Epicor Advanced Financial

Reporting Feature Summary

10.2.2
Disclaimer
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10.2.2
Revision: June 18, 2019 2:09 a.m.
Total pages: 27
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Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Contents

Contents
Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary.....................................................6
Version 10.2.2.................................................................................................................................................7
Support for VS 2017.................................................................................................................................7
Support of Extended Account Name and Description Length in iScala 3.3.................................................7
Cell Reference Support in Expression Builder.............................................................................................7
Replicating Fiscal Years Over a Century.....................................................................................................7
Email Reporting Tress................................................................................................................................7
FIPS Compliance.......................................................................................................................................7
Support for Different Source DB Collation.................................................................................................7
Copy/Paste Chained Reports.....................................................................................................................7
Version 10.2.1.................................................................................................................................................7
Intersection Operator in Dictionary Expressions.........................................................................................7
Support of SQL 2017 and SSRS 2017........................................................................................................8
Renumber Nodes......................................................................................................................................8
Adding a Financial Year to a Replication Task............................................................................................8
Unattended Mode for AFR Replication Monitor.........................................................................................8
Convert FRx Reports with FILL Columns into AFR.......................................................................................8
Reports Chaining......................................................................................................................................8
Exporting Reports to Excel by Reporting Tree............................................................................................9
Support of Row Set and Column Set Styles When Exporting to Excel.........................................................9
Replication of Segment Values 5 and Greater............................................................................................9
Support for Different ERP Collation...........................................................................................................9
Version 10.2....................................................................................................................................................9
Microsoft SQL Server® 2016 Compatibility................................................................................................9
Introduced AFR for ERP Cloud...................................................................................................................9
Version 10.1.2.................................................................................................................................................9
Use Expressions to Configure Row Visibility...............................................................................................9
Hide Report Parameter............................................................................................................................10
Introduced the new functions of Save and Close buttons........................................................................10
Default RDL Template Location...............................................................................................................11
Introduced the New SSRS Folder Path.....................................................................................................11
Adjust Page Margins...............................................................................................................................11
Apply Template Settings when Generating RDL's....................................................................................11
AFR Designer Focus Returns to the Previous Item....................................................................................11
Version 10.1.1...............................................................................................................................................11
Segment Value Description.....................................................................................................................11
Add New Company to Replication..........................................................................................................12
Reporting Tree Nodes Description...........................................................................................................12
Extended Balance Configuration.............................................................................................................12
Legal Number for Tracking GL Transactions.............................................................................................12
Apply Font and Font Size for Header Footer............................................................................................12

10.2.2 3
Contents Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Grid Inline Controls for Default Value Column........................................................................................13

Take Into Account the Invisible Columns.................................................................................................13
Allow Columns Merge............................................................................................................................13
Version 10.1..................................................................................................................................................13
Column Width Support in FRx/MR Conversion........................................................................................13
Report Wizard........................................................................................................................................14
Define a Child Node of a Reporting Tree at Time of Entry........................................................................14
Reverse Sign for Row Amounts...............................................................................................................14
Multiple Budgets Support in E10 Plugin..................................................................................................15
Batch Printing.........................................................................................................................................15
Non-Financial Data Support....................................................................................................................15
Define Drill Down Behavior for Zero Rows...............................................................................................16
Version 10.0.700...........................................................................................................................................16
CellRef Row Type....................................................................................................................................16
Introduce the Movement Keyword..........................................................................................................16
Introduce the ClosingBalance Keyword...................................................................................................16
Replicate Data from Enterprise Databases...............................................................................................16
Unposted Balances support in FRx/MR Conversions.................................................................................17
Version 10.0.600...........................................................................................................................................17
Single AFR Installer.................................................................................................................................17
Request License from Installer.................................................................................................................17
Multiple Source Replication.....................................................................................................................17
Daily Balances Replication.......................................................................................................................18
Replicate Data from Prophet 21 Databases.............................................................................................18
Change Replication Task Credentials.......................................................................................................18
Default SSRS Folder................................................................................................................................19
Enable Segment Display Order................................................................................................................19
Single From/To Parameters......................................................................................................................19
Rounding................................................................................................................................................19
Override Numeric Format for Excel..........................................................................................................20
Unposted Balances Support....................................................................................................................20
Expression for All Companies..................................................................................................................21
Period and Book Filters for Rows.............................................................................................................21
Handling of Hide Rows with Zero Value Setting......................................................................................21
Override Numeric Format in Columns......................................................................................................22
Apply Separate Style for Column Headers...............................................................................................22
Account and Expression Fields in Reporting Trees....................................................................................22
Catch-All in Reporting Tree Wizard.........................................................................................................23
Inline Drill Down Reports........................................................................................................................23
RDL Merge Tool......................................................................................................................................23
View Reports in Web Browser.................................................................................................................24
Select Styles............................................................................................................................................24
Page Size and Orientation.......................................................................................................................24
Adjust Column Width.............................................................................................................................24
Adjust Header/Footer Width...................................................................................................................24

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Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Contents

Batch Report Export................................................................................................................................25

Query User-Defined Tables in Reports.....................................................................................................25
Select Segments for Group By.................................................................................................................26

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Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Advanced Financial Reporting (AFR) is a financial report writer for complex management and financial reporting.
Use AFR to create, manage, and view custom GL reports for your Epicor ERP applications.
Advanced Financial Reporting Overview
Epicor AFR is a tool you can use to create general ledger (GL) reports, for example, a balance sheet or a cash
statement with multiple rows linked to the account schedule. GL reports differ from other data reports in that
each line in a GL report is typically defined in terms of an account range for which you must calculate a total.
AFR uses row sets, column sets and reporting trees to consolidate GL data.
Advanced Financial Reporting components include:
• Epicor Financial Report Designer
• Epicor AFR Viewer
• Logon Service
• Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Database
• SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio (optional)
AFR simplifies report creation with a user interface that uses familiar financial terms and does not require
familiarization with SQL query syntax or the database structure. A Reporting Database passes data from the
application to the Report Designer. The reporting database is an optimized for reporting performance database
containing financial data aggregated on the daily and period basis. This database is maintained by the Financial
Report Subscriber which is a plug-in for the existing Epicor Database Replication server.
To support several varieties of report browsing scenarios, AFR offers a web interface for viewing generated
reports.
The output of reports you design in Epicor Financial Report Designer (EFRD) is generated using Microsoft® SQL
Server Business Intelligence Reporting Services (SSRS). All report designs can be managed using Microsoft SQL
Server Management Studio connecting to SQL reporting services. Reports can be published to the SQL reporting
services web site or to Microsoft SharePoint. You can optionally do more formatting of the report definition file
in SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio.
Additional components of AFR include the ability to import/export report definitions and the scheduling and
distribution of reports. This dependence on SSRS requires you to license Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2, MS SQL
Server 2012, MS SQL Server 2014 or MS SQL Server 2016 (Standard or Enterprise) and Epicor Replication Server.

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Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Version 10.2.2

The following topics describe the Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting functionality released with the 10.2.2
service pack.

Support for VS 2017

Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 is now supported by AFR 10.2.2.

Support of Extended Account Name and Description Length in iScala 3.3

Extended account name and description length in IScala 3.3 is now supported by AFR 10.2.2.

Cell Reference Support in Expression Builder

When creating row definitions in Report Designer, for the Cell Ref row type, it is now possible to enter the
required values either manually or using Expression Builder.

Replicating Fiscal Years Over a Century

It is now possible to replicate fiscal years over a century when the last two digits of the years are the same.

Email Reporting Tress

You can now send reporting trees in email directly from AFR Report Server.

FIPS Compliance

You can now set up FIPS compliance differently for different SQL versions.

Support for Different Source DB Collation

Different Source database collation for AFR Replication Monitor (all plugins) is now supported in AFR 10.2.2.

Copy/Paste Chained Reports

You can now copy/paste chained reports in AFR Report Designer.

Version 10.2.1

The following topics describe the Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting functionality released with the 10.2.1
service pack.

Intersection Operator in Dictionary Expressions

You can now use intersection operator (&) to combine different dictionary entries and use them as references
for. It can be used for all existing account structures, for example, account lists, ranges, account masks, etc.

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Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Support of SQL 2017 and SSRS 2017

SQL 2017 and SSRS 2017 are now supported by AFR 10.2.1.

Renumber Nodes

Renumbering of reporting tree nodes is now available. You can use the Renumber Nodes function if you want
to correct irregular node numbers, and the application program will renumber the nodes starting from a parent
node going into all child nodes first and then to the next sibling node.

Adding a Financial Year to a Replication Task

You can now add a financial year to an already existing replication task as a separate task.

Unattended Mode for AFR Replication Monitor

AFR Replication Monitor can be used in unattended mode. You can now save the replication configuration on
its last step in the Replication Wizard to an external file and use it to configure new replication tasks in the
unattended mode (for example, via command line).
Note The unattended mode is only available for Epicor ERP 10 Replication Plugin

Convert FRx Reports with FILL Columns into AFR

Now, it is possible to convert FRx reports with FILL columns into the AFR columns with text. After the conversion,
the AFR columns will contain the first character of the FRx column and will be filled based on the column width
given there.

Reports Chaining

You can now chain reports to each other, thus creating a main report with one or more chained reports. When
you launch the main report, all chained reports will launch simultaneously and you will not need to launch them
one by one manually. You can see chained reports in the Reports > Detail > General tab, and submit them for
previewing. The main report and chained reports will display each in a separate tab.

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Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Exporting Reports to Excel by Reporting Tree

You can now export reports into Excel by a reporting tree that contains tree nodes. After you export a report
into Excel, the workbook will contain copies of the report calculated for each reporting tree node one per
workbook sheet.

Support of Row Set and Column Set Styles When Exporting to Excel

It is now possible to export a report to excel by a reporting tree and keep its row set and column set style.

Replication of Segment Values 5 and Greater

It is now possible to replicate segment values 5 and greater than 5.

Support for Different ERP Collation

Different ERP collation for AFR Replication Monitor (the Epicor ERP plugin) is now supported in AFR 10.2.1.

Version 10.2

The following topics describe the Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting functionality released with the 10.2 service
pack.

Microsoft SQL Server® 2016 Compatibility

AFR products are now compatible with Microsoft SQL Server® 2016 (Standard and Enterprise) with latest service
packs and with Reporting Services.

Introduced AFR for ERP Cloud

ERP Cloud customers can now enjoy the numerous benefits of Advanced Financial Reporting as AFR has been
re-engineered to support all ERP deployment options.
Note The AFR ODBC driver is not available for ERP Cloud customers.

Version 10.1.2

The following topics describe the Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting functionality released with the 10.1.2
service pack.

Use Expressions to Configure Row Visibility

You can now configure the visibility of a Row in the report, not only with constant values (True or False) but
using complex expressions. It is very helpful in the reports where you need to hide a report row based on the

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Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

visibility of other rows or some values in the report. For example, if you want to hide some section header row
depending on the visibility of the section internal row(s) total of the section.
Available options to configure the expression in Row Visibility column:
True: The row is displayed in the report and this is the default value.
False: The row is not displayed in the report.
[Row].Visibility: The row visibility in the report is based on the visibility of the referenced row.
Note Circular references are not allowed.
For example: [R10].Visible = "[R25].Visibility" and [R25].Visible = "[R10].Visibility"

Expression: You can use this option to create complex expressions. Selecting this option will open an expression
builder where you can formulate expressions using constants, logical operator, math function and cell references.

Hide Report Parameter

You can now hide or unhide each parameter in the Parameters sheet.
On to the Reports > Detail > Parameters sheet, the Type column allows you to hide or unhide each parameter.
By default, the value for all the parameters are Visible. You can select Hidden from the drop-down list to hide a
parameter. The hidden parameters will not appear in the Report preview and RDL report.
Note If you hide a parameter without a default value, a warning message displays, but you can still save
and run the report. If you change the Type value, the visibility of the corresponding parameter in the already
generated RDL will not change. In order to apply the changes you should either generate a new RDL or
change the existing RDL manually.

Hide parameters in the Advanced Presentation Style

The Advanced presentation style enables you to decide what kind of drop-down list, check box, or calendar
pop-up is available for each parameter at runtime with the particular report requirements.
You can now hide the following parameters in the Advanced Presentation style.
• Account
• Reporting Tree Node
• Posted Status

Introduced the new functions of Save and Close buttons

The new actions for Save and Close buttons are available now.
Save: You can click this button to save the current objects.. If any newly created objects are linked to the selected
objects, then those objects are also saved. This action is applicable to objects like report, column set, row set,
dictionaries and reporting trees.
If you load a report and create a new column definition or delete an existing one and click the Save button, the
report along with all the unsaved changes for the column set are saved.
If you import a report and select this report and click Save, it will save all the linked root object that works as
Save All function.
Close - You can click this button to close the current object.
By default, this menu item is disabled. The button is enabled only when any root object is selected and the
selected object does not have any parent reference. If the selected object is modified, you will get a message
prompting you to save the unsaved changes.

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Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Default RDL Template Location

The new RDL Template Folder specifes a default network location where you can share the templates from
the same directory.
Now, you can use the RDL Template Folder to enter the folder path where the RDL templates are placed. The
default template location is C:\Program files\Epicor Software\AFR\RDLTemplates. You can also choose a new path
for the RDL template file. To specify a new path, click the ellipsis button (...) and select the folder location you
want to select and click OK.

Introduced the New SSRS Folder Path

In this field, you can enter the folder name or a path in SSRS, which will be used as a default path in the RDL
generator window when you generate a new RDL for the report.

Adjust Page Margins

On the Reports > Details > Options sheet, you can now set the page margins for your report.
In the Page Margin section, you can enter the new margin settings in the Left, Right, Top and Bottom text boxes.
You can also use the spin buttons to change the margin settings in small increments. The values for the settings
are in inches.

Apply Template Settings when Generating RDL's

You can click on the Apply template settings check box to apply the Page margins and Header Footer height
from the specified template. If this is unchecked then page margins specified in the Options tab will be applied
to the new RDL. If you make any changes to the report that was previously generated with template settings
and now if you need to retain those settings, you need to generate the new RDL file.
Note If the report contains more than one Header Footer rows the height of each row adjusts proportionally,
so total height of the rows matches the height specified in the template.

AFR Designer Focus Returns to the Previous Item

When you search and load an AFR item, the focus will return to the previously selected item. It could be a Report
Set, Column Set, Reports, Reporting Tree or a Dictionary.

Version 10.1.1

The following topics describe the Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting functionality released with the 10.1.1
service pack.

Segment Value Description

New inline expressions are added in the Row Description and Column Expression.
On the Row Sets > Detail > Row Definitions > List sheet, in the Description field, you can enter inline
expressions.

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Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Right-click in the field and select an option from the following:

• Account - Displays a list of accounts that fit the selection parameter.
• AccountDescription - Returns both the account number and the account description.
• SegDescription - Displays the segment value descriptions for SegDescription1 to SegDescription16.
Use this option ONLY if the row type is Account List
On the Column Sets > Create a Column Expression > Row Properties sheet, you can use Segment Description
(SegDescription1 to SegDescription16) functions to include row information within your column expression.

Add New Company to Replication

You can now add a new company to replication from ERP database to AFR Financial database in AFR Replication
wizard without removing an existing task.
On the AFR Replication Wizard menu, you can add, edit, or delete a replication task for a new company without
removing the already existing task. You can run the replication wizard using the Subscribe button even if an
existing task has Include All New Companies in Replication option.

Reporting Tree Nodes Description

The Description field was added to the Reporting Tree Node definition.
On the Reporting Trees > Nodes > Detail sheet you can use the Description field to enter specific details
about each node.

Extended Balance Configuration

A new feature has been added to support more than four segments in the Periodical Balances for IScala plugin.
From Extended Balance Configuration page in the AFR Replication Wizard, you can select the company for
which you want to use the extended balance table as a source of replication.
If you edit an existing task and add a company with extended balances then, GLEB will be used as a source of
replication.
Note This option is available ONLY for iScala plugin.

Legal Number for Tracking GL Transactions

A new field Legal Number is added for replication from ERP database. This field is added ONLY for replication
in Epicor ERP plugin.
Legal Number is available in a Column Set which is based on Transaction Lines. In Expression Builder, select the
Transaction Lines from the Categories pane and select the Legal Number to update the column’s expression.

Apply Font and Font Size for Header Footer

You can now specify Font and Font Size independently for each section in the Header Footer for Left, Center,
and Right columns.
On the Reports > Detail Header Footer sheet, select the text you want to format and select the font from the
Font list and choose the required font size from the Size box.

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Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Grid Inline Controls for Default Value Column

New grid inline controls are introduced for the Default value columns in user-defined properties.
On the Row Sets > Detail > User Properties sheet, new grid inline controls are introduced to enable you to
enter the default value on each row. The possible values are restricted by the type of the property. Available
options:
• In the Number field, enter only numeric value.
• In the Boolean field, select True or False.
• In the DateTime field, select date from the calendar drop-down.

Take Into Account the Invisible Columns

The new Take into account the invisible columns check box enables you to hide or show rows depending on
values from ALL columns including hidden.
If this check box is enabled, ALL hidden columns are considered. This new setting now enables you to control
the visibility of the rows without values (such as section titles) together with other rows with values in this section.
Note If the Hide rows with zero values check box is unchecked, this option will be disabled.

Allow Columns Merge

The new Allow Columns Merge checkbox enables or disables the options to merge columns.
On the Row Sets > Detail > Row Definition > List sheet select the Allow Columns Merge checkbox to enable
or disable the options to merge any columns. The layout of the columns in RDL and Preview pages will display
as per this setting.
To merge columns, on the Reports > Detail > Body sheet select the columns that you want to merge. Right-click
the selected cells and click Merge. The selected cells are combined into a single cell.
To split columns, on the Reports > Detail > Body sheet click inside a cell, or select a merged cell that you want
to split. Right-click the selected cells and select Split. The selected cells are split into different cells.

Version 10.1

The following topics describe the Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting functionality released with the 10.1 service
pack.

Column Width Support in FRx/MR Conversion

When you import and convert reports from Microsoft® FRx or Management Reporter, the column width setting
is now included in the resulting AFR reports.
You import FRx and Management Reporter reports via the File > Import menu. The imported column width is
applied in the new Default Width field on the Column Sets > Column Definitions > Detail sheet. This value is also
applied on the Reports > Detail > Body sheet.

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Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Note If you change the Default Width value in a column set, the reports which already use the column
set do NOT update the column width on the Body sheet. In such cases, to change column widths for the
report, adjust width values on the report's Body sheet.
If you create a new report which uses the existing column set, its current Default Width settings are applied
to the column width settings on the report's Body sheet.

Report Wizard

The new Report Wizard enables you to create a report definition, complete with row set, column set and optional
reporting tree.
The Report Wizard uses the Row Set Wizard, Column Set Wizard, and Reporting Tree Wizard to create the various
report elements, and provides additional options to set up default report parameters.
To launch the wizard, select Wizards > Report Wizard from the Tools menu.
There are five stages to creating a report definition with the Report Wizard:
• Set report type (Balance Sheet, Income Statement, or Trial Balance) and select company/book.
• Create row set (uses the Row Set Wizard. Row set options are limited by the report type selected).
• Create column set (uses the Column Set Wizard).
• Create reporting tree (optional; uses the Reporting Tree Wizard).
• Specify reporting period and enter report name/description.
The wizard thus creates a report definition, with row set, column set, and reporting tree (if required). Remember
to click Save once you have created the definition.

Define a Child Node of a Reporting Tree at Time of Entry

Add a node of any level on the required level using the Child Node tab.
The newly created node has previously been placed on the root level by default. To add a node on the required
level, open the Child Node tab, select a node of any level and add a node. It will appear under the highlighted
level.

Reverse Sign for Row Amounts

You can now reverse the sign for amounts in Account Sum and Account List rows, using the Reverse Sign check
box available in each row's Settings field.
In previous AFR versions, an expression was required to reverse the sign, for example, *(-1). This is no longer
necessary.
In the Settings field for a row, click the ellipsis button (...) and select the Reverse Sign check box. Rows which
have the check box selected display C in the Settings field.
Note The Settings field for Account List rows also displays the Segment Display settings. The reverse sign
setting displays after this, for example, *-*------;C.

If you use the Row Set Wizard to create row sets, the available Reverse Sign options also apply this functionality.
For example, if you elect to Build Row Definitions using Account Categories Hierarchy, the Reverse Amount
Sign for Liabilities and Equities applies the Reverse Sign option to applicable rows. In previous AFR versions,
the Row Set Wizard did not reverse the sign of row amounts. Instead, it created a ReverseSign user property
(Boolean) to enable users to create reversing expressions based on the property.

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Note The Reverse Sign fucntionality is also supported in the import/conversion process from FRx and MMR.

Multiple Budgets Support in E10 Plugin

AFR replicates the financial data from the ERP 10 database.

Since ERP 10 now supports the multiple budgets feature, you can replicate the data entered in Epicor and use it
in your report. To assign budgets in AFR open Column Sets > Column Definition > Detail sheet, add a Budget
Details column expression and click the ellipsis button in the Budgets field to select the budgets from the Epicor
database.

Batch Printing

In AFR Report Server, the new Print Reports option enables users to select several reports, or entire folders of
reports, then view or print all the selected reports in a batch.
Within AFR Report Server, click Print Reports on the toolbar to open the Batch Printing window. Each AFR
report folder is listed, with a check box. Select the check box for a folder if you want to print all its reports.
Note By default, the Batch Printing window displays the contents of the folder currently open in AFR
Report Server. Click Home to display the root folder contents.

Click on a folder name to view a list of the reports in that folder. You can then select the check box for individual
reports you want to include in the batch printing. Once you have selected the folders or reports you require, click
Print to print all the reports together. A print preview displays, from which you can select the printer settings
and print the reports.
If a reporting tree include more than one node, AFR Report Server allows selecting any number of nodes for one
report to include in a batch printing. For each of the specified reporting tree nodes batch printing prints a copy
of the report which is calculated for each of the nodes. To use this option click on the Tree Printing button.
Note, that the Tree Printing button displays when only one report is checked, as the selected reports may have
different trees. The default nodes for batch printing are assigned in the AFR Report Designer.
To exit the Batch Printing window and return to the AFR Report Server window, click View Reports.

Non-Financial Data Support

New fields available in the Expression Builder to support statistical data usage in the designer based AFR.
Use non-financial fields within your column expressions to pull in data that matches a table and field designation.
Non-Financial data fields are available for both column set types.
From the Column Sets > Column Definitions > Detail sheet, use the Expression Builder to select the
non-financial keywords for each report column. The options display under the Non-Financial Data node. The
following expressions are available:
• StatAmount
• StatBudgetAmount
• OpeningStatBalance
• StatUOM

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Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Define Drill Down Behavior for Zero Rows

Use check boxes to calculate or hide drill downs for rows with zero amount.
The Include Drill Down check box on the Row Sets > Detail > Row Definitions > List sheet allows you to
define if the specified drill down report should be calculated for inline subreport and the resulting RDL should
display a link. The check box is ticked by default.
A new check box Hide inline drilldown for zero rows is available on the Row Sets > Detail > Drill Down
tab. If checked, the inline drill downs are not generated for the rows with zero amounts. Note, that this check
box is enabled only if Display an inline subreport is checked.

Version 10.0.700

The following topics describe the Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting functionality released with the 10.0.700
service pack.

CellRef Row Type

A new row type is added to the row definitions.

Use this row to override cell values, specified in the column set. The following expression format is used: [target
column1]=value1, [target column2]=value2.
If you set a reference to an account list cell, the cell's value will be calculated by summing the values in the
corresponding account list cells. If a column in the list is omitted, the cell gets a blank value.

Introduce the Movement Keyword

The new keyword for the column expression is available.

Column expressions now support the Movement keyword which result is equal to the following expression:
DebitAmount - CreditAmount

Introduce the ClosingBalance Keyword

The new keyword for the column expression is available.

Column expressions now support the ClosingBalance keyword which result is equal to the following expression:
OpeningBalance + DebitAmount - CreditAmount.

Replicate Data from Enterprise Databases

A new plugin was added to the AFR Replication Monitor, which enables replication of data from Enterprise
databases.
When you launch the AFR Replication Wizard from within the AFR Replication Monitor, select Enterprise in
the Source ERP Type window. Follow the subsequent wizard windows to select the source Enterprise (Control)
database. The Control database contains sytem information and currency rates. Company information from each
Company database is then loaded automatically. For replication purposes, all the databases must be located on
the same SQL server, with the same security credentials.

16 10.2.2
Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Once you have initiated the replication tasks (in the same way as tasks for replication from other Epicor ERP
databases), you can create reports in the AFR Report Designer.
For details of which tables are replicated from an Enterprise database, view the application help for the AFR
Replication Monitor.

Unposted Balances support in FRx/MR Conversions

Unposted balance settings in FRx and MR reports and columns are converted into corresponding unposted settings
in AFR.
FRx reports include selecting Provisional parameter which allows selecting posted balances, unposted balances
or both. The same option is now available for the Report Designer on the Report > Parameter tab. You can
select Unposted value from the drop-down list for Posted Status parameter.

Version 10.0.600

The following topics describe the Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting functionality released with the 10.0.600
service pack.

Single AFR Installer

You can now install multiple AFR components from a single installer.
When you launch the AFR installer, in the Product Features window you can now select the components to install,
including the Logon Server, Report Designer, AFR ODBC Driver, and AFR Report Server.
Note By default, the AFR Report Viewer is not installed, because you can now view reports in a web
browser. However, you can still install the Report Viewer if required.

Request License from Installer

You can now request an AFR license direct from the installer.
When you run the AFR installer and have selected the product features to install, you reach the AFR License
window. Click Request to launch the Epicor AFR License Requester from the installer. Once you have requested
the license by email, and received the license file (.frlic), save it to the LogonServer folder, and enter the file
path in the License File field. Click Next to proceed with the installation.

Multiple Source Replication

You can now create replication tasks for multiple source databases of different types.
When you launch the AFR Replication Wizard, you can now select the Source ERP Type, for example Epicor 10
or Prophet 21. If you select the Epicor ERP option, you can select from both Epicor 9.05 or Epicor 10 source
databases.
You can also create replication tasks for multiple source databases, to replicate to one single target database.
Important Each company ID must be unique.

10.2.2 17
Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Daily Balances Replication

When you create AFR replication tasks with the Replication Wizard, you can now select from two options on
how to aggregate daily balances.
In the AFR Replication Wizard, when the Type of Aggregation window displays, there are two options for
Aggregation behavior:
• AFR 9.05 behavior - Aggregate using the full accounting string taken from transaction lines.
• Aggregate using Balance Segment settings in ERP - Only balance segments are used to aggregate the
amounts. Other segments, for example a dynamic segment for customer, are not treated separately.
To view an illustrated example of the different treatments, view the online help in the AFR Replication Monitor.

Replicate Data from Prophet 21 Databases

A new plugin was added to the AFR Replication Monitor, which enables replication of data from Prophet 21
databases.
When you launch the AFR Replication Wizard from within the AFR Replication Monitor, select Prophet 21 in
the Source ERP Type window. Follow the subsequent wizard windows to select the source Prophet 21 database
and select which companies to replicate.
Note Because the Book concept is not part of Prophet 21, you make selections of companies and fiscal
years only.

Once you have initiated the replication tasks (in the same way as tasks for replication from other Epicor ERP
databases), you can create reports in the AFR Report Designer.
Due to the data that is replicated from a Prophet 21 financial database, there are some small differences that
affect report creation in the Report Designer:
• As the multiple book concept does not exist in Prophet 21, when you have to enter a book definition in the
AFR Report Designer, simply use 1 as a hard-coded book ID.
Example On the Reports > Detail > Parameters sheet, you have to enter at least one Company.Book
string. So, for company Acme, enter Acme.1

• As Prophet 21 replicated data does not include Currency Rate Type and Currency Conversion data, it is not
yet possible to use the Advanced Currency Conversion functionality in AFR with P21 data. Therefore, use the
Simple Currency Conversion, which involves manual entry of currency exchange rate details.
For details of which tables are replicated from a Prophet 21 database, view the application help for the AFR
Report Designer or AFR Replication Monitor.

Change Replication Task Credentials

In the AFR Replication Monitor you can now change the Windows credentials for existing replication tasks, which
removes the need to recreate tasks when a password expires.
This feature is especially useful if your organization requires regular password changes to Windows accounts.
In the Replication Monitor, when the ERP Databases sheet is in focus, click the Change replication task
credentials button to open the Task Security window. Here you can update the windows login and password
details, thus ensuring ongoing data replication.

18 10.2.2
Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Default SSRS Folder

A new Default SSRS Folder field was added to the Settings > RDL sheet, which enables users to specify the folder
where all newly-generated or imported RDLs are placed.
If you do not specify a value, the default SSRS folder is called AFR.
Note If you change the default folder, it has no effect on RDLs that were already generated. They remain
at the path which was current at the time of their generation.

Enable Segment Display Order

The new Enable segment display order setting enables you to display GL accounts in AFR reports with the
same segment order as they display in your ERP system.
On the Tools > Settings > General sheet, select the Enable segment display order check box. GL accounts will
now display in the same segment order as you use in Epicor 9.05 or Epicor 10.
Note In a multi-company scenario, it is expected that the same accounts will use the same segment display
order. If this is not the case, each different display order displays as a separate row in the report.

Single From/To Parameters

There is now just one From and one To field in the report parameters. These fields accept both date and period
expressions.
This provides greater flexibility for selection of the start and end point for a report, as combinations of date and
period are now possible.
Conversion of these parameters from AFR 9.05 to AFR 10 is handled automatically when you upgrade to AFR
10.

Rounding

In the Numeric Format section for reports, rows, and columns, a new Rounding option field enables you to
select the rounding for numeric values.
To set rounding at the report level, use the Rounding option field on the Reports > Detail > Options sheet.
To set rounding for a specific row, navigate to the Row Sets > Detail > Row Definitions > Detail > General
sheet, select the Override report numeric format check box, and select an option from the Rounding option
field.
To set rounding for a specific column, navigate to the Column Sets > Column Definitions > Detail sheet,
select the Override row numeric format and Format as text check boxes, and select an option from the
Rounding option field.
Note For numeric format options, column settings override row settings, and row settings override report
settings.

The rounding options are:

• No Rounding
• Nearest Hundred
• Thousands
• Millions

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Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

• Billions
Tip To display the above options as whole numbers, combine the Rounding option with the appropriate
setting in the Decimal places field.

The following table gives examples of how numbers display, according to selections made in the Rounding Option
and Decimal Places fields.
Example number: 33,135,712.25

Rounding Option Decimal Places = 2 Decimal Places = 0

No Rounding 33,135,712.25 33,135,712
Nearest Hundred 33,135,700 33,135,700
Thousands 33,135.71 33,136
Millions 33.14 33
Billions 0.03 0

Override Numeric Format for Excel

In column definitions, a new Format as text check box is enabled when you select Override row numeric
format.
If you generate reports for use in Microsoft® Excel®, and you want numerical data to transfer to Excel in the
Number format, select Override row numeric format on the Column Sets > Column Definitions > Detail
sheet for each column, and clear the Format as text check box.
When you generate the report in Excel, you can do any necessary numerical formatting within Excel.
Note The above combination of settings is specifically for users who generate reports in Excel, so that
numerical data can be formatted within Excel. If you use SSRS to view reports, and want to set the numeric
format for a specific column, select both Override row numeric format and Format as text. The Numeric
Format section for the column definition is then enabled.

Unposted Balances Support

Unposted transactions in Epicor ERP databases are now part of the data replicated to AFR the financial database,
where they are stored in separate tables.
Some report users require the ability to see posted balances separately from unposted balances. Therefore, in
the report parameters, you can select what kinds of balance data will display in the report - posted, unposted,
or both. Also, in each column, you can override the report parameter. Therefore, you can create separate columns
to view posted and unposted balances side-by-side.
In the report parameters (Reports > Detail > Parameters), a new PostedStatus field was added. There are
three options available in the drop-down list:
• Posted - Only posted items are included in the balances.
• Unposted - Only unposted items are included in the balances.
• Both - Both posted and unposted items are included in the balances.
Note The option you select in the report parameters applies to the whole report, unless you override the
setting in a specific column.

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Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

In each column definition (Column Sets > Column Definitions > List or Detail), use the new Posted Status
field to override the report parameter just for that column. The options are the same as for the report parameters,
with an additional <Default> option, which means the column uses the option selected in the report parameters.

Expression for All Companies

You can now select all company/book combinations in the report parameters Book field, using the * (asterisk)
as a wildcard.
On the Reports > Detail > Parameters sheet, in the Book field, enter * to denote all company/book combinations.
You can also limit the expression to a specific book within all applicable companies, with the expression *.BookID
(where BookID is the book you require).
In addition, if you enter only the company ID, you set the expression to include all books within that company,
for example, Epic06.
Click ... (ellipsis) to launch the Expression Builder. Here you can select <All Companies>, individual companies,
or a particular chart of accounts (COA). If you select a COA under a particular company, all company/book
combinations which use that COA within the company are included. Select a book ID under the <ANY COA>
node to include all company/book combinations that use the selected book.

Period and Book Filters for Rows

You can now filter individual rows by GL book and/or Period From/To. This works in a similar way to the filters
that already exist for columns.
On the Row Sets > Detail > Row Definitions > Detail (or List) sheet, you can enter filter values for a specific
row in the new Book, Period From and Period To fields. The same functionality already exists for columns.
To filter by book, simply enter or select the required Company.Book string.
To filter by period, enter the required date or period expression in the Period From and Period To fields. You can
also use the Expression Builder to assist you.
These row filters override the report-level Book, From and To parameters (set on the Reports > Detail > Parameters
sheet).
Important If period filters are specified for both rows and columns, the results are intersected. For example:
• Row.From = Period (2013,1) and Row.To = Period (2013,12)
• Column.From = Period (2013,4) and Column.To = Period (2014,4)
The effective filter for the cell is: Period From (2013,4) - Period To (2013,12).

Note The Book row filter does not pass to drill down reports in the current release.

Handling of Hide Rows with Zero Value Setting

The Hide Rows with Zero Value setting, on the Reports > Detail > Options sheet, was adjusted to insure rows
with an empty Expression field are not hidden by this setting.
This enhancement is especially useful if you like to create titles or sections using rows with empty expressions.
Now such rows will remain visible even if the Hide Rows with Zero Value check box is selected.

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Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Override Numeric Format in Columns

You can now override the numeric format for individual columns. This works in a similar way to the existing
functionality for rows.
To set formats for a particular column, navigate to the Column Sets > Column Definitions > Detail and select
the Override row numeric format check box, then set the Numeric Format fields as required. As with row sets,
you can override the following:
• Decimal Places
• Thousand separator symbol
• Negative number wrap symbol
• Show zero as
• Currency symbol
Important As the check box suggests, column override settings take precedence over row override settings,
which in turn take precedence over the report parameters.

Apply Separate Style for Column Headers

You can now set the style for column headers, independent of the style for the column data.
On the Column Sets > Column Definitions > List sheet, click in the Header field, then set the required styles
for the header - font size, face, color, background, alignment, and so on. To set different formatting for the
column data, click in another field in the column, for example Expression, then set the required style.
To set the same formatting for both the column header and data, select the entire column in the tree view (or
click the arrow to the left of the column in the List sheet), then set the style.
Note Column style overrides row style settings.

Account and Expression Fields in Reporting Trees

Two new fields were added to the Reporting Trees > Nodes sheets: Account and Expression. These fields replace
the Group By field in previous service packs. You can now enter account filters and/or logical expressions within
a single reporting tree node.
On the Reporting Trees > Nodes > Detail ( and List) sheet, use the Account field to enter an expression to
filter by GL account, account category, or dictionary definition. This aspect is similar to expressions in Account
Sum and Account List row sets. Click the ellipsis button (...) to launch the Expression Builder if needed.
Use the Expression field to enter a filter based on a logical expression based on database fields. For example,
you can create a filter for a particular company or fiscal period. Enclose the value part of the expression in inverted
commas (" ").
Example
• Company =
"EPIC03"
• FiscalPeriod = "11"

22 10.2.2
Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Catch-All in Reporting Tree Wizard

A Catch-All check box was added in the Reporting Tree Wizard. Select the check box to create an extra node
on a reporting tree level. This node will display data for all segments which did not exist when the reporting tree
was created.
This option is important for levels with dynamic segments, especially if they are linked to ERP entities.

Inline Drill Down Reports

You can now create inline drill down reports, so the parent report and its drill down load together and can be
viewed in the same report window.
When you select a drill down report on the Row Sets > Detail > Drill Down sheet in the Report Designer, there
is a new check box Display as inline subreport. If you select this check box, when you upload an RDL file for
the report, the child report is also uploaded.
When you display such a report in a web browser, or as a preview (or in the Report Viewer), each row in the
parent report can be expanded (+/-) to display the relevant child report details.
Note There is no obligation to update existing reports which have separate drill-down reports. The inline
method is optional. Whilst convenient, bear in mind that all connected reports load at the same time, so
the overall load time will be slightly longer.

If you change this setting for existing reports, the RDL files are updated automatically.
Note In this release, if you use inline drill down reports, it is not possible to use a different drill down for
individual rows (via Row Sets > Detail > Row Definitions > Detail > Drill Down). If you have such requirements,
stick to the non-inline drill down method. Also, column filters in the parent report do not pass to an inline
drill down report.

RDL Merge Tool

When you make certain changes to a report structure in the Report Designer, which would require an update to
the RDL file in MS Visual Studio, you can now update the RDL file within the Report Designer, using the Merge
tool.
This functionality applies especially to changes in the report definition's building blocks, for example:
• Adding / removing a column
• Adding / removing a header or footer row
The Merge on Save field, on the Reports > Detail > RDLs sheet, determines how the system synchronizes
changes to the report definitions with the associated RDL file(s).
Select Automatic from the drop down list to update the RDL according to default behaviors when you click
Save.
If you select the Manual option, when you save the RDL file the Merge window displays, which enables you to
select which aspects of the RDL file to overwrite or keep, with details of the Existing RDL value and the Result
RDL value that will overwrite it.

10.2.2 23
Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

View Reports in Web Browser

The AFR Report Server, part of the AFR installation pack, creates a web service, which enables users to view
AFR reports in a web browser.
You connect to the web service via the AFR Report Server option in the Windows Start menu. This launches your
default web browser, and displays the SSRS Home page. From there, you can access and view your AFR reports.
Internet Information Services (IIS) is required to use this functionality.
The AFR Report Server removes the need to view reports in the AFR Report Viewer. Therefore, the AFR Report
Viewer is not installed by default, though you can still install it if required.
When you select a report RDL in the Report Designer and click View Report, the report launches in your default
web browser.
Note If it is installed, the AFR Report Viewer is used instead.

Select Styles

You can now select from various style themes in Report Designer, Replication Monitor, and Data Security.
From the Tools menu, select Load Style Theme. By default, the AFR folder displays, with several themes already
available for selection. The default theme is Inspired.isl, which is also the default for Epicor 10.

Page Size and Orientation

On the Reports > Detail > Options sheet, you can now set page orientation and paper size for your report.
In the Page Size section, select either Portrait or Landscape (the default is portrait).
In the Paper Size field, select from a number of standard page sizes. Alternatively, manually enter the page size
(in inches) in the Width and Height fields.

Adjust Column Width

Use the new Reports > Detail > Body sheet to view and adjust column widths for the selected report.
The Body sheet displays the current width for all columns in the selected report. Drag column dividers to change
column widths. A dotted line on the right of the page shows the current page width limits. If you make the
overall column widths wider than the page width, when you click Save a warning displays, with the option to
keep the changes, reduce the column size to fit the page, or return to the Report Designer.
If the total width of the columns is higher or lower than the page width, select Fit Columns from the Actions
menu to automatically change the columns to fit the page width exactly.

Adjust Header/Footer Width

On the Reports > Detail > Header Footer sheet, you can now adjust the width of header and footer columns.
Drag column dividers in report headers or footers to adjust their width. A dotted line on the right of the page
shows the current page width limits. If you make the overall header or footer wider than the page width, when
you click Save a warning displays, with the option to keep the changes, reduce the width to fit the page, or
return to the Report Designer.
If the total width of the header or footer is higher or lower than the page width, select Fit Header and Footer
from the Actions menu to automatically change the width to fit the page width exactly.

24 10.2.2
Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Batch Report Export

You can now set up schedules and subscriptions in MS SSRS to run AFR reports unattended, and export them
to a folder in a selected format.
This feature makes use of the Report Server Delivery extension in SSRS.
Note To use this feature, you must have an AFR license which is enabled for Report Scheduling. See the
latest AFR Install Guide for details on how to request such a license.

In simple terms, the following steps are required.

1. Your AFR license must include the Report Scheduling capability.

2. Within SSRS, set up suitable Windows credentials on the Properties sheet of the relevant AFR data source.

3. In SSRS Site Settings, create a schedule to use in the subscription

4. In SSRS, in the required report(s), create a subscription for each report, to determine the output type (for
example, PDF), the save location (write access required), access credentials, and the schedule to use.
Important You must also fill in the AFRLogonServerUri field. You can see the AFR Logon Server
address in the Report Designer window, on the status bar at the bottom. For example:
tcp://serverA:12345/.

Query User-Defined Tables in Reports

A new property was added to the Row Sets > User Properties function. The Query property enables users to query
data from non-AFR tables in the ERP database, using standard SQL query syntax.
On the Row Sets > Detail > User Properties sheet, you can now create a user property called Query. Once
you select a query in the Name field, and enter an Alias, click the ... (ellipsis) button in the Default field to
launch the Query Builder.
In the Query Builder, you can enter details for the SELECT, FROM, and WHERE sections of your SQL query.
• In the SELECT field, specify the fields to retrieve from the table.
• In the FROM field, right-click to select from a list of all non-AFR tables found in the Preview AFR financial
database.
• In the WHERE field, you can right-click to select from report parameters, for example Company ID, Row or
Cell values, to include in the WHERE expression.
Example SELECT Name FROM MiscTable WHERE AccountField = {Row.Account}

Once you complete the details, click Check to verify the validity of the query, then click OK to accept the query.
This populates the Default field with the query (read-only).
Important Non-AFR tables are not part of the standard replication tasks set up with the AFR Replication
Monitor. Therefore, to replicate other tables from your ERP financial database, use SQL Management Studio
to create a new table within the AFR financial database, and set up a replication task to replicate the
required tables from your ERP database to your AFR financial database.

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Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting Feature Summary

Select Segments for Group By

In Account List rows, you can now select which GL account segments to group by in the Settings field.
When you create an Account List row type, click the ... (ellipsis) button in the Settings field to launch the Group
by the following window. Here you can select which GL account segments to include in the group by expression.
The default value is All. In previous AFR service packs, only Natural Segment (segment 1) was available to limit
the group by expression.
Once you select the segments you want to include, click OK to populate the Settings field. The format for the
expression is * (asterisk) for included segments, and - (dash) as the separator symbol. The expression is read-only.
Example If you include segments 1, 2 and 3 only, the expression is *-*-*------------- .

26 10.2.2
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