Switch to HTML rich texts and the rich text editor

From release 2022 R4/V12.0.32, Sage X3 provides a new HTML rich text editor that you can configure to use HTML for all rich texts in the application.

Historically, Sage X3 used RTF for rich texts embedded in the application. Sage X3 mainly uses rich texts for customer-facing text attached to documents such as sales orders, invoices, or labels. The application also uses rich text for some internal documents.

RTF is a proprietary format initially promoted by Microsoft® to allow the exchange of rich text between applications in the Office suite and other text-editing software. Although it occasionally appears in the Microsoft® context, HTML5 largely supersedes it.

From release 2022 R4/V12.0.32, Sage X3 rich texts can use HTML. This feature avoids issues occurring when rich texts are translated back and forth from RTF to HTML to display on-screen. Sage X3 adapted its HTML scope to cover only features supported by Crystal Reports for text that can appear in a report. This update guarantees a maximum similarity between the report rendered using Crystal Reports and the text displayed on-screen rendered by your device’s browser.

Solve rich text editor issues with the editor

The upgrade to HTML solves rich text editor issues related to the back-and-forth conversion from RTF to HTML. These issues happened because of the differences between rich text features displayed on-screen and printed through Crystal Reports.

Switch to HTML progressively

From release 2022 R4/V12.0.32, you can go to Administration > Administration > Settings > Global settings to select the Use HTML for rich text checkbox. This checkbox activates the HTML rich text editor across Sage X3.

When you have set this option:

  • Any rich text created or modified from that point on is stored as HTML.

  • Existing texts that have not been modified are still stored as RTF.

This option allows you to progressively move to HTML without corrupting existing rich texts.

However, this requires you to review your custom reports using Crystal Reports designer. You need to modify the fields that display rich text so they can display both RTF and HTML during the transition phase. You can do this simply by editing the formula used in Crystal Reports to determine how to format a rich text field.

The estimated update time is around 5 to 10 minutes per report.

Sage did this update in the 64 standard reports that contain rich text fields.

Reports that do not use any rich text field do not require any modification.

You can modify the reports before switching to HTML text. Reports will continue displaying RTF as usual.