Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Custom Workflow Activity missing in Workflow Designer in CRM 2011/2013

2014-02-21T16:21:00.001-06:00

I created a custom workflow with one workflow activity and registered it using Plugin Registration tool. I created a workflow using that. Later on, I have to create a new workflow activity. So, I used the same solution and created a new workflow activity and update the assembly using plug-in registration tool. Now, when I went to CRM to create a new workflow and use this new custom workflow activity, I found that it is not available under Workflow Group Name. I tried restarting IIS and Async Server but no success.

Then, I deleted strong name key file and created a new one. Then I deleted the steps where I have referenced my first workflow activity. Un-register workflow assembly and then re-registered the new one. This time I have both workflow activities available. I have no idea why it behaves like this but this fixed the problem.

If anyone knows the solution to fix this, please share.

OrgDBOrgSettings Tool

2013-02-13T00:15:00.000-06:00

Earlier CRM Adminsitrators have to do lot of Regostry settings manually for optimization of CRM 2011 server. Microsoft has released a tool named OrgDBOrgSettings to do those settings now. You can get more details about the same from below link:

OrgDBOrgSettings Tool

Polaris Update#2: Lead Qualification Dialog Box Missing

2013-02-12T03:34:00.000-06:00

Post Polaris Update, we see two buttons on Lead form "Qualify" an "Disqualify". When we click on "Qualify" button it automatically creates Account,Contact and Opportunity record without giving us any option. Microsoft has declared that they will make changes to this in future update.
Read this for more details:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2808201

Polaris Update#1: Number of Sub-grids on Form

2013-02-12T03:28:00.000-06:00

Prior to Polaris Update for CRM 2011, you can have maximum of 4 sub-grids on form where data will be loaded automatically. If you have more than 4 sub-grids and you want data to be loaded automatically for all the sub-grids then you can use script mentioned at this link.
But with release of Polaris update for CRM 2011 now this limit has been removed. You can place any number of sub-grids and data will be loaded automatically for all the sub-grids.

getServerUrl to getClientUrl

2013-01-08T00:16:00.001-06:00

There have been issues with using Xrm.Page.context.getServerUrl() method for SOAP and ODATA calls. It does not work well with IFD and online environments. Microsoft has deprecated this method in December 2012 service release i.e. Update Rollup 12. this has been documented in SDK 5.0.13.

Now you should use Xrm.Page.context.getClientUrl() and it will give you correct URL of server.

Dynamics CRM 2011 UR12 and SDK 5.0.13 is available

2013-01-06T22:21:00.002-06:00

Microsoft has released Update Rollup 12 for Dynamics CRM 2011. Please refer below link:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2795627

SDK 5.0.13 is available at below link:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=24004

Reference more than one JavaScript file in Ribbon

2013-01-05T19:55:00.001-06:00

I was working on one problem today, where I have to make ODATA call on click of ribbon button. I need to refer more than one JavaScript file on click of ribbon button. If it would have been form, then I can simply add files on form. To refer more than one file in Ribbon, you need to do something like below shown in screen shot:

You can see I have added 5 files in <Actions> tag of <CommandDefinition>. First 4 files have Function Name=isNaN. We are just referencing those 4 files in last file named CopyContactAddress.js. The last file function "retrievePrimaryContact" is being executed on click of button.

In nutshell, you add file name and provide function name ="IsNaN" to include reference of file.

Charts in CRM 2011-There was an error while retrieving the data from Microsoft Dynamics CRM

2012-12-28T03:18:00.001-06:00

If you are getting below error on charts in CRM 2011, then it means that number of records used in building chart is more than 50,000.
Error: There was an error while retrieving the data from Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

There is value in DB that you change to fix this. Run below SQL on your CRM DB Server to fix this. I have updated that value to 75000. This is unsupported by Microsoft and it might impact performance.

USE MSCRM_CONFIG

Update DeploymentProperties Set IntColumn='75000' where ColumnName='AggregateQueryRecordLimit'

If you are using Outlook with offline client then you need to update 'AggregateQueryRecordLimit' value in registry at below path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MSCRMClient

Get Record ID of current opened record in CRM 2011

2012-12-02T01:29:00.001-06:00

We need ID of current opened record in CRM 2011 in JavaScript. You can get that using below line of code:

Xrm.Page.data.entity.getId();

Custom Activity-Display in Activity Menus

2012-07-10T07:34:00.003-05:00

In CRM 2011, you can create Custom Activity Type entities. This option is not available in earlier version of Dynamics CRM. When you create an entity, there are two check boxes
a) Define as an activity entity
b) Display in Activity Menus.
If you select the check box a) then newly created activity is of type Activity. If you select check box b) also then that activity type will be available in all menus of activities just like other activity types Phone Call, Task etc.

If you do not select check box b) then there are couple of things that will happen.
1. That activity type entity will not be available in Activity menus. If you have to create activity of that type then you have to go to Advance find and create from there or from the Area where you opted to show that entity for e.g. Workplace, sales etc. You can create relationship of that activity type entity with some other entity also to create records from within that entity record.

2. If you created the custom activity type entity record and set regarding to some account record for e.g. "Charlie Sheen.". This newly created custom activity type entity record will not be available in Activities associated view of "Charlie Sheen" account record. In nut shell, if you do not select "Display in Activity menus" check box then those activity type records won't be available in their "Regarding" record's Activities associated view.

PS: Custom Activity type entities can not be synchronized with Outlook for CRM 2011

Update Read-only Fields in CRM 2011

2012-03-28T12:29:00.002-05:00

In CRM 4.0 , we have "ForceSubmit" to update read-only fields on the form. It has been changed in CRM 2011.

CRM 4.0 :

crmForm.all.name.ForceSubmit = true;

CRM 2011:

 Xrm.Page.getAttribute("name").setSubmitMode("always");

setSubmitMode can have following three values:

a) always: It will update the field value even if it is read-only
b) dirty: It will update if the field value has been changed.
c) never: Fields like "created by" have submitMode='never' as these fields never get updated.

Hide Form Assistant in CRM 2011

2012-01-27T15:22:00.001-06:00

Form assistant provides help when you set the values of lookup fields. It is enabled for following three entities only

Case (incident)

Product

Service Activity (serviceappointment)

How to hide form assistant

1. Form Designer: You can disable in Form Designer. Open the form from customizations (Solution). Click on Form Properties and select "Display Tab". Uncheck "Enable Form Assistant" chechbox. This checkbox is available in above said three entities.

2. Form XML: Set `enablerelatedinformation` attribute to false in FormXML. See this link for more details:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg334527.aspx

3. JavaScript: You can also use below script to hide Form Assistant.

document.getElementById(‘tdRelatedInformationPane’).style.display = ‘none’;

Solution update fails with an error "Found more than one RibbonDiff entity"

2012-01-12T17:14:00.000-06:00

Why is this happening? :When one of the IDs of ribbon elements Custom Action, Command, LocLabels etc is duplicated in a single Entity or Application Ribbon

Steps to Fix:
1. Export the Solution for entity where you have made Ribbon Customizations.
2. Cut paste whole RibbonDiffXml node into notepad and put <RibbonDiffXml/> in Customizations.xml file
3. Import the solution and there won't be any issue as Ribbon has been set to Default.
3. Find the Duplicate Id in RibbonDiffXML in notepad and fix it.
4. Replace the <RibbonDiffXml/> tag in customizations.xml with corrected RibbonDiffxml node.
5. Import and publish the solution.

Hide "CRM for Outlook" Advertised Message Bar

2012-01-09T11:16:00.000-06:00

When you log in to your org in CRM 2011 through IE, you see a Message Bar "Get CRM For Outlook" just like below in screen shot.

You can hide this bar forever by going to Settings->Administration->System Settings

Go to Outlook Tab and Select "No" for Outlook Client is advertised to users in the Message Bar.

CRM 2011 -> Changing the Default Activities Filter On View

2011-12-20T09:29:00.000-06:00

Hi,

As you can see in highlighted section in below image. By default it is 30 Days. If you wanna set it to "All" by default then use the below script.

//Type = entity name, e.g. Contact or Account (Case sensitive)
//pass "Account" for Account entity at onload event

function SetView(Type)
{
SetDefaultView = function(viewCombo, viewName, appGrid) {

if (viewCombo.value != viewName) {

viewCombo.value = viewName;

appGrid.RefreshGridView();
}
}

areaActivitiesFrame_OnReadyStateChange = function() {

if (this.readyState == "complete") {

    var frame = document.frames("areaActivitiesFrame");
    var viewType = "crmGrid_"+Type+"_ActivityPointers_datefilter";
    var viewCombo = frame.document.getElementById(viewType);

var appGrid = frame.document.getElementById("AppGridFilterContainer");

if (viewCombo.readyState == "complete") {

SetDefaultView(viewCombo, "All", appGrid);
}

else {

      viewCombo.onreadystatechange = function() {
        if (this.readyState == "complete") {
          SetDefaultView(this, "All", appGrid);
        }
      }
    }
}
}

if (document.getElementById('navActivities') != null) {
document.getElementById('navActivities').onclick = function() {
loadArea('areaActivities');
document.frames('areaActivitiesFrame').document.onreadystatechange = areaActivitiesFrame_OnReadyStateChange;
}
}
}