Project Item Unique Identifier API
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Jake
We have written our own integration with your API where we would like an item to have a unique and un-changeable identifier. In out thinking this would be a incrementing number and when an item is deleted the unique identifier would just be un-used. Component ID works somewhat, however when it needs to change or is deleted we do not have a way to track that change.
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Kevin Frye
complete
This was added in 2020 and available since at least v14.
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Kevin Frye
Thanks for posting this Biagio. Your comment led me to read this post again. Jake we now have SIItemId in the API which is an immutable GUID value used specifically to track items when syncing data between SI and another app. I worked with our team to add this and a bunch of other updates in early 2020. I'm guessing you might already know about it, but if not, now you do. Cheers!
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Kevin Frye
Jake, this already exists. Every item is given an ID called 'id'.
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Jake
Kevin Frye: Kevin, the ID exists, however when we were testing our issue was when an item is deleted the ID's on all products shift to different ID's to stay in numerical order (instead of leaving a blank ID). This threw everything off in our integration. We would like the ID to only be used once in a project and always stay with that particular product and just be a blank/un-used ID if an item is deleted. I will admit, my information is based on tests we were conducting around 4 months ago... If this has been since updated to work the way we hope that's fantastic!!
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Kevin Frye
Jake: Are you using "Project Approval" and real change orders? Can I ask what your integration does?
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Kevin Frye
Jake: I see you guys have a location in Colorado Springs. I live in the Springs. I'll have to stop by...
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Jake
Kevin Frye: Kevin, Thanks for the offer to stop by. Unfortunately, our SLC office is where we are working on the integrations. The Colorado store is just getting going with D-Tools, however we are not sharing databases currently and we are using a lot more features on the back end than they are currently. Our integration is a custom written inventory scanning system where we want to associate an item in our inventory system (POSIM EVO) with an item in D-Tools and track its location in our warehouse and to jobsites. We want to expand this system to trigger events such as emailing project stake holders when all items have arrived or when backorder issues arise. When we were working on this integration project approval was not a D-Tools feature... We are using that feature as well as change orders (and really like it BTW). Has project approval changed the way D-Tools allocated the ID field? IF so, It's time we re-open the process on our end and see if it will now work for us. Currently we are using a stop-gap of printing labels from D-Tools with item info as a QR code and scanning that into our system. This method does not provide the flexibility we need as projects always change and we are reliant on the component ID not being changed by a user, however it's better than nothing at all.
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Kevin Frye
Jake: Thanks for the info Jake. I consult with and train customers (and I am a developer) and constantly looking for ways to improve the software and processes around it. I'm going to loop our API Product Manager in on this conversation (I don't think he is on Canny yet so I will forward via email). He will know more about the technical aspects of how the API functions. Unfortunately I haven't spent much time looking at it.
But I think you are correct in that items which are "approved" should not change when pushed to the API. There should always be a unique 'item id'. Component ID should also work well (just don't change it).
Biagio LaRosa
Jake: It seems as though you are facing/fixing many of exactly the same challenges as we are. Based in Australia, the tyranny of time zones can make it difficult to coordinate wit the DTools folks to position/discuss ideas. While we use a different inventory system, would you be interested in sharing what you have done with your integration so we may potentially be able to leverage it? Happy to look at either a commerical arrangement or perhaps an IP swap with what we have been doing around PowerBI reporting or CRM (ConnectWise) integration which drives massive efficiencies for us.