Applied's custom dec utility

[Hans Manhave]

Anybody figure out yet what Applied is using for custom dec page layout?  I followed the webinar ages ago, but now finally need to add some fields.  I know how to do that, but I notice that "CUOnline" comes up in the utility header.  Just like TAM uses FoxPro 2.6 for report creation, I'm wondering what TAM uses for this Windows dec page utility.

Oh, before I forget, why is it that lien holder items are preprogrammed in the fields layout, but nothing else?  Was there some special interest group consulted for this or a high demanding agency?

Thanks.

[Hans Manhave]

I think we all know already, but the TAM custom dec implementation for Windows is pretty lame.  I only converted our system to a four digit version last March.  Since then I have not needed to move or add any fields.  Yesterday and today have been nightmarish.  All I can think is "why?".   This must have been an afterthought.  Something that everyone forgot and finally, the day before release, something was tacked onto the cart.  I can understand the need to convert to something windows compatible.  But to leave us without tools, without a basic 21st century development system, that is just poor.  The way it is now, one has to edit, save/close, see what it looks like (bad), open it back up to edit, see what it looks like (not the same as saved moments before), change it to what it should have saved, inspect some more from the end-user level, repeat as needed.  Sad sad sad. 

[Jeff Zylstra]

I gave up on custom DECs.  I couldn't get it to save the changes reliably.  I'd get 3/4 of the way done, and it would revert to something unrecognizable.  Kind of sounds like a more severe case of what you're running up against.

Anyways, yes, it is very disappointing.

[Mark]

It seems like a very dumbed down interface to Visual Basic to me (VB6 & VBA come to mind).  In  fact, I don't know what version did this, but I used to have the ability to underline and bold labels (text) and make font changes for headings, etc.  I don't seem to have any options like that anymore.  All I can do is add a plain text label or plain field.

[DebAmstutz]

I haven't looked at custom decs for a long, long time.  I had them figured out and was setting some up but they didn't get used much, and then not at all so I have no idea what's happened since.

[Hans Manhave]

This custom dec piece is absolutely, positively one of the top five Applied Systems mess ups.  Like such a blunder that they should just throw in the towel and go do something else.

One cannot even get out of an edit without the system saving.  That is totally stupid.  Not once did I hit the 'SAVE' option.  This is totally crazy.

And yes, it has been verified that even the latest version of TAM has this problem.  You cannot quit/abort without saving.

[Hans Manhave]

There is no reference guide on custom dec creation.  Help only gives a copyright screen. 

[DebAmstutz]

I have a handout from AppliedNet 2014 - maybe it'll help a little?

[Hans Manhave]

I have a handout from AppliedNet 2014 - maybe it'll help a little?

Thank you!  That also shows that someone else thought about this. 

Applied support also called me and helped me out a bit.  Schedule data stores in an interesting way.

[Hans Manhave]

Another interesting item in this custom dec page design system is that one has the option for 'Decimals'.  However, there is no data type that allows this to be set.  Not numeric, not alphanumeric, not text.  No other data types are available where such a setting would make sense.   

editing to add more of today's experience:  One can layout a beautiful page.  However, when TAM saves the layout (as it cannot do otherwise as noted in another post), it feels free to rearrange the fields and labels.  Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.  "A lot" as in it hides fields behind labels.  There is also no telling in which order it may store the fields.  The last may be first and the first may be in the middle.  Of course, AS told me not to worry about storage, but why put it in if it won't come out? 

[DCGrauel]

Any chance a generous someone has a few custom decs they are willing to share that can maybe be altered a little bit instead of starting from scratch? I'm thinking Breach/Privacy and Prof Liab primarily. Does Applied have any?

Don C. Grauel
Goldsborough Insurance Services
TAM-OL, 6 users
410-377-2111 xt123