I am building purchase orders by entering data into a CATALOG::QTY field. After each quantity is entered a script creates a record in an associated PO_LINES table. This makes ordering slower than I’d like due to the time FM takes to create records (and possibly some latency). I am considering changing my workflow to update all the quantities, then run a single script to “post” the order — which will then create all the PO_LINES records at one time. This way I can perform other tasks while FM is creating the PO. Anybody have info on best practices for this situation?
Creating a new record should take microseconds plus your network latency. How long does it take to post a PO_line in your solution?
Approximately two seconds.
That's a long time. It should be instant.
However, you've described a workflow based around selecting items from a catalog and building the purchase order from that. It sounds like an online shopping cart sort of experience where the user browses the catalog, picks an item, sets the qty, and then confirms ( creates a new PO line item ) with a button. Moving from one context to another can be a cause of slowdowns.
Have you used the "magic-key" technique? It's a good way to create related records without leaving the current record. That means, no context switching and all the potentially time-consuming activities that occur when you leave a layout, go to a different table, and return.
Here's a couple of links:
No, I’ll check it out, thanks. I’m also going to experiment by building an alternative set of tables to determine what may be causing the delay. I appreciate your assistance.
Yesterday I created a new set of tables — Catalog_Temp and PO_Lines — and I was glad to see this pair of tables creates a PO line item almost instantaneously. Still have a lot of work to do (e.g., polish the UI) but at least the basic problem is solved.
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Cool, glad to hear that you got a satisfactory result.
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