List of Dynamics 365 issues with a suggested next step

1.) Forms

Issue

At runtime, an entities’ populated attribute isn’t available in the form’s JavaScript. For example formContext.getAttribute(‘cpl_date’).getValue() returns null.

Next Step

The attribute needs to be added to the form and set as hidden. Also, tools such as XrmDefinitelyTyped provide early binding. This means, when auto completely an attribute at design time e.g. …getAttribute(‘cpl_, it will only display attributes for selection that exist on the form


Issue

At runtime, it’s not possible to save a form even though all mandatory fields are populated

Next Step

Remove, or set as optional, any hidden mandatory fields on the form


Issue

At runtime, the form’s java script, which calls the client api formContext.data.process.moveNext() returns with a status of ‘stageGate’

Next Step

Ensure all the stage gate criteria are met and save the form first before calling the API


Issue

At runtime, when clicking on a record to open, the following error is generated: “There must be at least one form for each user: found 0”

Next Step

Ensure that one active form is set as the main form


Issue

At runtime, the following script error is generated when executing on a Dynamics 365 form “One of the scripts for this record has caused an error. For more details, download the log file”

Next Step

To view the detailed error message, use the browser’s dev tools to view the page’s html. Search for “<div id=”dialogErrorText”. The error message is displayed here


Issue

At design time, a view can’t be deleted because it has a dependency on a form

Next Step

Assuming the form doesn’t have any lookups referencing the view, ensure there are no dashboards referencing the view. This can be achieved via the app designer


Issue

At runtime, after updates are made to fields displayed on a form (e.g. updates made via an action), the updates aren’t reflected on the form.

Next Step

Option 1.) Call formContext.data.refresh(save).then(successCallback, errorCallback). This will refresh (e.g. when an action updates fields displayed on the form) and optionally save the updated attributes on the form (i.e. IsDirty)

Option 2.) When the whole form needs to be reloaded and refreshed (executing the form’s onLoad event), call Xrm.Navigation.openForm(). For example, when a bpf moves stages and various parts of the form need to be displayed/hidden


Issue

At runtime, when an attribute on a form changes, it’s triggering an on change event. However, it’s very difficult to determine where that on change event handler code exists. That is because the on change events have been implemented in multiple ways i.e. workflows, TypeScript, within the form’s UI, business rules…

Next Step

Add comments to the code (e.g. the form’s js file) describing where each on change event is implemented. For example:

/*
The list of onChange events
Clinical Trial Workflow
	   onChangeAttribute1 - call wf 'Clinical Trial- Set User in ...'
Clinical Trial form
            onChangeAttribute2 - call fn Examplefunction1()
            onChangeAttribute3 - call fn Examplefunction2()
Clinical Trial JavaScript
            onChangeAttribute4 - call fn Examplefunction3()
Clinical Trial Business Rules
            onChangeAttribute5 - call br 'onChangeAttribute5 - Set ... to Yes/No'
            onChangeAttribute6 - call br 'onChangeAttribute6 - Set ... Required/Not Required
*/

Issue

Within a form’s onLoad event handler, a function is registered (by calling addOnChange()) to run when an ‘on change’ event occurs. However, when this ‘on change’ event occurs, the function is being called twice rather than just once. Specifically when:

  1. a new form is created which hasn’t been saved
  2. the ‘on change’ event occurs which calls the registered function
  3. a save event is manually triggered within the registered function

These steps result in the form’s onLoad event handler being called twice (thus the addOnChange() function being called twice). Once on the initial form load and again when the new record is first saved (created)

Next Step

Within the form’s onLoad function, the addOnChange() needs to be preceded with the following if statement. This will result in the addOnChange() only being called once

if (eventArgs.getDataLoadState() === XrmEnum.FormDataLoadState.InitialLoad) {


Issue

When a record is deactivated, fields on the form are still editable

Next step

Ensure the form’s JavaScript only unlocks (makes editable) fields when the record is active


2.) Dashboards

Issue

At runtime, news components such as a dashboard aren’t displayed

Next Step

Ensure that the component has been added in the app designer


3.) Security

Issue

At runtime, receiving a security privileges error message which contains only GUIDs and not the corresponding component names

Next Step

Inspect the particular app by retrieving from the ‘AppModule’ entity (…/api/data/v9.1/appmodules?$filter=name eq ‘<insert app name>’). This lists all custom components (both their name and GUID) within the app.

If you only have an ObjectId, then retrieve from AppModuleComponent entity using ObjectId as the filter to retrieve the corresponding details


4.) Processes

Issue

At runtime, system jobs (i.e. workflow processes) continue to run in the background and aren’t been completed

Next Step

One option is to find the relevant system jobs in the ‘AsyncOperation’ entity and update them with statecode = 3 (Completed) & statuscode = 32 (Cancelled)


Issue

When a BPF is updated in a higher environment, the BPF is no longer visible on the relevant from in that higher environment

Next Step

In the higher environment, de-activate the BPF and then re-activate it


Issue

The event handler addOnStageChange() is being triggered twice

Next Step

The function reference in removeOnStageChange() and addOnStageChange() should be a named function rather than an anonymous function. The syntax should look something like

public static async onLoad(executionContext: Xrm.Events.EventContext): Promise<void> {
try {
const formContext = executionContext.getFormContext();

formContext.data.process.removeOnStageChange(NonComplianceForm.onStageChange);
formContext.data.process.addOnStageChange(NonComplianceForm.onStageChange);
...
private static onStageChange(executionContext: Xrm.Events.EventContext) {
try {...

5.) Entities

Issue

It’s required to determine who created a particular entity.

Next Step

This can be achieved by determining who created the entities’ views.

The FetchXml below will list who created the entity cpl_noncompliance’s views. Note: cpl_noncompliance is represented by the number 10408

<fetch>
  <entity name="savedquery">
    <attribute name="description" />
    <attribute name="name" />
    <attribute name="createdby" />
    <attribute name="returnedtypecode" />
    <filter>
      <condition attribute="returnedtypecode" operator="eq" value="10408" />
    </filter>
  </entity>
</fetch>

Issue

The entity cpl_noncompliance is updated, but these updates aren’t available in the exported solution

Next Step

In the Entity.xml, ensure <entity Name=”cpl_noncompliance” unmodified=”0″>


Issue

When deploying an entity to a higher environment, all of it’s attributes are appearing rather than only those added to the solution

Next Step

In the solution.xml, make sure the entities’ behaviour = 2 e.g. <RootComponent type=”1″ schemaName=”cpl_assessment” behavior =”2″ />

Reference

RootComponentBehavior Choices/Options

0 = Include Subcomponents, 1 = Do not include subcomponents, 2 = Include As Shell Only


Issue

How to check if the retrieveMultiple() doesn’t return any entities

Next Step

The retrieveMultiple() will never return null so there is no need to provide that check. A couple of ways to check if retrieveMultiple() doesn’t return any entities is to use the following C# snippets

using System.Linq;

EntityCollection result = OrganizationService.RetrieveMultiple(new FetchExpression(FetchXml));
if (result.Entities.Any())
or
if (result.Entities.Count > 0)
or 
if (result.Entities.length > 0)

Issue

How to check if the Web API retrieveMultiple() returns a value for a column specified in it’s FetchXml

Next step

Simply determine if the column contains a value or has been set to undefined

let fetchXml = `<fetch><entity name="cpl_personidentiers" ><attribute name="cpl_identifierdocument" />...

let result = await Xrm.WebApi.retrieveMultipleRecords("cpl_personidentifiers, fetchXml");
if (result.entities.length > 0) {
   for (const entity of result.entities) {
      if (entity.cpl_identifierdocument !== undefined) {


6.) General

Issue

Not sure what components have been loaded on a Dynamics 365 form

Next step

Inspect what has been loaded by executing the following (unsupported) command in the browser’s debugger console window

Xrm.Utility.getGlobalContext()._clientApiExecutor._store.getState()