access to the selected Class.

   • Edit Item Category - This allows you to edit the Item Category.

   • Load from File - Classes can be loaded into the database from an external source.

   • Save to File - This allows you to save the Class. This saved Class file can then be loaded into another database.

   • Delete Class - This will delete the selected Class.

5. Classes Data Grid - The Classes data grid lists all the Classes that have been created.

6. Hide/Show Grid - This will hide or show the Classes data grid (5).

7. Name - This shows the name of the Class. When creating a new Class, first enter the Class's name here. The name entered here will automatically be shown in the Classes data grid (5).

8. Settings - The Settings tab allows you to specify the Default Values and Default Settings for the Class as well as which Fields and Sections will be visible in the Class's interface. See more about the Settings tab below.

9. Input Fields - The Input Fields tab allows you to create custom Input Fields. This serves the same purpose as User-defined Fields. See more about the Input Fields tab below.

10. Output - The Output tab allows you to set-up Output Templates in the event you wish to E-mail or Print the Class. See more about the Output tab below.

Settings

The Settings tab allows you to set-up how the Class will respond as well as the Fields and Sections that will be visible in the Class's interface. The Settings tab consists of four categories you'll need to complete to set-up the Class to work successfully for its intended purpose. See image below:

Navigation

Main Menu > Setup > Classes > Select Class > Settings tab.

a. Alerts - The Alert category contains the following Settings:

• • • Warning Message - This setting uses SQL to generate a Warning if information is missing from the Classe's input fields.

b. Default Value - The Default Value category contains the following Settings:

The Values applied to these Settings will be applied to all the Items within the selected Class by default.

• • • Category - Specify the Item Category here.

    • Costing - Currency - This is the Currency that will be used for Costing.

    • Costing Price Qty - This specifies the Costing Price quantity.

    • Costing - VAT - This specifies if the VAT is included or excluded from the Costing.

    • Costing - VAT Type - This specifies the VAT Type for Costing; No VAT, Exempt, Zero-rated, Standard or VAT.

    • Estimate - Add to Description - If this box is checked the Item will be displayed on the Estimate.

    • Estimate - Category filter - This will apply a category filter to the Estimate.

    • Estimate - Qty Type - This specifies the Estimate's Quantity filter; Fixed, x Rpt, x Rpt x Size, x Rpt x Qty Up or x Rpt x Qty Out.

    • Estimate - Repeats - This specifies how many times the Item is used/repeated for one Estimate.

    • Estimate - Round Up - Here you can specify a Round Up value. Because this Item is a finished product you cannot get 0.5 of a finished product quantity, therefore in this example the Round Up value is set to '0' which will round it up to the nearest unit.

    • Estimate - Status - This specifies the Estimate's Status; InActive, Active, Active - Don't Adjust, Budget or Budget - Don't Adjust.

    • Estimate - Waste % - This is the Wastage percentage of the Class's Item.

    • Event - Group - This specifies the Event Group the Class is linked to.

    • Event - Type - This specifies the Event Type for the Class; N/A, Hours, Days or 24 Hrs.

    • Pricing - Cost Price Adj% - This allows you to add a Cost Price Adjustment to the Class.

    • Pricing - Cost Price From - This specifies if the Cost Price is calculated from the Highest or Lowest Costing.

    • Pricing - Cost Price Set How - This specifies how the Cost Price is Set, Manual, Auto or Auto (Unit Cost).

    • Pricing - Price Qty - This specifies the Price quantity.

    • Pricing - Sell Price Adj% - This allows you to add a Sell Price Adjustment to the Class.

    • Pricing - Sell Price From - This specifies if the Sell Price is calculated from the Highest, Lowest Costing or Cost Price.

    • Pricing - Sell Price Rounding - This allows you to Round the Sell Price value.

    • Pricing - Sell Price Set How - This specifies how the Sell Price is Set, Manual or Auto.

    • Pricing - Sell Price VAT - This specifies if the VAT is included or excluded from the Sell Price.

    • Pricing - Sell Price VAT Type - This specifies the VAT Type for the Sell Price; No VAT, Exempt, Zero-rated, Standard or VAT.

    • Pricing - Use in Estimating - This specifies if the Pricing can be used in Estimating.

    • Pricing - Use in POS - This specifies if the Pricing can be used in Point of Sale.

    • Resolve - This specifies how the Item is Resolved; Receive, Issue, Order, Reserve, Purchase or Produced.

    • Tracking - This specifies the method of Tracking of the Items in the Class; N/A, Product No. or Batches.

    • Type - This specifies the Item Type; Component, Material, Service or Other.

    • Unit - This specifies the Item's Unit of Measure.

c. Settings Default - The Settings Default category contains the following Settings:

The Settings set-up here will be applied to all the Items within the selected Class by default.

• • • Costing - Description (eg. Recipe or Bill of Material) - This is the description that will represent the Costing in the Item's interface. If the Show Sections - Costing - Estimate field has been set to show a Costing tab, the description entered here will be the name of the tab.

    • Deleting Allowed - Default: Yes. This specifies if the Class's Items can be deleted or not.

    • Format - Description - This allows you to apply a default Format to the Description field of the Items.

    • Format - Description SQL - This setting uses SQL to format the Class Description and will override the other ‘Format Description’ setting which uses field name tags.

    • Format Specification - This allows you to apply a default Format to the Specification field of the Items.

    • Tracking codes - This allows you to set-up unique Tracking Codes for the Items in the Class.

    • Use Images - This specifies if images will be used.

d. Show Fields - The Show Fields category contains the following Settings:

By checking the boxes you can specify which of the following Fields will be shown in the Class's Item interface:

• • • Costing - Fixed Cost

    • Costing - Price Qty

    • Item - Category

    • Item - Code

    • Item - Customer

    • Item - Image

    • Item - Instructions

    • Item - Specifications

    • Item - Status

    • Item - Sub Category

    • Item - Unit

    • Pricing - Fixed Sell/Cost

    • Pricing - Price Qty

e. Show Sections - The Show Sections category contains the following Settings:

By checking the boxes you can specify which of the following Sections will be shown in the Class's Item interface:

• • • Accounting

    • Cost Price

    • Costing - Estimate - This Section allows you to add a Costing Tab to the Item Interface.

    • Costing - Production

    • Costing - Supplier

    • Inventory

    • Sell Price

    • User-defined Fields

Here is a screenshot of the Settings set above used in the application:

Input Fields

The Input Fields tab allows you to set-up customised Input Fields that will be displayed on the Class's Item interface (image below). This serves the same function as User-defined Fields and is set-up in the same way. View the User Fields topic on how to set up custom Fields.

Navigation

Main Menu > Setup > Classes > Select Class > Input Fields tab.

a. Add - This will populate the data grid with an empty row allowing you to create a new Input Field.

b. Delete - This will delete the selected Input Fields.

c. Preview - Clicking this button will open a window showing how the Input Fields will look and function in the relating Class. See image below:

d. Name - This is the name of the Input Field.

e. Caption - This is the description that will represent the Input field on the Class's setup interface.

f. Editor - This is the method used to capture the data.

• • • Select the Editor type from the drop down list, you are able to select form the following Editor types: ComboBox (Fixed list), ComboBox (Editable), Customer, Date, Date (Read-only), Filename, Group Header, Image (.jpg), Item, Memo, Number, Number (Read-only), Supplier, Text, Text (Read-only), Time, Timestamp, Caption, Lookup (SQL).

g. Layout - This allows you to specify the layout of the Input Fields on the Class's setup interface. You are able to select Below, Right or Column.

h. Caption - This specifies the position of the caption.

i. Width - This specifies the position of the Input Fields from left to right.

j. Decimals - This allows you to set the amount of decimals for the Input Field if the data is captured with numbers.

k. Order - This specifies the position of the Input Fields from top to bottom.

l. By right-clicking on a field or by clicking on the Ellipsis in the right side of the grid, provides the following additional functionality:

• • • Insert - This will add a new User-defined field above the selected field.

    • Edit Lookup List / Edit SQL - The Edit Lookup List and Edit SQL will appear when applicable, i.e., when Combobox or Lookup SQL Editors (5) are selected. When selecting this function a window will appear allowing you to edit the Lookup List or to edit the SQL.

    • Move Up/Down - This will move the selected field up or down in the data grid.

    • Delete - This will delete the selected User-defined field.

Output

The Output tab allows you to set-up Output Templates for when you want to E-mail or Print the Class. See image below:

Navigation

Main Menu > Setup > Classes > Select Class > Output tab.

a. Name - This is the name of the Output Template.

b. Type - This specifies the Output Type. The Type field will be set to Template by default.

c. Output - This specifies if the Template can be used to Print only, E-mail only or Print & E-mail.

d. Template - This box will be checked if an Output Template is loaded.

e. By right-clicking (or by clicking on the Ellipsis) on a record will make the following additional functionality available:

• • • • Delete Template - This will delete the selected Template.

      • Load Reportbuilder (.rtm) file - This will load a Reportbuilder file that will construct the Output Template.

      • Edit HTML - This will open the HTML editor allowing you to create or edit the HTML script of the Output Template.

To add an Output Template simply click on the Add button and the data grid will populate with a new row. Complete the above fields and click Save. Now you'll find the Output Template available in the Item interface's Output button. See image below:

Class Items

Once you've created a Class you can start to add Items to the Class. However there are a few steps to complete before you are able to use the newly created Class in the application.

Follow these steps below to gain access to newly created Classes:

• Role Access - After a new Class has been created, you'll need to grant access to the desired Roles for Users to access the Class. This can be done in two ways. In the Class Setup interface click on the Menu button and select Set Role Access. See image below:

Here you can simply select the Roles you wish to grant access to the Class.

Another way to do this is to navigate to Main Menu > Settings > Roles > Role Settings > Classes - Access Allowed. See image below:

Click on the Edit text in the Value field and a window will appear where you can select the desired Classes you wish a Role to have access to (image below). The Classes - Access Allowed window, will populate with Classes you've created, therefore first complete the Class's Setup before setting-up the Role Access for that Class.

• Add Class to Main Menu - The Class can now be added to the Main Menu navigation. To add a Class to the Main Menu, navigate to Main Menu > Setup > Menu Manager > Menu Items.

In the Menu Manager's Menu Items tab set Type = Class and then select the Class in the Module column. See image below:

Now the Class will be available in the Main Menu. See image below:

For more about the Menu Manager, click here.

• Open the Class Item Module - Now you can open the Class Item Module and add Items to it. See images below:

The Class's Item Setups parameters will be as you created them in Classes Setups. See below an example: