Inside ASI-AP

Since this doesn't seem to be documented anywhere online (particularly in the API documentation), it is worth noting that CErrors.NewError will throw an exception if the ThrowExceptionOnError property of the associated IiMISUser object is set to true (assuming you are creating an Error and not a Warning).  In this case, it will always throw and never return.  At least that's what I gather from digging around in reflector:

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Has anyone converted pdf files from Raiser's Edge to iMIS 15?

I have been told the pdf files are actually stored in the RE database.

Any assistance would be appreciated!

This NUnit TestFixture demonstrates some unexpected behavior in CPayments.  Note that you will need to alter or provide some of the values to run on your machine, if you so choose, but I think you can see by reading this some gotchas to look out for:

using System;
using System.Configuration;

using Asi.iBO;
using Asi.iBO.Financials;
using NUnit.Framework;

namespace Crown.Imis.IntegrationTests
{
    [TestFixture, Explicit("demos")]
    public class CPaymentGotchaDemonstrations
    {
        [TestFixtureSetUp]
        public void TestFixtureSetUp()
        {
            iboAdmin.InitializeSystem(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["DataSource.iMIS.Connection"].ConnectionString);
        }

        [Test]
        [ExpectedException(typeof(ArgumentOutOfRangeException))]
        public void Demo_Setting_CreditCardNumber_toVisaTestNumberAfterSetting_CashAccountCode_CausesUnhandledException()
        {
            var payment = new CPayment(CStaffUser.GetDefaultStaffUser())
            {
                CashAccountCode = "VISA",
                CreditCardNumber = "4007000000027"  // VISA test number, eh?
            };
        }

        [Test]
        [ExpectedException(typeof(Asi.iBO.InvalidCardNumberException))]
        public void Demo_Setting_CreditCardNumber_to011201539123After_CashAccountCode_Causes_InvalidCardNumberException()
        {
            var payment = new CPayment(CStaffUser.GetDefaultStaffUser())
            {
                CashAccountCode = "VISA",
                CreditCardNumber = "011201539123"   // it's irrelevant how I came up with this number.  No idea yet on what is wrong with it.
            };
        }

        [Test]
        public void Demo_Setting_PaymentType_After_CreditCardNumber_Clears_CreditCardNumber()
        {
            var payment = new CPayment(CStaffUser.GetDefaultStaffUser())
            {
                CreditCardNumber = "4007000000027", // VISA test number
                PaymentType = EnumPaymentType.Check
            };

            Assert.IsNullOrEmpty(payment.CreditCardNumber);
        }

        [Test]
        public void Demo_SettingCashAccountCodeChangesPaymentTypeToCreditWhenCashAccountIsCreditType()
        {
            var payment = new CPayment(CStaffUser.GetDefaultStaffUser());
            payment.PaymentType = EnumPaymentType.Check;
            payment.CashAccountCode = "VISA";

            Assert.AreEqual(EnumPaymentType.CreditCard, payment.PaymentType);
        }
    }
}

Last Friday, I had started to blog about a couple of new shortcuts I learned of on Lifehacker.com.  Just before posting, I accidentally discovered another one that blew away the content of my post.

In Windows Explorer (Vista and 7):

• Rename Files Fast with the Tab Key - I started using this with file preview to quickly rename scanned files that the scanner delivers as datestamp.pdf.  This method also helps overcome the frustion of delays when trying to right-click to rename files on far-remote mapped drives or WebDAV drives.
• Rename Windows Files in Bulk  - I was happy to find this.  Not too long ago, I resorted to a batch file to do a very similar rename.

Also be sure to check out The Best New Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

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I have a client who wants a list of a particular member type (REG) who reside in Canada or in Washington State.

This is really easy to do with SQL: SELECT Full_Name, ID, State_Province, Country, Member_Type FROM Name WHERE STATE_PROVINCE = 'WA' OR COUNTRY = 'Canada'

I tried using IQA in the following ways:

1. Create a query where I use the CsContact BO and Filter Member Type = "Regular" AND State Province = "Washington" OR Member Type = "Regular" AND Country = "Canada" Depending on the order, I either get all Washington or All Canada, but never both.  If I try Member Type = "Regular" and State Province = "Washington" or Country = "Canada" I get the same results, depending on the order
    
2. I tried creating two queries - one where Member Type = "Regular" and Country = "Canada" and one where Member Type = "Regular" and State Province = "Washington" then used left outer joins to the CsContact BO for each of them, but got multiple lines for each result and only ID numbers, no other fields
    
3. I created a query to just show Member Type = "Regular" and then used it as my source for a query where Country = "Canada" or State Province = "Washington" and was able to get only Canada and Washington but for every member type.

The only solution I could find was to use State Province and select all the Canadian provinces as well as Washington.  This works for now, but in the future they will be asking me for this type of thing again and it may not be possible to make the filtering selections from one field.  Did I do something wrong with my joins or my filters?

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There are several ways to confirm that your iMIS Desktop installation has the correct versions of ActiveX components.  The installer normally handles this, but once in a while some environmental issue interferes, leaving an older version of a component installed.

1. In iMIS Desktop, pick Help> About >System Info.
   
2. Download the AsiVersion utility from www.advsol.com/downloads - scroll down to the Diagnostic Tools folder and download AsiVersion.zip.
   
3. Add file version to Windows Explorer
   1. Right-click on the field columns header
   2. Pick "More..." from the context menu
   3. Check "File version" in the list. 
   4. By default, iMIS ActiveX files are in C:\Program Files\ASI\iMIS15\ActiveX.  Note that this checks the file version, but doesn't check the COM registered version loaded by desktop (they'll be the same, unless there's a problem).  The first two options do.
      

This is a command script I use to reset the iMIS world completely in my local development environment, making sure nothing's cached in IIS or ASP.NET.  The script stops the Publishing and Workflow services, stops IIS, deletes the files in the ASP.NET cache, starts everything back up, and recycles the application pool used by iMIS.

Copy the lines below and save them in a .cmd file.  It needs to be run as administrator. 

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August 3, 2010

Madison Down Under prompts largest round of ASI’s SMART Company Scholarship Fund
- Eight recipients and over $9000 awarded in June 2010 -

Advanced Solutions International (ASI) today announced that the latest round of the ASI SMART Company Scholarship Fund has committed over $9,000 to the professional development of eight recipients working in the not-for-profit sector.

The largest round in the history of the Fund had applications requesting more than $80,000 of funding. Over half of the requests were to attend the Fundraising Institute of Australia’s (FIA) intensive fundraising educational program, Madison Down Under, which starts on August 13th in the Barossa Valley.

The ASI SMART Company Scholarship Fund was established in 2006 to encourage the professional education of all individuals working in the not-for-profit sector. It provides financial assistance and education subsidies of up to $25,000 a year and has benefited more than 100 individuals since its inception.

Heiko Plange of Brightwater Care Group and Anthea Jackson of the Make-A-Wish Foundation will receive fully funded educational scholarships to attend the four-day residential education program, Madison Down Under 2010, giving them access to the newest strategies and tips from experts in the not-for-profit field from Australia and throughout the world.

Paul Ramsbottom, ASI Asia Pacific managing director, established the Fund after attending Madison Down Under and being inspired by the dedication of people working in the not-for-profit sector, many of whom funded their attendance personally.

“ASI is consistently in awe that so many outstanding people work in the not-for-profit sector, proven yet again by the high quality applications for this round of the Scholarship Fund”, Ramsbottom said. “We believe in education, but understand that not-for-profit organisations often struggle to find even limited funding for staff development. The SMART Company Scholarship Fund is dedicated to furthering professional development and making a real long term difference to the sector”.

ASI SMART Company Scholarship Fund recipients include Meranda Palmer of Coeliac the Research Fund, Janyne Parsonage of Starlight Children’s Foundation and Sian Lambert of Kids Camps Inc.

Bren Arkinstall of the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Queensland will receive an education subsidy to assist him in undertaking the Graduate Certificate in Business Philanthropy and Non Profit Studies at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Kay Powell of Karuna Hospice Service Ltd will receive an educational grant toward a CSA Certificate in Governance Practice and Administration, while Shellee Duncan of the National Breast Cancer Foundation will use her scholarship to attend the Australasian Fundraising Forum 2010.

The next round of funding closes on 10 September 2010 and further information can be found at www.advsol.com/ap/scholarship.

ASI’s flagship software product iMIS is used by more than 280 not-for-profit organisations in the Asia Pacific region including Cancer Council Victoria, National Breast Cancer Foundation, The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, The Royal Australian College Of General Practitioners, Surf Life Saving Foundation and The Tax Practitioners Board.

Ends

For more information or to organise an interview with Advanced Solutions International, please contact:
Jocelyn Hunter
Director, Bench PR
Phone: +61 03 95316782
Email: jocelyn@benchpr.com.au

About ASI
Advanced Solutions International (ASI) is the largest, privately owned global provider of software for member and donor-based non-for-profit organisations and has served nearly 3000 customers and millions of users worldwide since 1991.

ASI is the developer of iMIS, an upgradeable software solution for managing associations, membership, non-profits, and fundraising. iMIS 15, the latest evolution of iMIS, leverages Microsoft’s .NET development platform to provide a flexible and open web-based solution.

Paul Ramsbottom - ASI Managing Director (and Chairman of the Fund)
Julie Willett - ASI HR/Facilities Director
Colin Bryant - ASI Global Manager - Customer Sales (on rotation)

The funding round closes on Friday 10 September 2010.

ASI is pleased to announce the recipients for the June 2010 round of funding for the ASI SMART Company Scholarship Fund.

We had an overwhelming response in this round and had the most applications for a single round ever. The Fund is pleased to be able to assist eight recipients from across Australia.

Recipients included:

Part A

Meranda Palmer, Coeliac Research Fund
FIA Skills 1

Janyne Parsonage, Starlight Childrens’ Foundation
FIA Skills 1

Sian Lambert, Kids Camps Inc
FIA Skills 2

Heiko Plange, Brightwater Care Group
Madison Down Under

Anthea Jackson, Make-A-Wish Foundation
Madison Down Under

PART B – Education Subsidies

Bren Arkinstall, Muscular Dystrophy Association of Queensland
QUT - Grad Cert in Business Philanthrophy & Non Profit Studies (25% of full course fees)

PART C – Education Grants (ASI Customers Only)

Kay Powell, Karuna Hospice Service Ltd
CSA Certificate in Governance Practice & Admin

Shellee Duncan, National Breast Cancer Foundation
Australasian Fundraising Forum 2010

The next round closes on 10 September 2010.

I don't think this is possible, but who knows, I may be wrong. My client wants to have the ablility to include public view content on a regular content record. e.g. Say they create a content record that has the format of 1 over 1. They want the abiltiy to put text in the top box and then have  the public view page content in the lower box. Is this possible? If yes, how was this accomplished?

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I am having an extrememly difficult time in MOVING a Web part once I've created it within a content record. It seems that if I have a content record with too much content on it, I get this error: 

Error: The collection already contains the specified content item.

This is as was already catalogued previuosly here and as was submitted as a ticket. I do not know if ASI has bothered to resolve it.

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I am looking for a lead generation tool to collect contact info from visitors when the download some white papers on my site. Could any one suggest a serice they have used for this? i would prefer to have a landing page on my site that lists the documents and gathers info from visitors or use an email bulletin that send out these links to a group of people with our target market (R&D professionals).

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Here's a way to create an IQA query to list IQA queries and display their full document system path.

First, create a view to wrap the asi_PublishedDocumentPath function.  This view definition is for published documents only (status = 40), but change it if you need different results.

Next, in Business Object Designer, create a business object named DocumentPath.  On the Database tab, add vDocumentPath, and both columns as properties.  Save and publish.

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In preparing for a Discovery presentation (Sept 27-29, 2010) on how customers are using TaskCentre, I am looking for examples of how customers are using the product: screenshot of the task design pane, with explanation of what the task does, emphasis on how TC reduces staff busy work.

Got any examples for me? Post here or email me directly at tericson@advsol.com. I'll post what I get on the TaskCentre pages, as well.

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Agile Austin has put together a nice collection of resources for learning agile development practices: http://www.agileaustin.org/agile-resources/

It recommends books, websites, listservs, blogs, videos, and podcasts, to support many learning styles. It also links to tools that members have recommended for use with agile.

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I'm reasonably sure this was working as I expected it to (i.e. copy a URL from the browser, paste it into a message, and it created a clickable hyperlink), but recently stopped working, such that I had to go through the extra steps of Insert / Insert Hyperlink.  Maybe an Office update changed the setting, I don't know...

Anyway, to switch it back, Tools / Options / Mail Format tab; Editor Options / Proofing / AutoCorrect options; check "Internet and network paths with hyperlinks" on the "AutoFormat As You Type" tab.  Note that the identical checkbox on the "AutoFormat" tab didn't affect this.
 

I need to update the ARStatement crystal report to be able to select  Meeting codes to exclude from the statement reports. How do I add a field with a label that says: Specific Meeting Codes and make it work in iMIS. I tried putting a parameter field in the report, but can not select it.

I attached the screen shot of where I need to put this info. Any help is greatly appreciated.

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Is there a way to have the site map display links to Anonymous Users but as soon as they login, those links go away.  Example when a member comes to the site anonymously, he would see the Join Us link but as soon as he logs in, that link should go away.  It looks like you should be able to use the navigation code field but I have tried everything i know to do to make this work, short of a complete custom solution.