I see a lot of ‘interesting’ JavaScript working with CRM installations that have been in operation for more than a couple of years. Last week, I found the ultimate example of not knowing how to utilize the CRM object model. CRM 4.0 in this case: for (var i = 0; i < crmForm.all.length; i++) { […]
Continue readingSometimes I get a requirement to set the initial value for a DateTime field, such as the Due Date of the Task Entity, to Today’s date. OR, someone would like to set the hour of a DateTime field to something other than Midnight, which is the default. JavaScript to the rescue: Add this function to […]
Continue readingI updated the utility exports to disk the JavaScript found in a solution in Dynamics CRM 2011. To read more about it, see the original announcement, found here. This updated fixes some issues where the JavaScript would not be exported depending upon the solution you selected and the solution you chose to export. ( it […]
Continue readingOne of the most fascinating things I found during the creation of the CRM Migration Assistant is the different methods developers use to access CRM form fields, and other form elements. Normally, people access a form field using the following style of JavaScript: crmForm.all.name This is the normal and perfectly acceptable (and supported) method for […]
Continue readingOne of the things that gets CRM 4.0 developers into trouble is moving customizations between organizations. Here is a tip that will prevent a lot of grief trying to troubleshoot some of the more confusing errors: Always, Always, Always export all of your customizations from the source environment. You can always import only the items […]
Continue readingAs I was reviewing notes from the recently released CRM SDK 5.0.9, I noticed a section on Error Codes. "This looks interesting," I thought. After you have installed the CRM SDK, navigate to the following folder: sdk\samplecode\cs\helpercode In that folder you will find, among other things, three files related to error codes, each in a […]
Continue readingIf you are developing a plugin, sooner or later you will need to do something in a plugin that requires "listening" to more than just Create, Read, Update, and Delete messages. What is a Message? If you are new to Dynamics CRM development, a Message word that is used to instruct CRM to do something. […]
Continue readingWhen customizing the ribbon of an Entity, it is important to note that the ribbon is part of the Entity itself, not the Application Ribbon. This means that if you are creating a solution, you only have to include the Entity component, not the Application Ribbon component.
Continue readingThis week I learned, again, the importance of including the SiteMap in a custom solution. If you do not add the SiteMap to your solution, and you’ve specified that custom entities be displayed within it, then CRM will not be instructed to modify the SiteMap to when the Solution is imported and your custom entity […]
Continue readingYou can customize the CRM 2011 Ribbon to add additional functionality via buttons, for example. When you add such a button, you use Web Resources to identify things such as icons and JavaScript functions, like this: $webresource:new_CloneRecord.js $webresource:new_CloneRecord32x32 It important to remember that any Web Resources referenced by the Ribbon exist ( added to CRM […]
Continue readingI just realized that unlike other number fields, the default minimum value for the currency field type is 0: While it may not apply to all situations, it is probably that the user may need to enter in a negative number so this value must be replaced, with a relevant negative limit. Otherwise, the user […]
Continue readingI noticed something rather interesting regarding the way CRM 2011 handles the OnChange event for a Two Option ( or bit field in CRM 4.0 terminology ). Bit fields can be displayed in one of the following styles: Radio Buttons Note: This is the default configuration. Checkbox List The OnChange Event The normal CRM […]
Continue readingDynamics CRM 2011 introduced us to Solutions, which are self-contained packages of components, customize CRM 2011 to add specific features and/or entities. Like the exported customizations in CRM 4.0, a solution file is a ZIP file, but it can contain a variety of information. Here is a sample of the contents: Files: [Content_Types].xml customizations.xml solution.xml […]
Continue readingWhen you attempt to delete a field with in Dynamics CRM, a check will be performed to see if the field is being referenced. Here are some of the locations it will check: Forms ( published and unpublished ) Views ( published and unpublished ) If any references are found, the following error message will […]
Continue readingHere are some keyboard shortcuts that you may not have been aware of when working in the CRM 2011 form editor: Arrow Keys Move the selected item Delete key Deletes an item Enter Key Displays the property dialog Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+Y, Ctrl+S Undo, Redo, Save
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