[Applies to: Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0]

Customizing Entities

You can add custom entities Entities that are not included in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online by default. You can create custom entities by using the customization tools. and modify system entities Entities that are included in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online by default, such as Account. to match your evolving business needs. These changes are made directly from the user interface in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, with no programming required.

More information: Work with Entities

To customize entities, you must have the System Administrator or System Customizer security role A defined set of privileges. The security role assigned to a user determines which tasks the user can perform and which parts of the user interface the user can view. All users must be assigned at least one security role in order to access the system. or equivilent privileges. More information: Customization Permissions

Issues related to customization privileges include:

• Understanding Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Entities
• Entity Customization Terminology
• Activity Entities
• Adding a Custom Entity
• Editing Entities
• Publishing Customizations
• Importing and Exporting Customizations and Settings

Understanding Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Entities

The entities Structures used to manage data. Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online entities include Account, Case, and Activity. that are part of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online by default are called system entities Entities that are included in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online by default, such as Account.. Many system entities are customizable. You can also create custom entities Entities that are not included in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online by default. You can create custom entities by using the customization tools..

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Entity Customization Terminology

Each entity has a number of attributes Properties of an entity with a specific data type. Attributes are analogous to columns in a database table. When attributes are added to an entity form, they are displayed as fields that correspond to their data type.. When an attribute is added to an entity form A page that displays detailed information that users have entered into Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online about a specific record, such as all information about a contact.Information that users enter in a form is stored in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online as a record., a field is displayed based on the data type stored in the attribute.

There are two types of attributes:

• System attributes Attributes that are included in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online by default.For example, the name attribute in the Account entity is a system attribute. include attributes used to manage data, such as Modified_By, and also to provide common fields that can be used to support core features. The use of many of these attributes is optional, but these attributes cannot be deleted. Many of these attributes can be edited by using the entity customization tools.
• Custom attributes Attributes that are not included in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online by default. Instead, a customer or partner adds it after they install the software, to help adapt the software to the customer's needs. let you include custom fields in system or custom entities. These are created and edited by using the entity customization tools. You can delete custom attributes. When you create custom entities, you must create any custom attributes you want to use to store data in the entity.

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Activity Entities

Activities are a special type of system entity. Data for activities Actions to be performed, such as tasks, or communication items that are sent or received, for example, e-mails, phone calls, letters, faxes, and appointments. The status of activities is tracked and the activity history is stored in the system, so users can view the open and closed activities. is split between two entities:

• A generic Activity entity that stores information used in all activity types, such as the owner of the record.
• Specific activity entities such as E-mail and Letter that store information specific to the activity type, such as the Cc line on an e-mail message.

Because of this, the generic Activity entity doesn't have a customizable form, and you cannot add attributes to it. Customizations must be applied to the specific Activity entities. More information: Customizing Activity Entities - Troubleshooting

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Adding a Custom Entity

If you need to track a category of data that isn't in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online by default, you can create a new entity for it. When you create a new entity, default attributes, forms, views, and entity relationships Metadata configurations that allow for related records to have lookup fields, which let users link the related records to other records. Any related records can appear in a list that is visible from the record that they have been related to. to system entities are created for you. All you need to do is:

• Decide whether the custom entity will have relationships to Notes and Activities.
• Decide whether the custom entity instances should be assigned to a user or available to the entire organization.
• Create the custom entity.
• Select where in the user interface to display the new entity.
• Define new attributes for the custom entity.
• Add the attributes as fields to the forms and views.
• Define any necessary relationships to other entities.
• Define the icons to use for the new entity.
• Publish the custom entity.

More information: Work with Entities

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Editing Entities

For most system entities and all custom entities, you can modify the following:

• Entity names. You can change the name of the entity.
• Entity forms. You can add new fields, rearrange how the form is organized, eliminate form fields, and modify the labels used for each field. More information: Edit Entity Forms

  You can add an IFRAME A windowless inline floating frame that is typically used for including Web pages in a form. Examples of Web pages that can be included are a page from a Microsoft SharePoint site, a section of HTML such as a button, or a custom application. to a form to include an HTML page or Web application.

  You can also use client-side scripts that are activated when a field is changed, or when the form is loaded or saved. More information: Form Scripting

• Entity views. Views are used to locate records. Each view includes the criteria for including records in the view, and the columns to display for the view. More information: Work with Views
• Entity attributes. You can add new attributes or delete custom attributes. For each new attribute, you can specify the data type, format, and display name. The display name controls the label for the field for that attributes as well as the column headings in views and reports. The IME-mode option keeps you from having to activate and deactivate the IME when inputting Asian characters mixed with Roman (English) characters and numbers. More information: Create or Edit Entity Attributes
• Entity relationships. Each entity is related to other entities. For example, the Account entity has a parental 1:N (one to many) relationship to the Contact entity. This means that an account can have related contacts. You can create relationships between entities or modify the behavior of existing relationships. More information: Entity Relationships, Understanding Hierarchical Entity Relationships
• Entity attribute mapping. You can map an attribute from one entity to another entity, so that data can be automatically filled in for you when a new record is created. For example, by mapping address attributes from an Account entity to a Contact entity, when a new contact is created from an existing account record, the address field data in the contact is automatically populated from the address fields in the account record. More information: Mapping Entity Attributes
• Entity display locations. You can define where the entity is displayed in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online user interface.

For custom entities, you can also select the icons to use for the entity. More information: Update Icons

When you customize an entity, consider customizing any reports that display data from that entity. For example, if you rename an entity, it is helpful to your users to rename associated reports and change the labels inside the report. More information: Customizing and Organizing Reports

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Publishing Customizations

Entity customizations that involve visual changes in the application must be published after changes have been made and saved.

Customizations that change the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online database structure are applied immediately. These include the creation or modification of entities, attributes, or relationships.

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Importing and Exporting Customizations and Settings

You can export customizations and settings for use on another Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online system, or to make a backup of your customizations and settings. Exporting customizations and settings can include customizations made to entities as well as settings, templates, and workflows. If you have a valid customization export file, you can import customizations. More information: Export Customizations and Configurations Import Customizations and Configurations

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Related Topics Work with Entities Configure Scripts for Form Events Import Customizations and Configurations Export Customizations and Configurations Translating Customized Entity and Attribute Text Customization Privileges Controlling Data Access Customizing Entities - Troubleshooting

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