Chapter 32. Miscellaneous
Prism 2.1.2 User's Guide Chapter 32. Miscellaneous
(This topic is currently being updated for Prism 2.1.2; check back later for an update)
This chapter has topics that overlap multiple areas, or that don't fit neatly into other categories.
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Touch POS | If touch menus are defined on a system, then the Touch Menus button will be displayed on the home screen. After you define at least one touch menu in the preferences area of the Admin Console, the Touch POS button will be available on the POS home screen. |
| Send Sale | Send sale orders are useful when an item is unavailable at one location but available at other locations. |
| Document Lookup | Details about using Advanced Item Lookup to find and list items on documents. |
| Print Tags | Print price tags for items. |
| User-defined fields | Information about user-defined fields, available in vendors, customers and Inventory. |
| Sorting records | Information about changing the sort order of items and records during item and record lookup. |
| Changing Subsidiary and Store | Information about changing the current Subsidiary and Store when working with documents and records. |
| Languages | Information about displaying the user interface in different languages. |
| Shopper Display | Information about using the Shopper Display feature to list item information on the Genius CED. |
| Coupons | Basic information about using coupons with Prism. |
| Titles | Information about defining titles (e.g., Mr., Mrs., Dr.) for use with customers and vendor contact persons. |
| Biometric logon | Information about biometric logon. |
| MySQL | Information about using Prism with a MySQL database and upgrading from MySQL 5.7 to 8.0 |
| ZIP/Postal Code Lookup | The ZIP Code lookup feature enables a user to type in a ZIP Code for a customer or vendor address and Prism will fill in the City and State information. You specify which address fields should be populated with the City and State information (e.g. Address 3) |
| Options Button | Several areas (e.g. Transactions, Purchase Orders, Vouchers) have an Options button that provides access to key tasks. |
| About Screen | The About screen enables you to see the program version, access the help files. |
| Log Files | Prism has several log files. |
| Language | Prism enables you to display the user interface in different languages. |
| Grid Formats | This section has information about working with the grids used to display data in RP Prism.
|
| Uninstall Prism | Information about uninstalling Prism. |
| Prism Logging and Log Fields | Information about log files and changing log levels. |
| Backup and Recovery | Information about backing up a Prism Oracle database. |
| Program Capacities | Information about the limits of key fields in Prism (e.g., maximum number of characters or numbers) |
| Custom HTML Files | Retailers often have customized version of Prism html files that enable the Prism UI to be displayed in the retailer's color scheme, with branding, logos, etc. This topic has information about using these custom files with Prism |
This chapter includes information about features that overlap multiple areas of Prism.
Changing Subsidiary, Store on Documents
Prism records the Subsidiary and Store (and Workstation) of all documents or records created in the system. In previous versions of Prism (prior to 2.0), the Subsidiary and Store entered on the document or record was automatically set to the Default Subsidiary and Default Store as defined in the Workstation record of the currently logged-in user's workstation. The only way to create a document for a different Subsidiary and/or Store was to go into the Workstation record, edit the Default Subsidiary and/or Default Store, log out and then log back in and create the document. After the document or record was complete, the user would have to repeat the process in reverse to create documents again for the original Subsidiary/Store before the change.
Beginning with Prism 2.0, the UI of documents and records includes dropdowns for changing the Subsidiary and/or Store for that specific document or record. If a user selects a different Subsidiary or Store, the change applies only to the current document or record. Any subsequent records or documents created will revert to the user's Default Subsidiary and Default Store as defined in the Workstation record. The appearance and location of the UI element for changing the Sub/Store varies depending on the area. The ability to change the Subsidiary or Store is controlled by specific security permissions for each document or record type.
Below is the top area of a sample purchase order showing a dropdown for changing the Default Store. Purchase Orders are subsidiary-specific, so a user is limited to changing the Default Store.
Store Assignments and Permissions
The Subsidiaries and Stores available for selection are filtered based on:
Store Assignments: Only the stores included in the employee's Store Assignments will be available for selection.
Permissions: Each area in Prism has separate permissions that control the ability of users to change Subsidiary and/or Store. To change the Subsidiary and/or Store for a document or record type, the employee must belong to a group that is assigned the appropriate permissions.
Records which are in a finalized state will be prevented from location changes.
Each area has its own permissions for enabling the changing of Subsidiary and/or Store. To change the Subsidiary/Store for a document or record, the user must be assigned to a group that has the appropriate permission.
The following table lists the areas where a user can change the Subsidiary and/or Store:
| POS Transactions | Disbursements | Time Clock |
| Customers | Merchandise | Departments |
| Vendors | Adjustment Memos | Price Manager |
| Purchase Orders | ASN Vouchers | Vouchers |
| Transfer Slip | Transfer Order | Employee |
| Batch Receiving | Vendor Invoices |
Use Case: Admin User assigned All Stores and All Permissions for Changing Sub/Store
A typical user of this feature is an admin-level user whose Store Assignments include all stores and who has permissions for changing Subsidiary/Store for all areas. If ordinary users (with limited Store Assignments) use this feature, problems could result, especially with "chained" documents (e.g., a multi-store purchase order from which ASNs are generated, and then vouchers are generated from the ASNs, and transfer slips generated from the vouchers.
Viewing Default Subsidiary, Default Store for Workstations
Each workstation running Prism is assigned to a Default Store and Default Subsidiary. To see which Subsidiary and Store is assigned to a workstation, drill down and edit the Workstation record. When a user logs in to Prism and creates a document, the document is created for the Subsidiary and Store shown in the Workstation record.
Replication Considerations when changing Subsidiary or Store
A key concern with this feature is ensuring that records created for non-default locations are replicated to the correct installations (e.g. the POA collecting the data). For example, if a user at Location 1 creates a record for Location 2, then Location 1 must have a profile set up to replicate the appropriate resource to the POA and the profile must be linked to the appropriate connection.
Notes about Changing Subsidiary on POS Transaction in Progress
When a user clicks the Options button on the transaction form, one of the available options is "Change Location -
If a user changes the SBS on a POS Transaction, a prompt will be displayed to explain that the document's existing contents will be cleared.
When changing the SBS on a POS Transaction to a non-default SBS, the first active store for that SBS will be selected.
When changing the SBS on POS Transaction to the default SBS, the default store for the SBS will be selected (e.g. 001).
Changing the SBS on a POS Transaction to a non-default SBS will select the first active store.
Disbursements
When adding a Cash Drop, Paid Out, or other disbursement, click Subsidiary/Store element at the top of the screen to display a modal for choosing a Sub and Store.
Time Clock Records
When viewing Time Clock records, users can click the Subsidiary/Store button to display a modal for choosing a Subsidiary and Store. *Remember, the user must be assigned to the store.
Transfer Orders
When viewing Transfer Orders, click the Subsidiary/Store button to display a modal for selecting a new Subsidiary and Store.
*Remember, the user must be assigned to the store.
Inventory
When viewing Inventory, the user can select a Subsidiary and Store.
*Remember, the user must be assigned to the store.
Inventory is subsidiary specific. In other words, the Inventory list for Subsidiary 1 is kept separate from the Inventory list for Subsidiary 2.
Limitations
When changing to a location that has Centrals enabled, these centrals functions will not be available, unless the original location has the same Centrals server configured for those services. This is because some Centrals parameters are configured at Installation level.
When the new location has Structured Z-Out reports enabled, and Till is part of the definition, the switch to the new location will not be accomplished due to limitations in the Till code.
Considerations
The New Location change is checked only once
Example 1: Location for POS is Allowed/Override, and Customer or Z-out Location change is Denied/Override, the Location change for Customer/Z-out is not checked when a customer is created/ Register is opened from within a new document as it is directly forwarding to Z/out from POS without additional location change checking. Then, if you go back to POS and make a transaction on a location which is just opened register then location change is checked. The Location change is checked when switching location inside the Customer or Z-out module.
Example 2: When creating new inventory and the location is changed in Inventory, the Location change in e.g. DCS or Vendor is not checked when creating a new DCS/Vendor record in Inventory during the creation of the new Inventory record or editing of an existing record. For this case session is not change but subsidiary is changed.
System Generated records (e.g. ‘Generate xxx' via the ‘options' menu) or automatically generated records (e.g. ASNs when Slips are created) will not be checked for Location change permissions
Example 1: PO location change set to Override; TO location change set to Deny.
When creating a Marked for PO for a different location, the user will be asked for the override password. However, when the user generates a TO from that PO (generate TO from the Options menu in the PO), it will be allowed. If the user were to try a Create a new TO, it would be Denied.
Example 2: Location change for Slips is set to allow, but for ASNs, location change is Deny; (with default transfer settings)
If a user creates a Slip, the ASN will automatically be created, regardless what the Location change setting for ASNs is; however, if the user tries to create a new ASN in the ASN module, it would be denied.
In the same example, if the user wanted to generate Slip(s) from that TO, he would be denied permission in the TO module to switch location to view that TO and generate the Slip(s).
For some type of document creation, there are separate permissions to ‘generate' other documents from the Options menu e.g. ASN Vouchers: Generate receiving. Those permissions are considered separately/
Document Lookup Basics
This section has general document lookup information.
Here are some the key features that are make document lookups consistent across Prism:
Search elements have a dropdown for the user to select the desired value (instead of freeform entry, which is prone to typing errors).
Wildcard support is applied consistently across document areas
Pagination is applied when many records are returned
If the selected search element requires an operator, you must set the appropriate operator (e.g. EQUALS or CONTAINS).
Permissions control ability of employees to lookup individual document types.
Each document lookup area has a corresponding Grid Formats preference where you can define the available filters, default filter set, and default visible columns.
Previously, there were small differences in the user interface and workflow in different areas. [Note: This information does not pertain to Transaction Lookup, Pending Transaction Lookup, Time Clock, Disbursement Lookup and Z-Out Lookup. Those areas have a predefined interface]
Using Advanced Item Search to add or edit Inventory
Note: This feature is not available in the POS or Physical Inventory areas
Prism's Advanced Item Search has been enhanced in Prism 2.1. Previously, users could only look up items when searching Inventory, Now, users when they go to search for an item, can add an item, edit an item, etc. Users can then return to the document while the changes to inventory are saved and/or the new/changed item is brought back to the document.
Use Case: Add a new item to Inventory while making a Purchase Order
A user searches for an item to add it to a purchase order; however, the search yield no results because the item does not yet exist in Inventory. The user can click the New button on the Search screen to add a new item. Alternatively, the user can click Style Lookup, then click New to add a new style.
Sample Inventory Search screen with buttons for New, Edit and Activate/Deactivate:
If the user clicks the New button, the UI is refreshed.
At the top are fields for entering Doc Qty, Doc Cost and Doc Price for the current document. The rest of the UI is the same as one would see in Inventory when creating a new item.
Users can Cancel or Save as needed. After clicking Save, click Return to Document.
Sample Inventory screen with Doc Qty, Doc Cost and Doc Price fields as well as Return to Document button:
Advanced Item Inventory Add or Edit Inventory Features
This feature is available when using Advanced Item Search on the following document types: Purchase Orders, Transfer Slips, Transfer Orders, Vouchers, ASNs and Qty/Price/Cost Adjustment Memos.
Items can be given document quantity on the document
New Items can be created and added to the document
New Styles can be created and added to the document
New DCS and Vendor Codes can be created
The user's security permissions are checked if the user tries to create a new item, edit an existing item, or activate/deactivate an item
Document Lookup Basics
When you access an area like Purchase Order Lookup or Transfer Slip Lookup, you will see a screen that is split into two panes. The left pane is for defining search criteria. The right pane is for displaying the results of your search. (The elements on each side of the screen can be customized in Grid Format preferences. More on that later)
The Filters area (left) and Results pane (right)
Click the Search By dropdown to see a list of the available filter elements.
Use the scrollbar or arrow keys to view the list. Click the desired element (or press
An alternative method is to start typing the name of the desired element in the text box. The list of elements is filtered automatically. Select the desired element and press
When you select a filter element, the element is added to the filter pane.
Next, select an operator for the element and enter a value. The operator that is selected will determine how the search is performed. In the example shown below, the "Modified By" element has been added to the filter and the operator is set to Equals. Clicking the dropdown displays a list of employees. The user can scroll the list and click on the desired employee to search for documents modified by that employee.
Alternatively, you can begin typing the first few characters of the employee's first name. Prism automatically filters the list. Highlight the desired entry and press
Click the Search button. A list of matching records is displayed. The current document is excluded from the results. Note: If the results list is long, use the pagination buttons to navigate the list.
Search Element Operators
When you add a search element to the interface, you must also select an operator. For most elements, you can select the desired value from a dropdown menu. This is easier than typing the value and avoids user-entry errors.
Operator Description
Equals Use this operator if you only want to include documents that exactly match the entered filter element value. For example, entering a document number and setting the operator to "Equals" will return only that specific document.
Contains Use this operator if you want to include documents that have the entered string in filter. You can use this operator with elements like "PO No," "ASN No," etc. For example, entering "101" and selecting "Contains" will return documents numbered 101, 1010, 1011, 1012, 1013, etc.
Any element that involves selecting a specific record will not have the "Contains" operator. This includes the elements Modified By, Vendor Code, DCS and Store.
Is Empty Use this operator if you only want to include documents or records that do not have an entry for the selected filter element.
This is a Boolean operator. If you select it, the user input text box is automatically disabled.
Is Not Empty Use this operator if you only want to include documents or records that have an entry for the selected filter element. If the selected filter element is not empty, the document will be included in the search.
This is a Boolean operator. If you select it, the user input text box is automatically disabled.
Document Lookup User Interface Elements
Element Description
Click the bracket (<) to hide the Filter pane. This enable allows more of the screen to be used for displaying results.
Click the Filter > button to display the Filter pane.
From the drop-down, select the desired filter element. The default elements available for selection vary by document lookup area but will typically include elements like the document number, Associate, store, etc. You can change the elements available in the Search By dropdown by editing the appropriate Grid Formats preferences.
Active: Only active documents are included in the search (default)
Inactive: Only inactive documents are included in the search.
All: Both active and inactive documents are included in the search.
Clear: Clears the Results pane, enabling you to do a new search.
Search: Searches using the defined filters.
Click the ‘+' to add another of the same element to the UI. For example, adding two PO No elements enables you to search for two individual documents.
Click the ‘X' to remove an element.
Do I have to add the Search By elements to the UI each time?
No. When a user goes back into the area for subsequent searches, the same UI element used before will still be there; however, the operator is always set to the default and will need to be changed, if needed.
Wildcard Support
You can use the asterisk (*) as a wildcard character if the Search By field is a string field. You cannot use the wildcard character in number or date fields.
Document Numbers
When including the document number you can filter the document list by a range of numbers, or by whether the document has a number (ISEMPTY, ISNOTEMPTY).
When RANGE is selected as the operator, if you enter only the starting number of the range, all documents from that number to the end of the set will be included. If you enter only the ending number of the range, all documents from the beginning of the set up to and including that number will be included.
If you select ISEMPTY, the filter will include documents with a number. (Note: This is an abnormal situation. Typically, all documents will have a number)
Date Ranges
You can enter a Start Date and End Date to match documents created or modified within the date range.
Grid Format Preferences
Grid Format preferences determine the fields that will be available as filter fields in document lookup areas. The fields in the "Selected" list will be available for selection (in the desired order) in the "Search By" dropdown in Purchase Order Lookup:
The screenshot below shows the fields available in the Search By dropdown in Purchase Order Lookup. Notice how they match the fields in the "Selected" area of Grid Format preferences.
Show Columns
You can also customize the columns that are displayed in the Results grid and the fields that can be added to the grid by users on-the-fly.
Notice how the fields displayed in the results pane are the exact same fields currently selected in the Show Columns area of Grid Formats.
Default Document Lookup Filters
The following tables show the default fields that are available for selection in the "Search By" dropdown in each document lookup area.
Memo Lookup
Field Type
Created Date Range Date picker
Created By Input
Memo No Range Number
Memo Type Input
Associate Drop-down
Status Drop-down
Reason Drop-down
Store Code Input
Held Drop-down
Purchase Order Lookup
Field Type
Active | Inactive | All Button
PO No Input
Vendor Code Drop-down
Associate Drop-down
Modified By Drop-down
Modified Datetime #19194 Date picker
Pending Purchase Order Lookup
Field Type
Modified Datetime Date picker
Active | Inactive | All Button
PO No Input
Vendor Code Drop-down
Associate Drop-down
Modified By Drop-down
Held Radio
Voucher Lookup
Field Type
Voucher No Input
PO No Input
Vendor Code Drop-down
Associate Drop-down
Modified By Drop-down
Modified Dt Date picker
Pkg No / Shipment No Input
Tracking No Input
Active|Inactive|All Button
Pending Voucher Lookup
Field Type
Voucher No Input
PO No Input
Vendor Code Drop-down
Associate Drop-down
Modified By Drop-down
Modified Dt Date picker
Pkg No / Shipment No Input
Tracking No Input
ASN Lookup
Field Type
Voucher No Input
PO No Input
Vendor Code Drop-down
Associate Drop-down
Modified By Drop-down
Modified Dt Date picker
Pkg No / Shipment No Input
Tracking No Input
Active | Inactive | All Button
Pending ASN Lookup
Field Type
Voucher No Input
PO No Input
Vendor Code Drop-down
Associate Drop-down
Modified By Drop-down
Modified Dt Date picker
Pkg No / Shipment No Input
Tracking No Input
Slip Lookup
Field Type
Created Date Date picker
Created By Drop-down
Modified Date Date picker
Modified By Drop-down
Slip No Input
From Store Input
To Store Input
Pending Slip Lookup
Field Type
Created Date Date picker
Created By Drop-down
Modified Date Date picker
Modified By Drop-down
Slip No Input
From Store Input
To Store Input
Transfer Order Lookup
Field Type
Created Date time Date picker
TO# Input
PO# Input
Associate Drop-down
From Store Input
Print Tags
Using the RP Prism tag printing feature, users can print tags in the following areas:
POS
Inventory
Vouchers
Purchase Orders
When printing tags, users have the following options:
On-Hand Quantity: The number of tags printed for each item will be equal to the current on-hand quantity in Inventory.
Document Quantity: The number of tags printed for each item will be equal to the quantity for the item on the current document.
Copies: Prints the number of copies specified. Users can adjust the number of copies up or down.
Basic Steps for Printing Tags in RP Prism
1. Assign default print designs for each area in preferences.
2. Use the Print Tags button in Inventory, Purchasing, Receiving or POS. To print tags for a selected item, select the item on the document, click the Options button and select Print Tags. When printing tags, select a tag design and the number of tags to print: On-Hand Qty, Doc Qty, or a specific number of copies.
3. Attach the printed tags to the appropriate merchandise.
(See the "Printing" section in Chapter 2. POS Basics for more information.)
RP Prism Default Tag Designs
Design Description
Normal Basic Standard tag design
Small Basic A smaller tag design than Normal. Useful for smaller items like gloves, socks, etc.
Jewelry Basic A small tag design that is especially useful for tagging small jewelry items like rings and necklaces
Print Tags from POS
Price tags are typically printed when items are received, prior to being put on the sales floor. Occasionally however, Associates need to print at tags at POS. For example, a price tag might be missing or damaged too badly to scan. Note: You must first highlight or select the item on the transaction.
In the displayed dialog, select a Print Design and Printer. If printing tags at POS, select the Document Quantity radio button. You can optionally select to print a specific number of tags.
Assign Default Designs for Tags
You can assign a default design for printing inventory, purchase order and voucher tags. For example, a jewelry store can assign the Jewelry Basic design as the default.
Steps Instructions Screen Elements
1. Launch the Prism server and log in.
Click the Retail Pro button in the lower right corner.
2. Click the Administration Console button.
3. Select Node Preferences and then expand the Hardware node.
4. Select the Print Preferences node.
5. Scroll down to the Inventory tags, Purchase Order tags and Voucher tags areas.
Select the tag template that you want to use for each drop-down:
Print Design
Email
Preview Design
In the Default Action dropdown, select the default action that Prism should take when the user clicks the Print button: Print, Preview, Email, or Print dialog.
6. Click the Save button.
Options Button
Several areas of Prism have an Options button available on the bottom toolbar. The Options button provides easy access to key tasks related to each record type. Using the Options button, you don't have to back out to the Prism home screen to access certain key tasks. The specific options available vary by area.
When you click the Options button, a pop-up menu of available tasks is displayed.
Available Commands on Option Button Menu
Area Options button includes:
Transactions Transaction Lookup
Pending Transactions
Print Tags
Gift Card Balance check (if use of EFT or central gift cards is enabled)
Central Gift Card Details
Apply Promotions (if transaction is eligible for promotion and system is configured to apply promotions manually.
POs Purchase Order Lookup
Pending Purchase Orders
Generate ASN Voucher
Generate Transfer Order
Print Tags
Vouchers Voucher Lookup
Pending Vouchers
Shipping Packages
Print Tags
Generate Transfer Order
Batch Receiving Mark All ASN
Unmark All ASN
ASNs ASN Lookup
Pending ASNs
Shipping Packages
Generate Voucher
Print Tags
Transfer Orders Generate Slips
Transfer Orders Lookup
Transfer Slips Transfer Slip Lookup
Pending Transfer Slips
Reverse Transfer Slip
Print Tags
Inactive Buttons
The buttons are only active at certain times. For example, when creating customer, users cannot access customer lookup.
Tills
Prism users can add new tills and edit existing tills. This enables retailers to change the names of tills and add or remove tills to meet the changing needs of stores. Different retailers have different strategies for naming tills: tills may be assigned a name that reflects its physical location in the store, or even the name of the employee who always uses that till. Adding or editing tills must be made at the store level.
Till vs. Cash Drawer
Users will encounter the terms "till" and "cash drawer" in the interface and documentation. A till is the tray (containing cash) that a cashier or manager puts in the cash drawer.
New Till
In the Admin Console, drill down to the desired store level.
Select Node Preferences > Reporting > X/Z-Out.
Scroll down to the Tills section.
Click the Plus icon.
Enter a name for the till. Click Save. By default, new tills are active. You can clear the Active checkbox, if needed.
Save the changes to preferences.
Edit a Till
To edit a till, click the pencil icon for the desired till.
Change Till/Drawer at POS
By default, the drawer and till assigned in preferences is used by the Prism Client. If needed, you can change the drawer and/or till.
From the RP Prism home screen, select POS > Change Till / Drawer.
Select a different Drawer or Till from the drop-down.
Click the Save button.
Cash Drawers
Prism comes supports up to two cash drawers per workstation.
Basic steps for working with cash drawers:
1. Install the correct drivers for the cash drawer and connect the drawer to the Prism workstation.
2. Access the Workstation record, select the HAL Settings tab, and then select the Cash Drawers tab. Enter a time out value for each drawer and then select Save.
3. Assign a cash drawer to individual employees in the employee record.
Configure Tenders that cause Cash Drawer to Open
Some tenders (e.g., credit card) do not involve the cash drawer. In Prism Preferences & Settings > Transactions > Tenders > Requirements, users can select which tenders will cause the cash drawer to open at POS.
Open Cash Drawer with no Sale
Users who belong to a group assigned the "POS - Open Cash Drawer (No Sale)" permission can pop the cash drawer manually at any time using the Drawer Open button (e.g., to give a customer four quarters in exchange for a dollar bill).
Note: In addition, the cash drawer must be configured correctly in HAL Settings for the Drawer Open button to be enabled.
"Open Cash Drawer Prevents New Receipt" preference
In Preferences & Settings > Transactions > General, there is a preference called "Open Cash Drawer Prevents New Receipt." If selected, users are prevented from starting a new transaction if the cash drawer is open. This preference requires that users also select the Cash Drawer Status Enabled preference (Node Preferences > Hardware > General).
Cash Drawer Status Enabled
For the "Open cash drawer prevents new receipt" preference to work, the checkbox "Cash Drawer Status Enabled" must be selected. The Cash Drawer Status Enabled checkbox is located in Preferences & Settings > Hardware > General and is selected by default. If a user clears the Cash Drawer Status Enabled checkbox, then even if "Open cash drawer prevents new receipt" is selected, the program will allow a user to create a new receipt if the cash drawer is open.
"Claim at Startup" setting for Cash Drawers
Multiple proxies can access the same cash drawer on a POS workstation via the "ClaimAtStartup" setting in the OPOSConf.ini file.
Example:
[CshDrwr1]
LDN=A798-1
ClaimTimeout=10
Actv=1
ClaimAtStartup=1
If the ClaimAtStartup value is 1, the Proxy claims the cash drawer at proxy startup time, and holds it until the proxy terminates. This allows faster response to drawer open and status requests. If this value is 0, or the field is not present (as in the field for current users), the Proxy claims the cash drawer at each drawer open or status request and releases it again when the action is complete. This allows multiple proxies to access the same cash drawer, if required. Note: You must manually edit the OPOSConf.ini file (under the CASH DRAWER section) to include this option and parameter.
Pass-through Cash Drawers ("Kick" Codes)
A "pass-through cash drawer uses a special type of connection for power. Instead of connecting to the workstation via a USB cable, a pass-through cash drawer connects to a receipt printer via an RG-12 telephone line cable. When the workstation updates a receipt and sends a command to open the cash drawer, the signal passes through the printer and continues to the connected cash drawer, triggering the drawer to open.
To use a pass-through cash drawer with Prism, Prism must send a kick code to your printer. The printer will then send an impulse to the cash drawer to pop it open. You need to define the correct kick code for the device. You can find the kick code by looking in the printer's manual, or by calling the printer's manufacturer.
Basic Steps for configuring pass-through cash drawer that use kick codes:
1. Install the printer's drivers and connect the printer to the Prism workstation and to the cash drawer. When using a pass-through cash drawer, the printer is usually connected to the cash drawer via a RJ-12 phone jack that provides power.
2. Navigate to Workstation Preferences > HAL for the workstation. Select the Cash Drawers tab.
3. Click Add Direct Cash Drawer.
4. Enter the Hardware ID, Kick Code and select the Printer. Save the changes. The Printer you added is now displayed in the list.
Upon detection of a Direct cash drawer, the proxy will configure Cash Drawer 1 to use the Direct Cash Drawer plugin; otherwise, the proxy will use OPOS as default. When the proxy starts up, it looks for a direct cash drawer configuration in the HAL. If found, it configures Prism to configure its two Cash Drawer slots as Direct; if not, the two slots are configured as OPOS.
The Kick Code (or Open Drawer Code) is a value composed of one or more integers, typically five. Each integer in the Kick Code string in Prism should be represented by a slash followed by exactly three digits; therefore, integer values below 100 must be padded with leading zeroes.
Examples:
Printer Name "Open Drawer" code "Kick" code
Star TSP-100 7 /007
Epson T88iiiP / TM-U200D 27,112,0,64,240 /027/112/000/064/240
Assign Till or Drawer to User
Each cash drawer being used must be configured in workstation HAL Settings. Each employee can be assigned a single till and cash drawer in the employee record. By default, Drawer 1 is assigned but no Till is assigned.
1. Navigate to Store Operations > Employees > Employee Mgmt. Display the Employee record of the desired user.
2. Click Edit. Select a drawer and/or till from the dropdown.
3. Save the changes.
Sample employee record showing Till and Drawer fields.
About Screen
You can view version information and other key info about RP Prism via the "About" screen.
Select the Retail Pro button in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Click the Help button
click the About button
Version information and other info are displayed. Select the OK button to close.
Log Files
Prism maintains various log files that can assist with monitoring and troubleshooting. Log files tend to be found in various locations; therefore the Prism Tech Toolkit includes a Log Viewer tool that makes it easy to navigate and view log files.
The following table lists the primary log files found in Prism:
Log File Location Description
License Server …\ProgramData\RetailPro\Server\Logs Log files related to the Prism License Server
Prism BackOffice …\ProgramData\RetailPro\Server\Logs Log files related to the Prism Backoffice service (primarily used for Store Operations tasks).
Prism Common \ProgramData\RetailPro\Server\Logs Log files related to Prism DRS, used during data replication.
Prism DRS \ProgramData\RetailPro\Server\Logs Log files related to Prism DRS, used during data replication.
PrismMQ Producer \ProgramData\RetailPro\Server\Logs Log files related to the Prism POSV1 services (primarily used for POS tasks).
PrismMQ \ProgramData\RetailPro\Server\Logs Log files related to PrismMQ messaging service (used during replication).
PrismPOSv1 \ProgramData\RetailPro\Server\Logs Log files related to the Prism POSV1 services (primarily used for POS tasks).
Prism Resiliency \ProgramData\RetailPro\Server\Logs Log files related to the Prism Resiliency Server.
Prism Scheduling \ProgramData\RetailPro\Server\Logs Log files related to the Prism Scheduling service.
Prism Web Module \ProgramData\RetailPro\Server\Logs Log files related to the Prism Web client.
OPOSCsdDraw \ProgramData\RetailPro\HardwareServices\Logs Log files related to OPOS cash drawers.
OPOSLineDsp \ProgramData\RetailPro\HardwareServices\Log Log files related to OPOS line displays.
PIAPI \ProgramData\RetailPro\HardwareServices\Logs Log files related to physical inventory.
PrismProxy \ProgramData\RetailPro\HardwareServices\Logs Logs activity when a user starts a session in the Prism Proxy.
Prism Tech Toolkit \ProgramData\RetailPro\TechToolkit\Logs Logs activity when a user starts a session in the Prism Tech Toolkit
Installer Programs C:\Users\sysadmin\Documents A separate log file is created for each Prism component installed. The default location for the log files is C:\Users\sysadmin\Documents and it can be modified at run time within the Autorun.exe modal.
Viewing Log Files
The easiest way to view log files is using the Prism Technician's Toolkit. To launch the toolkit point your web browser to
Click the Logs tab on the top menu. If prompted to log in, enter your credentials again.
Alternatively, you can navigate to the location of the desired log file and view the file using a text editor like Notepad++.
Log Entry Types
Type Description
Error Used to log errors and error related information. Developers should be using Error in TRY>EXCEPT blocks.
Warn Used to log warnings or irregular flow control
Info Used to log information NOT related to other entry types. Developers should use this to log additional information. This should be used the least of all logging methods.
Flow Used to log flow control markers in the code execution. Developers should use this to track the flow of code execution through blocks of code that are NOT the normal path. This should not be used to track every If/Case/Repeat/Do operation. Care should be used inside of high performance loops to not bog down the execution. Instead log before and after and use Debug for the inside of the loop.
Entry Used to track the entry point in a method. Developers should use this as the first line in each method.
Exit Used to track the exit point of a method.
Debug Used to log developer debug information. Developers can add these to provide additional debug information at runtime. These should be removed once a problem has been debugged
Log Levels
The following logging levels are supported.
Log Level Description
0 None. No log entries will be written to the log. The log file will not exist
1 Minimal. Logs only events at the Error level.
2 Normal. Logs events at the Error and Warning levels.
3 Verbose. Logs events at the Error, Warning, Info, Flow, Entry and Exit levels.
4 Debug. Logs events at the Error, Warning, Info, Flow, Entry, Exit and Debug levels.
PrismLogging.ini
A single configuration file, prismlogging.ini, has configuration settings that enable you to customize and fine-tune the logging process. PrismLogging.ini has a [global] section containing all log keys. These are used by all services and apps using the Logger unless a different setting has been entered in the file for the service. When first installed, PrismLogging.ini will have only the [global] section with default log settings. The global values can be edited, or specific service settings can be added and edited, manually or by using Web TTK. Beneath the global section are sections for each individual service. You can configure settings for individual services that will override the global settings. This file is created in …\ProgramData\RetailPro\Server\Conf.
If a user changes the PrismLogging.ini or a service .ini file, the changes are loaded dynamically. There is no need to restart the service. This applies to all Prism services. Note: The PrismLicenseService and PrismResiliencyService only dynamically re-load log settings, not other settings.
Field Description
LOGLEVEL None = 0 No log entries will be written to the log. The log file will not exist
Minimal = 1 Logs only Error
Normal = 2 Logs Error, Warn
Verbose = 3 Logs Error, Warn, Info, Flow, Entry, Exit
Debug =4 Logs Error, Warn, Info, Flow, Entry, Exit, Debug
Default = 2
RETAINXLOGS The Prism Logger maintains logs by keeping the most recent RetainXLogs
A service starts.
A service is running and a new log file is created. (A new log is created when the current log file has reached the specified max size or max number of lines.)
A service stops.
Examples:
RetainXLogs=11 // Keeps the current log file and the most recent 10 others, for a total of 11.
RetainXLogs=0 // A setting of 0 or less than 0 turns off the feature and log files for the service accumulate indefinitely. A setting of 0 would be pointless because it would direct the Logger to continually check the RetainXLog setting while a service is running and then delete a log files shortly after it is created. If the intent is to remove all log files, there is a feature in TechToolKit to do this logs or this can be done once manually then use RetainXLogs to manage log files going forward
RetainXLogs=1 // Keep only the current, that is, last log file. Not a wise setting, for illustration purposes only.
RetainXLogs can be viewed and edited either manually in a service's config / INI file or in TechToolKit's ServiceManager tool.
BUFFERSIZE BufferSize refers to how many log lines to hold in memory before flushing the buffer.
0 or 1 - write each line to the log immediately
N (N>1) - retain N log lines in memory, write them either when more than N lines are accumulated or after 10 seconds has passed since last write to disk, whichever happens first.
Default = 100
LOGPAYLOADS Default = True
FORCELOGINFO ForceLogInfo, when true, means log calls with Info Log Entry Type will be logged regardless of the log level. Default = False
DEBUGSTACKTRACEACTIVE False - When exception is detected only write the error message
True - When exception is detected write the error message and a stack trace
Default = False
MAXLINESPERLOG The MaxLinesPerLog number rotates the service's log files when it reaches above
MAXENTRYLENGTH Number of lines after which the current log file will be closed and new file will be created for continued logging. Note: It is not recommended to set max lines per log to less than 100 or 1000 lines - doing so will cause log files to rotate too quickly. Default = 100000 lines.
LOGFILEDIR The LogFileDir enables the logger to write to an alternate log folder. Normally the LOGFILEDIR key should be blank which means the default server\logs folder will be used. The intent is that this should only be updated by TTK webclient. However manual edit is possible and will work.
Logging to the new folder will take effect when the service or app is restarted.
If the alternate logs folder does not exist when entered, the Tech Toolkit API will create it. The Tech Toolkit API validates the LOGFILEDIR can be written to and raises an exception to the webclient's PUT request if the folder is not writable. The path must be the full path with no references to environment variables. If the api can't create the directory or can't write to it or if the path is otherwise invalid, the default Prism Logs folder will be used.
Setting this key in a service's section is ignored.
Language
Prism includes complete language sets which a user can select and use immediately after installation. When using a translation, all the field labels, buttons and messages are displayed in the selected language. Currently, the only language options available in Prism are English, Spanish and French.
Selecting a Language during Installation
When installing the Prism Server, you are prompted to select a default language (English or Spanish).
You can change the default language, if necessary, in Prism Preferences or switch to a different language at POS.
Set a default language:
Steps Instructions Screen Elements
1. Launch the Prism server and log in.
Select Administration Console.
2. Select Language & Locale.
3. Select a Default Language from the drop-down.
4. Touch or click the Save button.
To change languages at POS:
Steps Instructions Screen Elements
1. Touch or click the Retail Pro button in the lower-right corner..
2. Select Language from the Prism menu.
3. Select the desired language.
The interface now displays labels in the selected language.
Titles
You can assign a Title to Vendor and Customer records. The Titles available for selection are those defined in Node Preferences > Data Types.
When editing a Customer or Vendor record, the titles defined in preferences will be available for selection in the Title dropdown.
Titles are one of the resources that are based on a local sequence in RIL, not a global sequence. As a result, it is important to make any changes, including adding or removing records, in either Prism or RIL, but not both systems. If you make some changes in Prism and some in RIL, the changes may not be written to the database correctly. For example, if you mistype a title in Prism, say, "Drr." instead of "Dr", then the mistyped entry will still be replicated to RIL and added to the list of titles. If you edit the title in RIL to the correct form of "Dr.", then the database will show two entries: Drr. and Dr.
User-Defined Fields (UDFs)
User-defined fields (UDFs) enable retailers to define their own custom fields that are specific to their business or industry. UDF fields are assigned a label and a value (or date). These fields store virtually any type of data that the retailer needs to store. User-defined fields are available for the Inventory, Vendors, and Customers areas. UDF field definitions are copied from RIL to Prism during initialization. You can edit the field labels and a list of entries to be available for selection for the Inventory and Vendor fields in the Admin Console preferences area.
The fields are assigned to either the UDF1-8 fields or Aux1-12 fields. The UDF1-2 fields are for creating your own date fields, for storing things such as birthdays or anniversaries. The UDF3-8 and Aux1-12 fields are text fields.
In Customers, 20 user-defined fields are available (UDF 1-UDF8 and Aux1-Aux12). See Chapter 7. Customers for information.
In Vendors, 8 user-defined fields are available (UDF1-UDF8). See Chapter 10. Inventory for information.
In Inventory, 15 user-defined fields are available (UDF1-UDF6 and Aux1-Aux9). See Chapter 10 Inventory for information.
In Employees, 18 user-defined fields are available (UDF 3-UDF 8-an Aux1-Aux12). See Chapter 9. Employees for information.
Basic Steps for UDFs
1. Navigate to the appropriate area of preferences (e.g. Merchandise > Inventory > UDF).
1. Define the menu label. Click in the desired UDF field and type the text for the menu label.
2. Select the UDF field you defined in the dropdown.
3. Define the individual entries that will be available for selection in the UDF field.
Permissions for Manually Entering UDF Values
A set of permissions control the ability of employees to make free-form entries in UDF fields in inventory, vendors and customers. Unless a user has the "Allow Manual Entry of UDF Values" permission for the area, the user will be limited to the dropdown selections in UDF fields. Using these new permissions helps ensure consistency in UDF field entries, which in turn helps produce consistent and meaningful reports.
ZIP Code Lookup
The ZIP Code lookup feature enables a user to type in a ZIP Code for a customer or vendor address and Prism will fill in the City and State information. In Admin Console > Node Preferences > System > General, specify which address fields should be populated with the City and State information (e.g. Address 3).
Using ZIP Code lookup has several benefits:
Ensures addresses have correct address information. It is easier to correctly enter a five-digit ZIP Code than the city, state and zip.
Ensures state information is entered in a consistent format (e.g. California is entered as CA, instead of California, Calif., CAL or other variation).
Basic Steps
1. Enable the ZIP Code lookup in preferences.
2. Use the Data Utilities - ZIP Code Injection feature in Tech Toolkit to populate the database with ZIP Code data (approximately two hours required; plan accordingly)
3. When entering a customer or vendor address, you must enter complete postal codes 5 digits for US and 7 digits for Canada including the space.
Enable ZIP Code Lookup in Preferences
1. Navigate to Admin Console > Node Preferences > System > General.
2. Click the Enable Postal Code Lookup checkbox.
3. In the City dropdown, select the Address field where the City information will be written.
4. In the State dropdown, select the field where the State information will be written.
5. In the State Format dropdown, select Full or Abbreviated. Save the changes.
Sample System > General preferences:
Populate the database with ZIP Code data
Populating the database with ZIP Code data takes one to two hours. Plan accordingly.
Before you can run the Data Utilities tool to populate the database with ZIP Code data, you need a database connection (not a REST connection). Add a new connection or edit an existing connection so that the Type field is set to "Database."
1. Launch the Prism Technician's Toolkit.
2. Select Data Utilities > ZIP Code Injection.
Click Execute Zip Code Injection.
ZIP Code Injection will take between 1 and 2 hours depending on several factors. Once completed there is a message dialog indicating the data has been injected.
Postal Code Lookup at POS
Start a new customer (or vendor) record or edit an existing record. Customers and vendors can have multiple addresses. Add a new address or edit an existing address.
In the Postal Code field, enter a complete five-digit ZIP Code for the U.S. or seven-digit code for Canada. Navigate out of the Postal Code field. The City and State information is automatically entered in the field(s) specified in preferences. During address creation/edit, if the entered ZIP Code matches a specific City and State and then the user edits the City/State values to differ from the automatically populated values, the manually entered values take precedent.
Multiple matches during lookup
In some cases, a single postal code will match multiple locales. If that happens, a list of the matching results is displayed so the user can select the desired locale to use to populate the City and State info.
Program Updates
From time-to-time, Retail Pro releases updates for the RP Prism application. These updates include bug fixes, new features, enhancements to existing features, and other code changes. Retail Pro issues an email announcement when these updates are released along with a link to the download.
About Update Release Cycle (URCs) and Client Controlled Release (CCU)
There are two types of Prism releases: Update Release Cycle (URC) and Client Controlled Release (CCU).
A URC is intended as an update for all users and is signified by an increment in the Prism version number (e.g. from 1.14.7 to 2.0).
CCU releases are special builds that address a specific urgent problem experienced by a specific customer. If the fix for the customer provides benefit for the general user base, then the release becomes a General CCU and is made available for download.
Release Notes
Both URCs and CCUs include release notes. For URCs, the release notes include a list of bug fixes, information about new features, enhancements, and changes to the API or database schema.
Install Update
Before installing an update, make sure you back up your Prism files. In addition, you will need your Client ID and License Code to install Prism 2.0 and above.
Navigate to the location of the Autorun.exe file. Right-click the Autorun.exe file and select Run as Administrator (Windows 10 only needs to use the Run as Administrator option). The Prism installer screen is launched. This is the same screen you see when you installed Prism the first time. We will go over each component.
Apache
Check the Apache version. From time-to-time, updates of Apache are necessary. If the new version of Prism uses the same version of Apache, you don't have to update Apache. However, if the Apache version has changed, you will have to uninstall the old version of Apache, and then install the new version included in the update. When you go to install the Prism server update, the installer will alert you if an update of Apache is required.
Prism Server
The first part of the installation involves a validation of licensing. Users are required to enter a valid Client ID and License Code. Once licensing is validated, users can typically just click the Next button on each screen and wait for the install to complete.
Prism Proxy
The Prism Proxy facilitates communication between workstations and hardware devices (as well as other functions). When installing an update, you can typically just click the Next button on each screen. The only exception would be in a multi-proxy environment in which a single Proxy workstation (e.g. the workstation with a Printer) has connections to multiple POS workstations. In that case, if the number of Proxies is being added to or reduced, then you will have to make those adjustments in the Proxy installer UI.
Document Designer
If you are using Document Designer, when installing the update, you can just click the Next button on each screen.
Launching RP Prism after installing Update
After installing the update, wait for the Apache and Prism services to start and then launch the Proxy. If you see a message that the Proxy is unable to connect to the server, this typically means one of the necessary services used by RP Prism (e.g., Prism License Service) is not started. Make sure all the necessary Retail Pro Prism and Oracle services are configured to start automatically and then restart the Proxy.
Grid Formats
This section has information about working with the grids used to display data in Prism.
Configuring default grids in RP Prism Preferences
Customizing grids in individual areas of Prism
Configuring Default Grid Formats in Preferences
A separate area of preferences enables you to define default grid formats for each of the individual areas of Prism. When configuring grid formats, you can select:
Number of Results per Page: This controls how many records will be displayed on a single page when many records are listed in the grid. Multiple pages will be used, if needed, with the user able to navigate between pages.
Available: These are the columns that are available for selection in the list of Selected Items.
Selected: These are the columns that will be available for selection when a user is working with the grid type.
Default Visible: Select the check box for each column that you want to be visible in the grid. If a column's checkbox is not selected, then the column will not be displayed, but will be available for selection by the user when using that grid type. The list of columns in this box is the same as in the Selected columns list. As you move columns to/from the list of Selected columns, the Default list is updated, too. These are the columns that will be displayed by default in the grid. Prism users can change the columns by selecting the hamburger icon in the upper-right edge of the grid.
Changing the Order of Columns in Grids
In the Selected Columns area, you can adjust the order of the columns in the grid.
Steps Instructions Screen Elements
1. Navigate to the "Selected" list.
2. Highlight a column name and then click the Up or Down button to change the column's position.
3. Click the Save button to save the changes.
Buttons for Changing Column Order
Button Description
Moves the column to the top of the list. (Will appear at far left of the grid)
Moves the column up. (Will appear farther to the left in grid)
Moves the column down (Will appear farther to the right in grid)
Moves the column to the bottom of the list. (Will appear at far right of grid.
Customizing Grids in individual Prism Areas
When working with grids in individual areas of RP Prism, you are limited to the working with the fields in the Selected Columns list. Fields in the Available Columns list in preferences will not be available to users working with grids in the individual areas of RP Prism.
Change displayed grid columns
Steps Instructions Screen Elements
1. Click the hamburger icon in the upper-right portion of the grid.
2. A list of the available columns is displayed.
Columns with a checkmark are displayed in the UI. Columns with an "X" are not displayed.
Select or clear the checkbox for individual columns as needed.
3. Clear anywhere outside the column selection box to apply the changes.
Changing Column Width
Click in the area in between the two columns and then use the dragger to adjust the width of the columns.
Changing Column Order for Grids
You can only change the order of the columns for a grid by modifying Grid Format Preferences.