As a former trainer for JD Edwards, I was delighted when business functions were on the "menu". In fact, I always related these outstanding tools as multiple Ferrari in pieces. All you have to do is bring the pieces together and build your own car. It seems pretty simple but in reality, it is one of the most difficult tools to use in JDE. What is a business function?
1. Manually generated C code (source language C)
2. OneWorld generated using business function event rule design (source language NER)
In other words, you can use these encapsulated, reusable business logics (which are compiled) whenever you want to. Like you can see, we are talking about functions and functions need …. parameters. Here come the problems.
These magnificent tools needs often a lot of parameters and the documentation in JDE, relating this subject, is more than poor. This is a disgrace. Of course, JDE will say that you have to build the cross reference facility and so on … In fact, the only help you can get will come from you. As a good JDE developer, you have to open the business function that you think you will need and look at the code, either a source language C or NER. You will then find the parameters you need. Why redo long and difficult code when it is already written? Per example, the "EditLine" business functions are pure delight but very hard to use ….
Remember these important points when using business functions:
1. Be patient when first searching for business functions. There are a lot of them and you will often have to guess within a list when you do a word search base.
2. Open the one you selected if there is no documentation (most of the time).
3. Find parameters you need to pass.
4. These are very dominant tools, use it. You will become a Pro.
5. Only a good, well train JDE developer can do that.