Navigation - Utilities Icon | |
View QuickBooks Info | This form is designed to
test whether a successful connection to QuickBooks can be established.
In most cases, this requires the QuickBooks Company file to be open on
either the Server or the computer initiating the connection. There
are some differences here in how QuickBooks Enterprise handles this
connection vs QuickBooks Pro and Premier. There are two other
considerations that come into play here, that is the configuration of
the intermediary support applications that connect CoffeeRoaster to
QuickBooks. For all QuickBooks versions this would include the
QODBC application, and in the case of QuickBooks Pro or QuickBooks
Premier another application is required to facilitate this data transfer
across a network. If QODBC is installed on the QuickBooks machine
with the QuickBooks Company file this intermediary QB application is
unnecessary. In addition to QODBC another application is needed,
the recommended component is from QuickBooks and is called RDS. In
order to transfer QuickBooks data across a network with QuickBooks Pro
and Premier, the RDS Server should be installed and configured on the
machine that hosts the company file and the RDS Client should be
installed and configured on the machine that is connecting to the
company file across the network. The RDS Client and server must be
running on their respective computers before a successful connection to
QuickBooks can be established. In the image below, CoffeeRoaster is unable to contact the QuickBooks Company file. This can be caused by many factors, the most common are listed below. 1) QuickBooks needs to be open on the Server machine or on the Client machine 2) For QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Premier the RDS component is not running on the respective machines (only needed when bring QuickBooks data across a network). 3) A Firewall is blocking the port used by RDS (TCP Port 3790) 4) The ODBC DSN which is configured in Windows may not be available. This should be a System DSN named QuickBooks Data. It is important that a qualified individual on staff be familiar with the configuration and setup of the ODBC component, QODBC and RDS if necessary. QuickBooks Enterprise does not require the RDS intermediary. |
Configuration | |
Open Configuration Errors Form | Unfinished |
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Green/Roasted Beans Formulas and Calculator | |
Green/Roasted Beans Calculator | The Coffee Bean Calculator provides a tool for calculating Coffee Yields. In the example below a Roasted Total was entered of 90 followed by a Shrinkage of .17. CoffeeRoaster calculates that you will need 108.434 lbs of Green Coffee to get this result. Options 2 and 3 are similar but provide a way to calculate estimated Roast Total from a known Green Lbs and shrinkage, option 3 calculates Shrinkage from an entered GreenLbs and RoastLbs. |
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CoffeeRoaster Roast Definitions | Opens a form with recommended CoffeeRoaster definitions for the Roast field. CoffeeRoaster recommends an 8 character format as shown in the image below. There are 3 positions reserved for the company description (3-5) and the two Flavoring positions can also be used by the company if Flavors are not used. |
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Utilities | |
Apply Shelf to Sales | A utility that applies the current Shelf value against sales values to recalculate the Assemble value. Under normal circumstances it is not necessary to utilize this utility as this is done automatically when values change. The situation where I would consider using this utility is after a physical inventory has been done and new values entered for coffees. All rows will be recalculated. |
Compact and Repair Database | The Compact and Repair
Database procedure is similar to a Backup procedure initiated by the
Backup Icon in the Ribbon. The Compact and Repair process analyzes
the data file for errors and dead space created by modifying records.
As the process proceeds it deletes unused data file space making the
file smaller (compacted) and also checks and repairs links between
database tables (repair). When it is done it stores the new file
in the location specified in the second tab of the CoffeeRoaster Setup
Form (Utilities/Setup) with a time stamp as part of the file name as
shown below: c:\aspire\aspire data\backup\aspire compact and repair 9.20.2016 16_45_41 PM.accdb If you run the procedure from the Backup Icon in the Ribbon and you are signed into CoffeeRoaster as an administrator then you will have the option to replace the current data file with the compacted and repaired file placed in the original data file location under the same name as the original data file. The process then reconnects to the new data file. Other machines will then be able to connect to the new data file under the same name as the old data file. Before you can do a successful backup a valid backup destination must be specified in the Utilities/Setup Form, second tab. If you are working with an encrypted CoffeeRoaster data file (recommended), you will be prompted for the data fie password before the Compact and Repair procedure can proceed. |
Event Table | |
Open Event Table | The Open Event Table option opens a form showing events and possibly logged errors that CoffeeRoaster has encountered. This information is generally not useful to an end user, but can be useful to Aspire in troubleshooting. |
Email Event Table | The Email Event Table option can be useful to transfer the Event/Error information to Aspire. By selecting this option an Excel Worksheet is created with the Event/Error information and the results sent to your default Email Client. Micrisoft Outlook is recommended as the default email client, most other email clients may not work to automate this process, especially web based email systems such as Google Mail. |
Datasheet Font Size | |
Font Size 10 | Many CoffeeRoaster datasheets have the ability to resize the Font Size for better readability. If you want to resize type in different data forms you will need to open them individually and then select from one of the size options in this menu. The Font Size 10 resizes datasheet text to 10 pixels. Not all CoffeeRoaster forms can be resized. The recommended Font Size is 12 pixels. |
Font Size 11 | Changes datasheet font size to 11 pixels. |
Font Size 12 | Changes datasheet font size to 12 pixels. |
Font Size 13 | Changes datasheet font size to 13 pixels. |
Font Size 14 | Changes datasheet font size to 14 pixels. |
Font Size 15 | Changes datasheet font size to 15 pixels. |
Forms | |
Setup |
The CoffeeRoaster Setup Form is shown below. |
New Coffee | Opens the CoffeeRoaster New Coffee Wizard form. This form can also be launched from either the Tables or Coffees Ribbon Icon. |
CR Ribbon Updating | |
Update Ribbon On | Turns Ribbon Updating On |
Update Ribbon Off | Turns Ribbon Updating Off |
Create Training File | |
Create Training File | Creates a new file from your existing data but modifies the file for use as a Training File. After a CoffeeRoaster Admin creates a training file it must be linked to temporarily for Training. Following Training the computer must be relinked to the actual CoffeeRoaster data file. The CoffeeRoaster Training File uses a different color scheme from the Production data file so that you can easily tell the difference. There are also screen prompts when opening CoffeeRoaster with a training file so that you are aware the you are not working with an actual data file. An example of the Color Scheme changes is shown below, note the deep Blue in the form header and Bold Red Title Text as opposed to dark grey and orange for production data files. |