AnyLabels templates

When dPos loads AnyLabels it passes all the required information on how to connect to your database tables. However, if you wish to run AnyLabels as a stand-alone program and connect to the dPos database you need to provide the connection information.

The AnyLabels Edit menu contains Data Source item. Selecting this shows a dialog box that needs to contain all the information necessary for a connection to the database.

 

 

The database is a Microsoft SQL database, so the source type needs to be SQL Server, and the dPos database provides the names of the fields that AnyLabels uses, so the “Source provides fieldnames” box must be checked.

The connection string tells AnyLabels where to find the database file. If you have used a default installation then the database file is

C:\Program Files\dLSoft\dPos\Database\dTil.mdf

If you installed the program in a different location you should modify this accordingly.

The Recordset/Query string provide information on which table you wish to use as the source of data for your labels or forms. The Supplier table may be accessed with the string

SELECT * FROM Supplier_table

And the Customer table may be accessed using

SELECT * FROM Customer_table

Accessing the Items table may be accomplished using

SELECT * FROM Item_table

but if you will be needing the value of sales tax or the tax rate for an item then the string needs to be

SELECT * from Item_table JOIN TaxTable ON Item_table.iTax_code = TaxTable.Tax_code

So that both the Items table and the sales tax rates are loaded together. This is the default for the ItemLabel template supplied with dPos.

 

Once you have entered the connection information you can test the connection by pushing the Test connection button and the close the data source dialog by pushing the OK button. Now you can save your template with a suitable name. You should NOT save your own templates in the dPos director, but save them instead in the Labels folder on your desktop – or any other location you prefer.

 Now you can add text or barcode elements to your label template by choosing Designer from AnyLabels Edit menu and the choosing Add element from the Edit menu and selecting the type of element you wish to add.

Click on the label image roughly where you wish to place the element and then move it and resize it as required. The left mouse button moves a selected element and holding down the shift key with the left moise button resizes it.

Right-clciking on an element allows you to choose Properties from the pop-up menu, and it is in the properties box that you will specify the source of the text/barcode or whatever.

If you wish the element’s data to come directly from a database field just select the Filed radiobutton in the Source section and choose the field from the drop-down list of fields provided by the database.