Using Invoices 9.0A (100508)

We are in the process of updating the look of our invoice by using the samdata invoice called "Invoice Spec". We sometimes use the field C140, name line 2 for certain customers with long names and have included this field in the Bill To: portion of the new report. Unfortunately, this field appears as a blank line when a customer name2 field is empty. Is there a way for it to suppress the field when it is empty?
Thanks,
Karin

Sorry, but the Customer Name 2 does not have any conditional formatting. You will see a blank space where the Customer Name 2 field is inserted, if ths field is empty.

How have you organized your fields on the invoice spec? If 'suppression' was to occur, what information were you hoping to have move in it's place?

You can have a specification that you use for these customers (the ones where both name fields have data) and make it the default specification to use when this customer is selected.

I think the way we would like to see Name2 work is the same way the formatted address fields work. If the fields is blank then the subsequent fields all move up one line.

Andrew's suggestion is a reasonable temporary work around but not a great long term solution.

I agree with Doug.

I have told my clients not to use Name 2 until blank fields can be suppressed. Otherwise, it looks odd on the form.

Steve

Which are the "subsequent fields" and, thinking about the way the fields are "dropped" onto a specification in any order, how would you see this working?

We are planning to provide a specification code that concatentates the two fields together in the next release.

The problem is in an address block, which is why I suggested a process that works with the formated address.

Catenation would be an acceptable solution.

Just so that I'm clear, in the formatted address block, you'd want the order to be:

1. Customer Name 1
2. Customer Name 2
3. Address line 1
4. Address line 2
5. City, State ZIP
6. Country

and for the fields to move "up" the list if any individual entry is blank?

(Clarification: The concatenated customer name option is planned for the coming upgrade to Adagio Receivables, but I'd expect to see it in the next Service Pack for Invoices and OrderEntry.)

Glad to hear I'm not the only one with concerns about the address format. I like the idea of the combining Name1 and Name2 but wonder if there might be an issue with combined field lenght and if it would fit through a window envelope?

While on the subject of address format, Canada Post really doesn't like to have a comma separating City and Prov. For example the last line of an address should look like this: Ottawa ON K2P 1E2 (2 spaces after prov). Currently the format is: Ottawa, ON K2P 1E2.
Is there an easy way to remove the comma in a future version or will this affect your US customers?

Thank you for all your comments!
Karin

Hi Karin,

We haven't had any indication of Canada Post having any problem with the comma, and it makes the address much more readable. Their addressing specifications say that it's acceptable.

Is everyone comfortable with the fact that including the second company name in the formatted address block will "break" the statement specifications for some Adagio sites? They will have to move the second company name information to an optional field or perhaps change their specification layout.

Changes that would benefit the many should not be with held because it breaks the few (however the other way around would be a big no no).

Your proposed change would be good.

For people following this thread:

If we include the second line of company name in the formatted address block (adding an additional line of formatted address to the spec designer), then does this remove the need for a field that concatenates together "Company name 1"+"Company name 2"?

(Here we are only talking about statement printing in Adagio Receivables, but the same rule would be propagated to Invoices and ultimately to OrderEntry and Time&Billing.)

To me that sounds more reasonable than the concatenate.

David

That's what I would want.

We've decided to leave the spec code for the concatenated names for those forms that might be e-mailed or might otherwise not include the mailing address. If you use the mailing address, you would NOT use the concatenated name field (which needs 80 characters of space in any event) for the company or you would see the second line on the form twice.

This will be in the next upgrade to Receivables.

I'm in favour of concatenated names. Many of the not-for-profit associations have very long names, especially if they are in French.

I think that:
Wally's House of Schnitzel and Gift Shop Emporium

reads better than:

Wally's House of Schnitzel and Gift
Shop Emporium

Having said that, having 2 approaches is the best of both worlds.

Hi Bruce,

But it could be:

Wally's House of Schnitzel
and Gift Shop Emporium

which looks fine. You will not be able to use the concatenated name and the formatted address. That's the trade off we have to make unless we add a completely obscure and useless company profile option.

I see, the choices are 100% mutually exclusive. If I want a formatted address (meaning that blank lines are skipped) then the concatenated name wouldn't make sense. "Formatted" address will now include the 2nd name line; the current version (without the 2nd name line) will be replaced. In that case, the concatenated name wouldn't be used very often.

Yup - you got it.

(But we had already done the concatenated name field so decided not to remove it in case it was useful for some other purpose.)

Hurry, hurry, hurry.

10% discount in August on schnitzel and gifts!

The US Post Office prefers City followed by 2 spaces with no comma, then the 2 letter state code, followed by 2 spaces, then the zip code. Commas and periods should not be used.

http://www.usps.com/send/preparemailandpackages/labelsandaddressing/usingthecorrectaddress.htm

Hi Kate,

The Canadian post office "prefers" no comma as well, but we believe it makes the address more readable, and it's not prohibited.