2.9.2 - Pushing Big Data with the ItemPath API

March 24, 2023

Having a Motive: Data Push Retries & Filters

Users of the Data Push app can now see more details about transactions that had an export error. When resending these from the Failed Attempts tab of an integration, the status will update as the transaction is re-exported. Refreshing will remove successful transactions from the list.

Data push failed attempts

In the settings of each Data Push integration, users can also filter transactions by Motive Type. This can be used to exclude transactions that are not relevant to the integration, such as deletions or cancellations.

Data push settings filters

As with the History Type filter, you can select multiple values from the dropdown for the motives you wish to include. Leaving the selection blank will include all transactions. (To view a list of all Motive Types in the API reference, click here.)

Data push motive filters 2

Exploring PowerPick Parameters

The Explorer view now includes a "Parameter Value" tab, which shows valies obtained from PowerPick settings. This is useful for seeing what ItemPath reads from PowerPick, for checking PowerPick rules, and for troubleshooting.

Explorer parameter values

New Features

  • A pie chart Dashboard widget with one snapshot using the "group" feature will show different colors for each group/slice of the pie.
  • Reports can now have filters that use the "equals" operator with "None" to filter out null values. Using "None" twice will filter out both null and empty string values.
  • Data Push's performance has been improved by using multiple threads to push data in bulk. Data Push's logging has also been improved by combining the logs into one file and using a backup log file.
  • The "Test" button in Data Push is disabled if there are no history records to push.
  • For Data Push connections test (usually to a /ping endpoint), the self-signed SSL certificate check is overridden. This test also has better error messages.

Bugfixes

  • Some users were having errors with Microsoft OS compatibility with ODBC 18 because of a TLS mismatch, so we've downgraded to ODBC 17 for now.
  • Some Data Push transactions were getting stuck at Export State Type 3 because of an error, which has been resolved.
  • Fixed a bug when resetting a password using the password reset link.
  • "Station" was missing from the history table in Data Push but has been added.
  • Fixed a crash caused by a missing port in a PowerPick connection and fixed the SWL port check.
  • Fixed occasional errors when deleting dashboard views and reports.
  • Because there can be multiple stations with Web Services either enabled or disabled, the "Test" button in the Web Services connection settings now checks if any station's Web Services parameter is set to "true".


Patch 2.9.2.1

New Features

  • Added Motive Type filter to Data Push integration filters
  • Increased performance of Data Push by using multiple threads
  • Combined Data Push logs into one log (instead of two, for sent and response)
  • Added backup file for Data Push logging
  • Reworked Data Push failed attempts page
  • Added Parameter Values to the Explorer
  • Overriding self-signed check for Web Services connection test only

Bugfixes

  • Added Station column type with History baseTable and added Station Name to parameter values
  • Fixed Dashboard view deletion error
  • Fixed error on password reset
  • Web Services connection checks all station parameters to see if any are installed
  • Fixed limit for GET queries that were using "pageSize" instead of "limit"
  • Limited unnecessary re-rending of proxy setting every time a connection is tested


Patch 2.9.2.2

New Features

  • Added HTTP status code to Data Push logs

Bugfixes

  • Set exportStateType to 4 if HTTP status code is any success code in the 200-series, not only 200


Patch 2.9.2.3

New Features

  • Added check for valid URL when testing a connection
  • Added configurable settings to Data Push integrations for timeout, max retries, SSL-verification, max records
  • Data Push records can be retested in bulk by entering multiple IDs separated by commas
  • Data Push logs are now filterable
  • Workflow action can retry Data Pushes using a History report

Bugfixes

  • Fixed workflow deletion failing
  • Fixed pickZone and putZone relationships


Patch 2.9.2.4

New Features

  • Add Access Points to API, Reports, and Data Push


Patch 2.9.2.5

New Features

  • Added "warehouseName" to Location Content API calls

Bugfixes

  • Fixed failed redirect to login page on first user creation
  • Fixed some Data Push bugs, including an error with the Refresh button in the Failed Attempts page
  • Improved some connection settings storage and deletion


Patch 2.9.2.6

New Features

  • Added defaults and placeholders to Data Push settings UI

Bugfixes

  • Re-added orderName to GET /order_lines API call, in the order line's transactions
  • Ensuring http:// exists at start of connection string when testing and generating connection string


Patch 2.9.2.7

New Features

  • Fixed error with workflow & snapshot run times by comparing the trigger time with current UTC time

Bugfixes

  • Fixed error with workflow & snapshot run times by comparing the trigger time with current UTC time
  • Fixed List /order_lines API call failing if "status" parameter wasn't passed


Patch 2.9.2.8

New Features

  • Added Permissions View for User Groups

Bugfixes

  • Fixed snapshot subgrouping errors
  • Fixed errors when changing user details
  • Fixed custom DateTime field so format is ISO 8601


Patch 2.9.2.9

Bugfixes

  • Fix groupby datetime snapshots


Patch 2.9.2.10

New Features

  • Added getCount to all services

Bugfixes

  • Passing a storageUnit now works when creating an Order Line with the API, as well as Order


Updated May 9, 2023

2.9.1 - Visualizing Targets, New Favourites, and Subgroups

February 16, 2023

Targets Acquired

You can now create multiple "trend lines" on widgets that use bar charts, giving them a name and amount so you can see if you're hitting your goals! In this example, you can compare your daily order processing rate to your target rate at a glance, using colour coded lines to see if you're on track. Check out the documentation here to set it up on your dashboard.

Target line 5

Your Personal Favourites

You can now toggle a report as a favourite, which will add it to a list of your favourite reports. This is a great way to keep track of the reports you use most often. You can also add a report to your favourites from the report's settings.

Report favourites

Snapshot Subgrouping

We've improved a feature of snapshots that allows you to group data by a field, and then further group that data by another field. This is useful for widgets that can show data grouped by date field plus a secondary field. For example, here you can see how many orders were processed per hour, and then see how what types of orders those were.

Subgrouped snapshot

New Features

  • We've shifted the way to add filters to reports. Rather than separating multiple values by commas (which is still supported), values can be entered individually and checked or unchecked from a dropdown. Additionally, we now support filtering by "null" in reports.
  • You can set a default warehouse in the settings page, which will be used if no warehouse is specified during order creation.
  • Querying parameters in API calls is now case insensitive, which is especially helpful for Info fields, which previously had to be capitalized.
  • Dashboard widgets will show an error message if the snapshot data fails to load.
  • If a snapshot is set to inactive, it won't show an an option to be added to a widget.
  • We added a verification check to TLS certificates.

Bugfixes

  • We made some fixes to our usage of PowerPick's new "Count Empty Permanent Locations" feature. This includes an issue that could happen when allocating a count order with this feature enabled.
  • As part of the fix for the above, we also improved our PowerPick version-checking method.
  • A bug that was preventing the new Export State Type of some Data Push transactions from being committed has been fixed.
  • Snapshot date groupings will always show in chronological order.
  • It was possible to add an email attachment to a workflow without entering the rest of the required fields. This has been updated so all fields are required.
  • We fixed some issues with checking ports for PowerPick connections. Testing connections is also faster.
  • Exporting some report files wasn't resolving, so we've improved the way we handle this.
  • Pagination in reports was sometimes not working correctly. This has been fixed.
  • An error caused by missing report types has been fixed.
  • We're continuing to make improvements to snapshot data generation.

2.9.0 - Quicker Snapshots & Dynamic Fields Support

January 9, 2023

Improved Performance for Snapshots

Some of our users have experienced delays when loading snapshots data in reports or dashboards. We've made some changes to improve performance, so loading is quick and responsive. We've also added some checks to help users identify what kinds of snapshots might slow things down, and how to adjust them to prevent this.

For example, a snapshot that updates every minute, counting thousands of rows, takes some time. Often a user will set this frequency to get a quick update, but it can slow down the entire application. Now, you have the option to disable a snapshot that isn't in use. Also, snapshots that group data by a date field (e.g. pick transactions grouped per hour) show a warning that they might also slow down the application.

Snapshot grouping warning

Extensive Testing

We've introduced a new automated testing framework that checks for stability, changes, and data integrity. That means putting out releases with confidence that you're getting a stable product.

Dynamic Fields

For users with the Database Configurator module enabled in PowerPick, we've added the use of Dynamic Fields to the API and the Data Push app.* The names of these custom fields are set in PowerPick. They're available in Orders, Order Lines, and Transactions endpoints, which means they can be mapped in Data Push integrations. Dynamic fields can also be added to reports.

*This does require the Custom Fields app in ItemPath.

New Features

  • For compatibility with PowerPick 4.20, the "countEmptyLocations" field is now available in the API for creating count orders. Setting this value to "true" will include empty locations in the count. (By default, the value is "false".) An error will be returned if used with an older version of PowerPick.
  • Users can log in to ItemPath using either their email address or their username.
  • Password reset emails have a different message if no URL path has been set in ItemPath's general settings.
  • The POST /api/orders endpoint accepts many more location attributes, including "locations", "storageUnits", "zones", "areas", "carriers", and "shelves".
  • "directionType" is not a required field when creating a new order. PowerPick will automatically set empty directionType fields to 2 ("Pick").
  • Filtering orders by priority, status and direction type accepts number or text description.
  • Object IDs can be passed in PUT calls. ItemPath will ignore the value to prevent an error.
  • Data Push testing is disabled if there are no history records found.
  • API calls to create orders will now check that PowerPick Web Services is installed.
  • Web Services settings have a checkbox to allow or disable a proxy SSL connection.
  • License status warnings include the license expiry date.
  • Variance reports now can optionally ignore capitalization when comparing materials.

Bugfixes

  • Cleanup of old snapshot data is now broken down into smaller, more frequent cleanup jobs to prevent database locking.
  • Some data was missing in the Explorer. This has been added in, as well as search functionality for the data.
  • When first creating a snapshot, the time selector was not always showing. This would prevent the snapshot from being created but has now been resolved.
  • Snapshots for material reports weren't able to group by location count, but this is now fixed.
  • An error causing importing report templates to fail has been fixed.
  • Filtering between two dates in the API logs now works correctly.
  • A successful connection test will update the status of the connection.
  • An occasional error when setting a connection test endpoint is fixed.
  • New user forms would sometimes hang if no license was entered, but this is fixed so licenses aren't required at this stage.

2.8.6 - Running on API

October 26, 2022

Most of ItemPath's functions run on API calls, so every improvement to the API means the UI will run more smoothly. That's why we've been adding better checks for allowed values, making calls more straightforward and returning more helpful error messages. The updated API reference has a comprehensive list of endpoint attributes and their descriptions, with string limits, possible values, and defaults.

2 8 6 api reference

In the same way, for Report-builders, we've created this list of all the values available for Reports, depending on the theme. The list includes descriptions of PowerPick terms and what integer values represent. As new fields get added and this list expands, so does what you can do with custom Reports, Dashboard views, and automated Workflows.

Automatic Updates

Speaking of automated, this is the beginning of automatic software updates for opted-in users. Regular upgrades means quicker access to new features and bugfixes, starting now. Read on for what's new and improved in version 2.8.6.

New Features

  • When creating Order Lines in the API, either a material ID or a material name can be used. There are also better checks for unique order line numbers and unique serial numbers.
  • When creating Orders in the API and setting the directionType or priority, either integers or strings can be used. Those values are listed here.
  • Material reports and API calls now include a Location Count (locationCount) value, which calculates the number of locations (bins) the material is found in. This can be helpful for making free space.
  • Reports show their creation date, which is helpful for sorting.
  • On-premise SQL server connections can now use more versions of TLS/SSL certificates.
  • Testing Web Services connections generates logs, which available on the logs page and in reports. There are also better log error messages when failing to connect.
  • Data Push testing shows clearer error messages, such as if the history ID is invalid.
  • New API endpoints for handling units have been added to the ItemPath Postman collection.

Bugfixes

  • Several report columns weren't sorting because of missing tables. This fix also fixes "orderBy" queries that weren't working in the API. Also, some report columns weren't deleting properly, but that's also resolved.
  • Resolved a potential issue where snapshots failed to run because of other snapshots running for too long.
  • Reports with Allocated Quantity values can use those values with report filters.
  • The time to load the /api/reports GET call is reduced to about 5% of what it previously was.
  • There are better checks in place for snapshot triggers, making sure the update frequencies are valid to avoid errors.
  • Stacking bar charts in the dashboard can always set unique colours for each snapshot, so you can clearly see each one in the stacks.
  • In odd cases in dashboard widgets where a snapshot's data is a null or erroring value, a "-" will show to indicate this. Before, this might have caused the dashboard to crash.

2.8.5 - Snapshot Storage & Code Clean-Up

October 5, 2022

In addition to some much-needed improvements to the Dashboard's functionality and the snapshots that appear on them, we've been cleaning up our code on the back-end to make ItemPath easier to build and maintain. Part of this cleanup has been squashing sneaky bugs that found their way into ItemPath's UI.

New Features

  • In the ItemPath API, when creating or updating an order, the priority can be set either using an integer (1-4) or a text value ("low", "medium", "high", "hot"). Note: This is also true for setting order direction types (e.g. 2 or "pick").
  • Another improvement to API error messages is a message returned if the body of the request contains escaped characters.
  • When searching for a report column to add to a report filter or snapshot grouping, you can type to search for the column.
  • For users of the Epicor app, if importing orders from a CSV files, ItemPath checks that no orders get imported twice to avoid errors.
  • In Material reports, there's a new LocationCount column that we've created to check on number of locations a material is stored.
  • In LocationContentBreakdown reports, there's a new Pick Quantity and Put Quantity columns for serial/lot numbers.
  • TLS certificates are enabled for the Web Services connection in ItemPath.

Bugfixes

  • Searching reports and workflows would sometimes not return the right results. Now you can easily filter these lists again.
  • Updating a report filter saves correctly instead of returning an empty value.
  • Snapshots calculating a sum of column values can now be shown properly in dashboard widgets.
  • A rare case of snapshot data getting stale and not updating has been fixed. Snapshot data storage is now smarter about its self-cleaning.
  • Some compatibilities with PPG 5 have been fixed, including some database columns being renamed (for example CountEmptyLocations).

2.8.4 - Scheduled Snapshots & New Material Codes

August 30, 2022

Changes to ItemPath updates

We've got some changes coming to the way we release updates to ItemPath, moving to a more automated release cycle. This will make it easier for users to keep up with the latest improvements and allow for better testing. You can expect to hear more details in the coming weeks about how this will affect your installation based on your licenses and service level agreement.

New Features

  • Material codes (a material's alternate lookup codes) can now be updated using the /materials API endpoint. Updating a material's codes deletes previous codes and replaces them. Click here to see how in the API reference.
  • Snapshots now have a setting to generate data at a specific time of day and day of week/month, depending on the frequency.
  • Snapshot caches reset when snapshot settings are updated, so the new settings are applied immediately instead of waiting for the next scheduled trigger.
  • Loading animations have been added in several places throughout ItemPath's interface to indicate that data is being retrieved.
  • An indicator across ItemPath's header indicates whether it is a production or development environment.

Bugfixes

  • The API call to create a new material was requiring the "isBlocked" field. This field is now optional, because PowerPick will set this to "false" by default if nothing is specified. Also, errors around setting the "materialProperty" field have been fixed.
  • Dashboard widgets can no longer reposition themselves when loaded in a different size of window.
  • New user groups weren't saving properly due to a missing field.
  • An error occurring sometimes when updating user passwords has been fixed.

2.8.3 - Dashboard Upgrades & Data Push Resends

July 19, 2022

ItemPath 101: Taking The Course

Take your knowledge of ItemPath from basic to mastery with these new courses.

1. ItemPath Basics. Get started with the core features like reports, dashboards, and workflows with simple, step-by-step guide. Follow along with the examples on your own system to get familiar with how these essential functions work and how you can use them to your best advantage.

Itempath basics course

2. ItemPath API. Discover the full range of the API tool's capability, with examples of key calls to practice and adjust to fit your uses. Take your usage of the API to the next level with these tutorials and tips to avoid common pitfalls and errors.

Itempath api course

3. ItemPath Apps (in progress). Learn how to use the additional features unlocked by your ItemPath app integrations, such as Data Push, Cycle Counts, Lights, and more.

New Features

  • The dashboard has some improvements to make it more responsive. You can expect faster load times and clearer help text.
  • Data Push integrations show transactions that failed to send and allow you to retry them.
  • Widgets in the dashboard now display a message if an invalid chart type is chosen.
  • Snapshots can now be generated at a specific set time (every day/week/month/year).

Bugfixes

  • Settings to connect the Lights (Philips Hue) app have been updated.
  • Exported files now convert the date to the user's time zone, or the global time zone if no time zone is set.
  • Fixed errors in pie and number charts.

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