Thanks Paul for mentioning Grok. The amazing thing is that when I asked Grok if it has access to the Ofbiz code, the answer was NO.
Regards, Emad On Tue, Mar 4, 2025 at 12:12 AM Paul Mandeltort <[email protected]> wrote: > Grok says… (note there may be errors in this, but after a quick read it > does seem pretty accurate) > > > ------ > In Apache OFBiz 18, the Event-Condition-Action (ECA) rule you’ve > referenced for the updateReturnHeader service is designed to handle sales > returns (customer returns) when the status changes to RETURN_COMPLETED. > This ECA triggers several actions, including createInvoiceFromReturn, which > generates a sales return invoice (typically a credit note) to reflect the > financial adjustment for the returned goods. However, you’ve noticed that > there doesn’t appear to be an equivalent ECA for SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED, > which is the status associated with purchase returns (returns to > suppliers), and you want to generate a debit note (referred to as a > Purchase Return Invoice in OFBiz) when this status is reached. > Let’s break this down and address your question and objective step-by-step: > Why Isn’t There an Equivalent ECA for SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED? > The absence of an equivalent ECA for SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED in the > out-of-the-box (OOTB) OFBiz 18 configuration stems from differences in the > business processes and control dynamics between sales returns and purchase > returns: > Sales Returns (Customer Returns): > When a customer returns goods, the business is in full control of the > process. Once the return is approved and completed (RETURN_COMPLETED), > OFBiz can confidently generate a credit note (via createInvoiceFromReturn) > to adjust the customer’s account in Accounts Receivable (AR). > The ECA ensures automation of this adjustment because the business > dictates the terms and outcome of the return. > Purchase Returns (Supplier Returns): > For purchase returns, the supplier is in control of the process. The > business (the buyer) initiates a return, but the supplier must approve it > and decide the resolution—typically issuing a credit note to the buyer or > agreeing to a refund/replacement. > Unlike sales returns, the financial adjustment (e.g., a debit note or > credit from the supplier) depends on the supplier’s response, not just the > internal status change to SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED. This external dependency > means OFBiz cannot assume the return is fully resolved at this stage and > automatically generate a debit note. > OOTB Behavior: > In OFBiz, the SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED status indicates that the return > process has been finalized internally (e.g., goods shipped back to the > supplier), but it doesn’t inherently trigger an invoice or debit note > because the supplier’s acknowledgment or credit note is typically required > first. > Instead of an ECA, the OOTB expectation might be that the user manually > creates a Purchase Return Invoice or records a supplier-issued credit note > in the Accounting module once the supplier confirms the return. > Debit Note vs. Credit Note: > In accounting terms, a debit note is issued by the buyer to the supplier > to request a credit or adjustment (e.g., for defective goods). However, in > OFBiz, the Purchase Return Invoice (an invoice of type > PURCHASE_RETURN_INVOICE) acts as the mechanism to record this adjustment in > Accounts Payable (AP), often linked to a supplier credit note. > The lack of an ECA for SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED suggests that OFBiz assumes > this step involves manual intervention or supplier-driven documentation > rather than automatic generation. > Is There an Equivalent ECA for SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED? > In the standard OFBiz 18 configuration, there is no direct equivalent ECA > for SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED that mirrors the RETURN_COMPLETED behavior. The > updateReturnHeader service handles both sales and purchase returns (via the > ReturnHeader entity), but the ECA is specifically conditioned on > RETURN_COMPLETED, which applies to customer returns. No analogous ECA > exists for SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED in the OOTB entity-eca.xml or > service-eca.xml files under the applications/order or > applications/accounting components. > However, the equivalent process for purchase returns involves: > Completing the return process in the Order Manager (e.g., marking the > return as SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED). > Manually creating a Purchase Return Invoice in the Accounting Manager > under Accounts Payable, which adjusts the supplier’s account and reflects > the debit/credit as needed. > Achieving Your Objective: Triggering Debit Note Generation for > SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED > To automate the generation of a Purchase Return Invoice (functionally a > debit note in your context) when the status changes to > SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED, you’ll need to customize OFBiz by adding a new ECA. > Here’s how you can do it: > Step 1: Understand the Existing Mechanism > The createInvoiceFromReturn service generates invoices based on the > ReturnHeader and ReturnItem entities. For sales returns (RETURN_COMPLETED), > it creates a CUST_RETURN_INVOICE (credit note). For purchase returns > (SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED), it can create a PURCHASE_RETURN_INVOICE if invoked > correctly. > You’ll leverage this service but trigger it specifically for > SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED. > Step 2: Add a Custom ECA > Create or modify an ECA definition in a custom component or override the > existing entity-eca.xml or service-eca.xml file. For example: > xml > > <eca service="updateReturnHeader" event="commit"> > <condition field-name="statusId" operator="equals" > value="SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED"/> > <condition field-name="oldStatusId" operator="not-equals" > value="SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED"/> > <action service="createInvoiceFromReturn" mode="sync"/> > </eca> > Explanation: > service="updateReturnHeader": Ties the ECA to the same service used for > sales returns. > statusId="SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED": Triggers only for purchase returns. > oldStatusId condition: Ensures the action runs only on a status change to > SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED. > createInvoiceFromReturn: Generates the Purchase Return Invoice. > Step 3: Test the Invoice Type > The createInvoiceFromReturn service checks the returnTypeId of the > ReturnHeader. For purchase returns (returnTypeId="VENDOR_RETURN"), it > should generate a PURCHASE_RETURN_INVOICE. Verify this behavior in your > environment, as it depends on the return setup. > Step 4: Deploy and Validate > Place the ECA in your custom component’s servicedef/secas.xml file (e.g., > hot-deploy/mycomponent/servicedef/secas.xml). > Reload the service definitions (./ant load-seca or restart OFBiz). > Test the purchase return process by creating a return, completing it > (SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED), and confirming that a Purchase Return Invoice is > generated in the Accounting Manager. > Optional Enhancements > Add conditions to ensure the supplier has approved the return (e.g., a > custom field or status). > Include additional actions like notifications > (sendReturnCompleteNotification) if needed. > Customize createInvoiceFromReturn (via a service override) if you need > specific debit note formatting or logic. > Considerations > Supplier Dependency: If your business process requires supplier approval > before generating a debit note, you might need to introduce a custom status > (e.g., SUP_RETURN_APPROVED) and trigger the ECA there instead. > Accounting Impact: Ensure the generated Purchase Return Invoice correctly > debits the supplier’s AP account and aligns with your accounting practices. > OFBiz Version: This solution is based on OFBiz 18’s general architecture. > Minor adjustments might be needed depending on your specific release or > customizations. > Conclusion > There’s no OOTB ECA for SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED because purchase returns > involve supplier-driven steps that OFBiz doesn’t automate by default. > However, you can achieve your objective by adding a custom ECA to trigger > createInvoiceFromReturn for SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED, effectively generating a > Purchase Return Invoice (debit note) when the status changes. > > > > --P > > > On Mar 3, 2025, at 8:51 AM, Jacques Le Roux < > [email protected]> wrote: > > > > Hi Stephen, > > > > It could be interesting to ask Grok3 as suggested by Paul. > https://lists.apache.org/thread/76f1551z1v2z245p9gs2q8ffqp3rjpsf > > > > HTH > > > > Jacques > > > > > > Le 24/02/2025 à 21:44, S Munene a écrit : > >> The sales return processing has an eca defined for service > updateReturnHeader for RETURN_COMPLETED status > >> The last part of that eca is createInvoiceFromReturn > >> > >> <eca service="updateReturnHeader" event="commit"> > >> <condition field-name="statusId" operator="equals" > value="RETURN_COMPLETED"/> > >> <condition field-name="oldStatusId" operator="not-equals" > value="RETURN_COMPLETED"/> > >> <action service="sendReturnCompleteNotification" mode="async" > persist="true"/> > >> <action service="processSubscriptionReturn" mode="sync"/> > >> <action service="createReturnStatus" mode="sync"/> > >> <action service="createInvoiceFromReturn" mode="sync"/> > >> </eca> > >> Why isn't there an equivalent eca (or maybe a better > question is what is the equivalent) for SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED (i believe > it is the purchase return equivalent of RETURN_COMPLETED )? > >> My objective is to trigger debit note generation (Purchase Return > Invoice) when status changes to SUP_RETURN_COMPLETED > >> Kindly help > >> > >> Regards > >> Stephen > >
