[Auto-Calculate Costs] Screenlet

[Medhat]

Hi,

I would like to have a discussion and share the knowledge about [Auto-Calculate Costs] Screenlet, which is reachable through: Catalog Manager >>  Products >> COSTS
Application : Catalog Manager
Sub Menu  : Products
Tab          : COSTS

When I submit this Form, it aggregates the cost components, specially for the product's components (BOM) if exist.

Discussion point:
************
The Combo Box: [Cost Component Type Prefix] contains only one entry:
  • Estimated Standard Costs

And This results in aggregating only cost components with Prefix "Estimated Standard".

This behavior and the Combo Box content is hard coded in the file:

    applications\product\widget\catalog\ProductForms.xml

    <field name="costComponentTypePrefix">
        <drop-down allow-empty="false">
            <option key="EST_STD" description="${uiLabelMap.ProductEstimatedCosts}"/>
        </drop-down>
    </field>

I am curious to Know:
  • Why Only "Estimated Standard" cost components can be automatically aggregated? and why do not
     have the same behavior for "Actual" cost components, or "Non Type Prefix" cost components.
  • If I added - by hard coding - another entry for "Actual" cost components or "Non Type Prefix" cost
     components, will this have any inconvenient consequences on the OFBiz behavior specially in another
     OFBiz applications like Accounting or any other application ?

Kindly Advise.

Regards,
Medhat