Help needed generating an invoice in sage

[ScrewdriverSteve]

Hello,

I recently moved two companies across from Sage "instant accounts v12.0" on windows vista to sage "Line 50" on windows 8.

All functions work perfect with company number 1 but there is an issue with company 2.

When generating an invoice for company 2 sage will return the following error.

"Report designer was unable to generate the report"
"No data was returned for this report"

This sounds like a broken link between sages database and report designer when importing the data for the report designer.

What has me baffeled is report designers works perfect with company number 1?

Any help and suggestions would be most welcome, this has me tearing my hair out.

All the best
Gav
​

 

[Banksbroo]

I'm assuming you upgraded to a 2 company version of Sage?

Do the other reports run ok? such as Aged Debtors reports from the customer section?

If standard reports run ok, it may be the case there are no layout files present. Layouts (invoices, statements and the like) should be in a folder called Layouts. You can use the Help > About menu option to see the location of Reports, then use Explorer to see if there is anything in the layouts folder.

Instant v12 would have used file extensions like .sly. Newer versions of Sage use a .layout extension.

If no layouts present - you can copy contents of Layouts folder which does have content into the emply folder.

 

[ScrewdriverSteve]

Thanks for your help Banksbroo.

Yes its a multiple company version of sage, and the other reports you mention work ok.

I have copied all the .layout files into the correct folder, even though they actually seemed to be correct already, but sadly it has not mad any difference to the error.

 

[UK Contractor Accountant]

Have you tried the Sage helpline?

 

[UK Contractor Accountant]

Give this a try - may work may not but worth a go.

1. Whilst in Sage, click on Help, About, System Information, the click onto the Directories wording and make a note of your Programme Directory.

2. Find the programme directory via My Computer, when into Accounts folder click on Odbc32 then click on Disk 1.

3. Now click on setup, this will install the Driver needed to access the data source.

4. Now try printing a report on Sage. If you still have problems go to number 5.

5. Now, From the start menu click on Settings, Control Panel, ODBC data sources. Then click on System DSN, click onto the Sage Line 50 driver and click configure, then make sure the data path is something like C:\SFW\ACCDATA.

 

[Banksbroo]

I wouldn't advise messing with ODBC settings at this stage, also, posting above refers to earlier versions of Sage, on earlier operating systems.

For reference, on windows 7 & 8 ODBC settings for sage are at:

Windows key > run > ODBCAD32

Now, back to OP:

When you click on Print, are any invoices listed, or do you get the error message straight away?

What is the full path to your working layouts folder (ie. first company)?

(default is C:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2014\Company.000\layouts)
Note that ProgramData is a hidden folder in windows 7 & 8.

What is the full path to the layouts folder giving the problem?
(default for co.2 would be something like C:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2014\Company.001\layouts)

Can you confirm the version of Sage you are using (in Sage, Help > About will give exact version and build number)

 

[johndon68]

On the Invoice Print screen, select the layout you are trying to Print and choose Edit. This will open the report in the Report Designer - go to Report -> Filter - is there anything in the Filter?

John

 

[ScrewdriverSteve]

Hi Johndon68, Thanks for your help, have gone into the Report Designer to filter and it reads LETTER _TYPE, LETTER_TYPE, Equals then 6. I cleared the filter and went back to try and generate invoices and it works. The boxes now read 1st one empty - AMOUNT_DUE - Equals and 0.00. I went to check back on the other company I have running on the same program, which generates invoices fine and it has the same readings on the filter window before clearing LETTER_TYPE etc. Is it ok to run with the filters cleared or do I have to change it to something else?

 

[johndon68]

You'll not have any problems with the LETTER_TYPE filter being removed.

John

 

[ScrewdriverSteve]

Thanks John and everyone else for their suggestions I did try them all but finally it was johns solution that worked this time.

Thanks again

 

[Distinctive-Tom]

Hi,

I have recently had a similar problem with invoicing but it only affected one customer account.

I have overcome the problem with invoicing by following the solution suggested by John. (Removing the LETTER_TYPE filter)

I am now having a problem with the same customer account but with statements. If I try to create a report with our standard statement layout a message pops us saying:-

'The report could not be generated.
No data was returned for this report'.

I attempted the same solution as above but noticed the filters have a different layout in statements (just a text box). I noticed the following line which seemed similar to the LETTER_TYPE filter in invoicing and decided to try removing it:-

AND COMMUNICATION_ADDRESS.LETTER_TYPE_ID = 4.

After removing it I can now run the statements for the account in question... but... every item shown on every customers statement is doubled or sometimes even tripled in cost, because of this I have had to put the line I mentioned above back into filters so I am now back to square one.

Does anyone have any solution or way around this? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Tom.

 

[johndon68]

Just removing that particular part of the filter should have no impact at all on the transactions shown on the statments, it determines which customer accounts the statements should be produced for, not how the transactions are shown...

If you try running one of the statements with names starting either 2008 or 2009, does it work OK?

John

 

[Distinctive-Tom]

Hi John,

Thank you for your reply.

I've just tested a few and it seems that the costs are not duplicated on statements from accounts that were opened after 2008.

Kind Regards.

Tom

 

[johndon68]

It's not to do with when the accounts were created - the statements that have names that start with 2008 use different joins between the tables. Given that they work, if the other layout is duplicating then there is likely to be an issue with the joins...

John

 

[Distinctive-Tom]

Hi John,

Oh I see, Sorry I misunderstood. I will test those now.

Thanks.

Tom.

 

[Distinctive-Tom]

Hi John,

The statements with 2008 at the beginning of the name work fine once I have removed the ADDRESS.LETTER_TYPE_ID = 4 line.

If it is a problem with the joins am I safe to copy the joins from the 2008 statement to my personalised statement?

Thanks for your help.

Tom

 

[johndon68]

You could certainly try albeit I'd make sure that you have a copy of your layout first just in case it does not work...

John

 

[Distinctive-Tom]

I tried copying the joins over but I just received the 'No data to report' error message on every account.

I guess the only thing I can do is personalize one of the statement layouts that begins with 2008 and start using that one permanently?

Thank you for all of your help! Much appreciated!!

Tom

 

[johndon68]

I guess the only thing I can do is personalize one of the statement layouts that begins with 2008 and start using that one permanently?

That's what I would do.

John

 

[JaneWriting]

I started to have similar problems when I upgrdaed from v20 to v21. This only happened with old customer accounts. I phoned Sage Techncial Helpline and the technician immediately knew what was wrong, so may be it happens a lot. The solution was
Go into the customer account > Addresses and Contacts > Preferences

and then set the Default Delivery Address to the registered address