Script to Run Standing Invoices

This example shows how a script can be broken into various steps.

Typically, the process for a standing invoice run will include some or all of the following steps:

• Create the invoices for the current run, either by:
  • Duplicating a standing invoice which is setup for each customer (for example, for a cleaning company invoicing their monthly charges which are different for each customer) - OR -
  • Duplicating a single template invoice to all customers (for example, for an annual subscription fee which is the same for all clients but may vary year to year).
• Edit the invoices and/or the template as the invoices are duplicated, for example, to increment the date, enter the number of days in the month as a quantity, or increment an instalment number.
• Print the invoices if required, or number and mark as manual.
• Either post the invoices, or cash sale the invoices if you are paid by direct credit or draw down direct debits.
• Export the direct debits as a bank file.
• Print a report of what has been done.

Lets take a simple case first. The following script will:

• Copy and save all standing invoices with Internal Reference "Monthly" as current Invoices for the same customer
• Edit the standing invoice to increment the date by one month and the order number by 1
• Count the number of invoices generated and display that at the end.

Dim InvList as Object
Dim InvForm as Object
Dim Invoice as Object

InvList = CreateObject("Accredo.INInvoiceListForm")
InvList.Selection = "Standing Invoice"
InvList.ToggleShowAll
Invoice = InvList.Invoice

Count = 0

Invoice.First
Do Until Invoice.EOF
  If Upper(Invoice.InternalReference) = "MONTHLY" Then
    Invoice.Open
    InvForm = GetActiveObject
    If IsNull(InvForm) or InvForm.ClassName <> "INInvoiceEntryForm" Then

Error "Bad Karma"

End If
    Count = Count + 1
    InvForm.DuplicateInvoice
    InvForm.Save
    InvForm.Close
    Invoice.Open
    InvForm = GetActiveObject
    If IsNull(InvForm) or InvForm.ClassName <> "INInvoiceEntryForm" Then

Error "Bad Karma"

End If
    InvForm.Edit
    InvForm.OrderNo = Val(InvForm.OrderNo) + 1
    InvForm.DocumentDate = AddMonths(InvForm.DocumentDate,1 ,31)
    InvForm.PeriodID = PeriodName(PeriodForDate(InvForm.DocumentDate))
    InvForm.Save
    InvForm.Close
  End If
  Invoice.Next
Loop
InvList.Close

Print Count & " Invoices Generated"

This process will be quite slow if you have a lot of invoices to create and are working at the form level. Modified to work at the data level the script looks like this:

Dim InvData as Object
Dim Invoice as Object

InvData = CreateObject("Accredo.INInvoiceData")
InvData.IndexName = "TypeCustomerPeriodDocument"
InvData.SetRange("N")
Invdata.FilterSort.Filter = "(DocumentClass=""S"") And (InternalReference=""Monthly"")"

Invoice = CreateObject("Accredo.INInvoiceData")
Invoice.IndexName = "Document"

Count = 0

InvData.First
Do Until InvData.EOF
  Invoice.SetRange(InvData.DocumentID)
  Invoice.DuplicateInvoice
  Invoice.DocumentDate = InvData.DocumentDate
  Invoice.PeriodID = (PeriodForDate(Invoice.DocumentDate))
  Invoice.Save
  Count = Count + 1
  InvData.Edit
  InvData.OrderNo = Val(InvData.OrderNo) + 1
  InvData.DocumentDate = AddMonths(InvData.DocumentDate,1 ,31)
  InvData.PeriodID = PeriodForDate(InvData.DocumentDate)
  InvData.Save
  InvData.Next
Loop
Invoice = Nothing
InvData = Nothing

Print Count & " Invoices Generated"

Some other enhancements you may want to make are:

• Working through a similar process, but working from a single standing invoice attached to a specific customer.
• Printing the resulting invoices as you go.
• Using the cash sale process to post, receipt and allocate the resulting invoices, then linking the resulting banking summary to the customer records and exporting a file of direct debits to load into your banking software.
• If we want to print a report listing the invoices generated, the quickest way to record this is to create the report, add it to a new report list, then edit the report list and copy the code into our script.