ZP SQL Manual as Word Doc

The ZP SQL manual is a web site that is hyperlinked back to each and every screen in the Windows interface. Context sensitive help can be easily accessed by clicking on the  ? Help button in the lower right corner of any screen. Apparently though this is not enough. I still get requests for a document version of the manual so I am giving in and posting a Word Doc version of the ZP SQL manual on the Tutorial Page of our support site. Be forewarned that this is a huge document: over 430 pages. And, again, it was designed as a web site not a book, so the organization of the document leaves much to be desired. But it does afford users the opportunity to cut, paste, rearrange and print their own min-versions of the manual, if they have the gumption. I hope it proves useful in this format. If you do something wonderful with the information please share it with me and I will share it with other customers!

Exporting Data from Staff Pages to Spreadsheets

I've added a new capability to several pages on the Staff site that allow you to export data to an Excel Spreadsheet which is then downloaded to your device. This new option is available on the All Inspections page to download scheduled inspections. It is available on the Contractor Activity page. It is also an option on all of the report screens so that instead of printing a report or creating a PDF you can download all the data that the report criteria would capture to a spreadsheet. This new option makes it super easy to get data out of the Staff site for use with other programs. I'm sure there are other pages in the Staff site or the Contractor Request site that could benefit from this option. Just let me know if you have a page that you'd like to nominate as a candidate.

Alternate Way to Obtain Module Updates

The Installed Modules screen in ZP SQL provides a way to automatically download all the latest updates for the modules in your installation. Unfortunately, connecting to the FTP server to download these updates is sometimes fraught with problems. Now there is an alternative way to obtain the downloads via your Staff web site. In the Maintenance page of the Staff site, under the System Maintenance section there is a link to a Windows Update page. This page has three sections. First there is a list of all the current modules, their version numbers and their last modified date (Note that this list can be sorted by any of the three columns). You can compare this list with the version numbers you see in the Installed Modules screen of ZP SQL to find out what updates you need. Then there is a section for downloading each of the Base Module pieces and a section for downloading Application Modules. These are the exact same files you would get when using the Installed Modules screen from the Windows program except that here you have to download each one individually and unzip it yourself. It involves more work, but it gets the job done in a pinch. After you download any updates make sure you exit ZP SQL before you attempt to unzip and copy the files into your installation folder.

Deleteing Property Records Video

As long as you have the property security clearance, there is no great trick to deleting records in ZonePro SQL. Except when it comes to the Property Screen. Deleting a record from the Property database is not so simple. This is because the because permit records cannot exist without a parent property record. Therefore, before you delete a property record you must get rid of any attached records as well. Most users figure this out but they forget that this also includes any Contact records attached to the Property such as the owner or occupant. I just posted a quick training video that shows the whole process and hopefully clears up any questions about deleting from the Property Screen.

Shortcut to Contractor Activity Report

After you look up a contractor in the Contractor Screen you can view their past Activity in the Contractor Activity Browse screen. If you also want to print out that activity, in the past you had to close back to the Main Screen and go to the Contractor Activity Report screen. Now there is a Report button directly on the Activity Browse screen which is a shortcut to the Contractor Activity Report screen. It takes you to the report screen and automatically triggers the ID Code report filter with the ID of the last chosen contractor.  This makes it easy to use the Contractor Screen as a search tool to produce Activity Reports.