Contents of the Custom Method Configuration for Auto Numbering Dialog Box

Use these fields and options to set up a custom method for auto numbering.

Field	Description
Assembly	Select the name of the actual Microsoft .NET assembly or the DLL that consists of the custom method that is being invoked. All assemblies located in the AutoNumber directory under the DPS install directory are listed here. You must place assemblies or DLLs that are used for custom methods in this directory.
Class	When you select an assembly from the list, DPS automatically reads the assembly and loads the drop-down list for this option with the classes available in the assembly.
Method	Select the method used when auto numbering conditions are met. The drop-down list for this field lists the methods (functions or subs) available in the selected class.

Arguments

The list of arguments populates based on the method that you select.

Field	Description
Arguments Drop-down	Click the drop-down arrow on a grid header to complete any of the following actions: To print grid data, click Print. On the Print Preview form, click File > Print to send the grid data to your default printer. To export grid data to an Excel spreadsheet, click Export to Excel. When Microsoft Excel opens, use its features to modify, print, or email the grid data, or to save the spreadsheet file locally. To turn on grouping for a grid, click Enable Grouping. When a field displays with the instruction: "Drag a column header here to group by that column," drag and drop column headers into the field, in the sequence that you want them to display. Not all options are available on all grids.
Name	This field displays the name of the parameter for the method.
Value	This is the SQL expression, which DPS uses to determine the value of the argument at run time. Click the ellipsis icon in this field to display the SQL Expression Builder to define the values.

Field	Description
Invoke after all changes are saved
Test Method button	This button becomes active when the Assembly, Class, and Method fields are populated. Use it to test the custom methods that you have written for auto numbering. When you click this button, DPS displays a dialog box that contains all the arguments for the method. You can only enter literal values for each of the arguments. DPS converts values to the appropriate data type at run time.