Form scripting customizations

Events

Microsoft Dynamics CRM supports two events on every entity form: OnLoad and OnSave.

The OnChange event is available on every field in the form.

This means that you can include logic within the form when it loads, when a user saves, or when the value of a field changes.

Adding scripts

You paste your scripts into the definition of the entity forms. Scripts then become part of the entity metadata, and can be exported and imported to another system alongside all the other customizations.

Caution

You should have a thorough knowledge of JScript programming syntax and an understanding of DHTML before you add scripts, and should test your scripts before you publish customizations. Malformed scripts can prevent the form from working correctly.

• Add or edit an event-based script to a form

  1. In the Navigation Pane, click Settings, click Customization, and then click Customize Entities.

  2. Open the entity, click Forms and Views, and then click Form.

  3. On the More Actions menu, click Edit.

  4. In the Common Tasks area, click Form Properties.

  5. On the Events tab, click onSave or OnLoad, and then click Edit.

  6. In the Event Detail Properties dialog box, on the Details tab, select the Event is enabled check box to enable the event, and in the text box, enter the body of the script that you want to use when the selected event is run.

  7. For more information, see "Add an event-based script to a form" in the Help topic "Edit Entity forms".

• Add or edit an event-based script to a field

  1. In the Navigation Pane, click Settings, click Customization, and then click Customize Entities.

  2. Open the entity, click Forms and Views, and then click Form.

  3. On the More Actions menu, click Edit.

  4. Select a field on the form.

  5. Click Change Properties.

  6. On the Events tab, select onChange, and then click Edit.

  7. In the Event Detail Properties dialog box, on the Details tab, select the Event is enabled check box to enable the event, and in the text box, enter the body of the script that you want to use when the onChange event is run.

  8. For more information, see "Add an event-based script to a field" in the Help topic "Edit Entity forms".

Note

When you use an event-based script or custom code that refers to specific fields, you should set these fields as dependent fields so that they cannot be deleted from forms. The Event Detail Properties dialog box provides a Dependencies tab where you can add any fields referenced in your script for the event.

Form object model

Microsoft Dynamics CRM supports using the objects and methods that are provided by Microsoft Dynamics CRM. But, because Microsoft Dynamics CRM uses Internet Explorer to show the pages, developers can do almost anything that they usually do in a Web application. They can call a Web service or work with another application displayed in an IFrame.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Web services

Microsoft Dynamics CRM supports calling Microsoft Dynamics CRM Web services directly from client-side code, whether that code is associated with a form event or with JScript configured in an ISV.Config button or menu item. These Web service calls work for both the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Web application and Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Microsoft Office Outlook. While you are offline with Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook, the local Web services are used. The Microsoft Dynamics CRM SDK documents functions developers can use to help craft the XMLHTTP requests used to call these Web services.

Note

The ability to call Microsoft Dynamics CRM Web services using JScript from client-side code addresses many scenarios for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. However, the on-premises version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM allows for managed code to be used directly on the server or the Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook client. Because managed code written in C# or Visual Basic .NET is strongly typed, developers creating solutions that call Microsoft Dynamics CRM Web services should consider creating their own Web services that use managed code instead of calling Microsoft Dynamics CRM Web services using JScript directly from client-side code. It is generally easier to develop, test, and maintain solutions that use managed code than JScript.

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