Problem Description

Need a bit of clarification on the DateTimeUtil Class and the questions are:

1. Some functionalities of client's product needs to store Date/Time to the 100 Nano seconds unit like the System.DateTime type. Is it possible to get this functionality in the utcDateTime?

2. The function datetime2str() you have thefollowing code:

// Start
utcDT = DateTimeUtil::utcNow();
info(datetime2str(utcDT));
// End

Assume that I live in Brussels, the company and user settings have the time zone set to GMT+1. I expect now that infolog prints me the local time, instead it prints the utc value without zone conversion. Any Ideas?

Thanks again! 

Solution to point#2

Can’t answer point1, but for point 2 they need to change the code like this:

utcDT = DateTimeUtil::applyTimeZoneOffset(DateTimeUtil::utcNow(), DateTimeUtil::getUserPreferredTimeZone());

Solution to point#1
Answering the first question. The utcdatetime type supports a minimum precision of 1 second. It is not possible to go to 100 nano second values. I would be very interested in knowing the partner’s scenario. You can share that with me offline if you can.

Best Response
I had no problem (except a little .NET interop weirdness w/int64) creating a table and storing high precision date/time values in it. Create a table called “TestDateTime” with two columns “str Description” and “int64 DateTimeInt” and run the following job to try it out:

static void DateTimeInTable(Args _args)
{
TestDateTime dtTable;

void SaveRec(str _description, str _datetimeStr)
{
System.DateTime dt;
int64 dtInt;

dtTable.clear();
dtTable.Description = _description;
dt = System.DateTime::Parse(_datetimeStr);
dtInt = dt.ToBinary();
dtTable.DateTimeInt = dtInt;
dtTable.write();
}

void ShowRec(TestDateTime _rec)
{
System.DateTime datetime = System.DateTime::FromBinary(_rec.DateTimeInt);
str dtStr = datetime.ToString('o');

info(strfmt('%1=%2', _rec.Description, dtStr));
}

void ShowRecs(str _orderby)
{
info(_orderby);
while(true)
{
next dtTable;
if(dtTable)
ShowRec(dtTable);
else
break;
}
info('');
}

delete_from dtTable;

SaveRec('Rec 1','2009-01-01T12:12:12.1234567');
SaveRec('Rec 4','2009-02-01T12:12:12.1234567');
SaveRec('Rec 3','2009-06-01T12:12:12.1234567');
SaveRec('Rec 2','2009-01-02T12:12:12.1234567');

select nofetch dtTable order by Description;
ShowRecs('By Description');

select nofetch dtTable order by DateTimeInt;
ShowRecs('By DateTime');
}

Problem Description
Hi,
I just got the following question regarding WF customization using X++ code. 
Any help is appreciated since case is old already:

We are designing a workflow which has variable number of approvals. Variable means number of approvals became clear after the workflow starts. 
Also the people that approvals are assigned to became clear at run-time according to a parameter. We need a workflow design that has variable number of approvals and variable assigned people. Could you help me how it can be done?


Thanks a lot for your help,

Response#1
Maybe you can find useful information here:

Workflow Providers Overview
====================
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc519521.aspx

Walkthrough: Creating a Workflow Template
=============================
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc641259.aspx

Walkthrough: Creating a Workflow with a Task and an Approval
=========================================
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc585944.aspx

Walkthrough: Adding Workflow to an Existing Form
=================================
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc653399.aspx

Response#1 :

The way that the task (menu) system works is that the active form is given the first chance to process the task.
If it doesn’t handle the task, each form in its parent hierarchy is given a chance.
If the task is still not handled, the active workspace window is given the opportunity to handle the task.

I investigated what was happening with the “About Microsoft Dynamics AX” entry in the Help menu. I think what I found for that would apply to the other tasks (menu items) as well.
The task in question is defined in kernel code, and is identified by the constant CS_TASK_ABOUT (for the about box).

By setting a break point in the aboutBox task handler, and opening the form (non-modally) I was able to determine that the form itself is not handling this, and the tasks propagates up and is eventually handled by the workspace window.
When the form is opened modally, what I believe is happening is that when the task propagates up to the workspace window, it cannot be processed since that window is disabled. 

So if the expected behavior is that those menu items would continue to work (which I believe it is), a bug should be logged in the AX6 database under Client\Client\Workspace node.

Response#2:
I believe the reason maybe in general laws of windows behavior – Windows doesn’t allow non-modal form to popup from modal dialog. Help dialog is non-modal, so attempt to show it fails, probably exception is simply swallowed somewhere inside. So I think these items should be disabled. Alternatively (I did it in one project) the code that shows help-about form should first try it as non-modal; if this fails, it should open it as modal.

Briefly speaking, a Bill of material (BOM) can be defined as the ingredients with their quantities needed to manufacture a product. It may have various levels of the components to make substructures with in the BOM of an overall refined product.