Main form presentations
Applies To: Dynamics CRM 2013
The main form is used by every client except Microsoft Dynamics CRM for phones. This form provides a consistent user experience whether someone is using the web application, Microsoft Dynamics CRM for tablets, or Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 for Microsoft Office Outlook.
Note
Read-optimized forms have been discontinued with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. Read-optimized forms were a feature that allowed for forms that were optimized for consumption of data. For more information, see the Read-Optimized Forms topic in the in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 SDK.
In This Topic
Main forms
Updated forms
CRM for tablets forms
Classic forms
CRM 2013 for Outlook reading pane
Main forms
Any main forms that exist for an entity may be displayed differently depending on the factors in the following table below. When you design a main form, consider how it works in each different presentation.
Presentation |
Description |
|---|---|
Updated |
For the 99c795e0-9165-4112-85b1-6b5e1a4aa5ec#BKMK_UpdatedEntities and any custom entities, the updated form provides a new user experience in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. These forms enable features such as the command bar, auto-save, business process flows and navigation improvements. These forms have a three-column layout. |
CRM for tablets |
Microsoft Dynamics CRM for tablets presents the content of the main form in a manner optimized for a tablet. |
Classic |
Entities that weren’t updated for CRM 2013 will appear as they did in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. These forms use the ribbon rather than the command bar and the navigation pane on the left side of the form. These forms can’t use the features introduced in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. These forms have a two-column layout. |
CRM 2013 for Outlook reading pane |
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 for Microsoft Office Outlook presents a read-only view of records in Outlook. This presentation doesn’t support form scripts. |
Updated forms
This diagram represents common components found in updated entity forms.
.jpeg "Diagram shows Updated entity form structure in CRM")
For updated entities, the layout of the form works with a wide range of displays and window sizes. As the width of window decreases, tab columns move down so that you can scroll down to work with them instead of being compressed or requiring you to scroll to the right.
The following table summarizes available components of the main form for updated entities.
Component |
Summary |
|---|---|
Navigation bar |
Uses the data in the site map to provide the ability to move to different areas of the application. The navigation pane used in classic forms isn’t included in the updated form. In the context of a record, the navigation bar provides access to views of related records. Rather than navigating to related records using the navigation pane or by using the navigation bar, adding sub-grids configured to show useful related entity records provides a better experience for most people. |
Command bar |
Uses the data defined for ribbons to provide commands relevant for the record. The first five commands are displayed followed by an ellipsis ( |
Image |
When an entity has an image field and the entity Primary Image option is set to Default Image, an image can be displayed in the header when the form is configured to show the image. More information: 02ba7668-028c-4886-9f05-9116a605f3c8#BKMK_EnableDisableOptions, Image fields and d53fed89-9cbc-4f1d-b5ef-044bfd34b02f#BKMK_FormProperties |
Header |
Fields placed in the header remain visible when people scroll down through the body of the form. Up to four fields can be placed in the header. Multiple lines of text, web resources, or IFRAMEs aren’t allowed in the header. The header and footer share some properties with sections. More information: d53fed89-9cbc-4f1d-b5ef-044bfd34b02f#BKMK_SectionProperties |
Process Control |
When an entity has active business process flows, the process control displays below the header. More information: Business process flows |
Body |
The body is the scrollable part of the form that contains the tabs. |
Tabs |
In the body of the form, tabs provide horizontal separation. Tabs have a label that can be displayed. If the label is displayed, tabs can be expanded or collapsed to show or hide their content by clicking the label. Tabs contain up to three columns and the width of each column can be set to a percentage of the total width. When you create a new tab, each column is prepopulated with a section. More information: d53fed89-9cbc-4f1d-b5ef-044bfd34b02f#BKMK_TabProperties |
Sections |
A section occupies the space available in a tab column. Sections have a label that can be displayed and a line may be shown below the label. Sections can have up to four columns and include options for displaying how labels for fields in the section are displayed. More information: d53fed89-9cbc-4f1d-b5ef-044bfd34b02f#BKMK_SectionProperties |
Fields |
Fields display controls people use to view or edit data in an entity record. Fields can be formatted to occupy up to four columns within a section. More information: d53fed89-9cbc-4f1d-b5ef-044bfd34b02f#BKMK_FieldProperties |
Spacer |
A spacer allows for an empty space to be added to a section column. |
Sub-grids |
Sub-grids allow for the display of a list within the form. The ability to display charts using a sub-grid isn’t available in forms for updated entities. |
Quick View Form |
A quick view form displays data from a record referenced by a lookup field on the form. The entity that is the target of the lookup must have a quick view form before one can be added to the form. More information: Create and edit quick view forms |
Web Resources |
HTML and Microsoft Silverlight web resources can be added to main forms but they won’t be displayed when using the CRM for tablets or CRM 2013 for Outlook reading pane. |
IFRAME |
An inline-frame that you configure to show a webpage from another website. When the page displayed in an IFRAME is on another domain, browsers apply a higher level of security that may introduce complications to requirements that expect the contents of an IFRAME to interact with data in the form. IFRAMEs aren’t displayed when using CRM for tablets or the CRM 2013 for Outlook reading pane. |
Bing Maps |
When this control is present in a form for an updated entity and the system setting Enable Bing Maps is enabled with a valid Bing Maps key, this control can be used one time in a form to show the location for one of the addresses in an updated entity. More information: d53fed89-9cbc-4f1d-b5ef-044bfd34b02f#BKMK_BingMaps |
Footer |
Any number of fields, web resources, or IFRAMES can be added to the footer. Fields are read-only when displayed in the footer. The header and footer share some properties with sections. More information: d53fed89-9cbc-4f1d-b5ef-044bfd34b02f#BKMK_SectionProperties |
Status Bar |
The status bar displays the status field for the record, a notification area, and a save button. |
.jpeg "More commands icon")
) that provides a flyout menu to choose additional commands.CRM for tablets forms
Only selected system entities and custom entities are available to be shown using Microsoft Dynamics CRM for tablets. The main form for these entities is transformed to a presentation optimized for tablets.
Entities enabled for CRM for tablets
Only entities that are enabled for CRM for tablets use this presentation of the main form. More information: a3e6a322-18f7-48bd-aaea-bff7675d1378#BKMK_CustomEntity
Form design
Microsoft Dynamics CRM for tablets takes many of the main form elements and presents them in a way optimized for tablets as shown in the following diagram.
.jpeg "Diagram of a form in Dynamics CRM for tablets")
The form elements are transformed to a wide panorama layout where people can swipe the screen to change elements visible within a view port.
View port element
The following items are always visible within the view port in the context of a form:
Nav bar
The nav bar is a presentation of the sitemap that is optimized for touch. More information: a3e6a322-18f7-48bd-aaea-bff7675d1378#BKMK_NavigationOptionsHome
The home button directly to the right of the nav bar will take people to the sales dashboard that is the starting page for CRM for tablets.Process Control
If the entity has a business process enabled, it will appear in the top right corner next to the search control.Search
People can tap the search control in the top right corner to open the screen to search for records.Command Bar
By default, some of the commands that appear in the web application do not appear in the CRM for tablets app. Similar to the web application, the command bar is context-sensitive and depending on what is currently viewed or selected the available commands will change. To access the command bar on a iPad device, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. A tab appears at the bottom of the page that you can touch to access the command bar. More information: a3e6a322-18f7-48bd-aaea-bff7675d1378#BKMK_ChangeCommands
Form elements
Forms for CRM for tablets don’t support web resources, IFRAMEs, Bing maps, Yammer, activity feeds, or SharePoint document libraries. Entity images are visible in list views and contact cards, but not within the actual form.
The form elements displayed are taken from the main form and presented as a series of panels that people see through the view port.
The first panel displays contact information about relationships that exist for the record.
.jpeg "CRM For Tablets Relationships panel")
For Contact and User forms, the top item displays a communication card for the record. The communication card provides buttons to initiate communication with the person. For other entities, a communication card is displayed if there is a Contact quick view form embedded in the main form.
Additional tiles can be shown based on entity relationships. But the tiles for the entities in the following table can’t be customized.
Entity |
Tiles |
|---|---|
Account |
Owner |
Contact |
Company Name, Owner |
Lead |
Owner |
Opportunity |
Account, Owner |
The remaining tiles are based on the associated views to entities that are available for read access within CRM for Tablets.
The second panel begins with the name of the first tab on the form. Any fields that are included within the header are included and then the contents of the first tab.
.jpeg "CRM for Tablets Form First Panel")
If there is a sales process active for the form, the third tab displays tasks for the current stage of the process.
The remaining panels of the form will contain the contents of the tabs in the form. Any sub-grids found are displayed as a separate panel. Any additional tabs will be shown as a panel.
The CRM for tablets form always displays the labels for tabs and sub-grids. The Display Label on the Form setting is not applied.
Note
There are limits on how many tabs, fields and lists can be displayed in this presentation. CRM for tablets will display up to 5 tabs, 75 fields, and 10 sub-grids.
Multiple forms
CRM for tablets and Microsoft Dynamics CRM for phones support multiple forms but don’t provide a way for people to switch between forms if they can access more than one. People will see the first form in the form order that they have access to.
For example, if you have the following main forms for the opportunity entity and have assigned the following security roles for each one, you’ll see the form order shown in the following table.
Form Order |
Form Name |
Security roles |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Sales Form One |
Salesperson |
2 |
Sales Form Two |
Salesperson and Sales Manager |
3 |
Sales Form Three |
Sales Manager |
4 |
Sales Form Four |
Vice President of Sales |
People with the Salesperson role will always see Sales Form One.
People with the Sales Manager role will always see Sales Form Two.
People with the Vice President of Sales role will always see Sales Form Four.
Classic forms
The following diagram shows the main form components used in the classic presentation.
Note
When an organization upgrades from Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 or an earlier version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, their forms were designed to use the classic presentation. For information about how to migrate these forms for updated entities, see Update your forms to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 or Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Fall '13.
.jpeg "Major form elements")
The forms for updated entities have inherited many components from the classic forms, but there are significant differences.
Forms using the classic presentation don’t include the navigation bar and the ribbon is used instead of the command bar. These forms don’t support entity images, the process control, quick view forms, auto-save, or Bing Maps. Fields in the header aren’t editable.
The form assistant is exposed for certain entities, such as Article.
CRM 2013 for Outlook reading pane
People using Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 for Microsoft Office Outlook to view records can access a read-only view of the record using the reading pane as shown here.
.jpeg "Outlook reading pane in CRM 2013 for Outlook")
The reading pane uses the main form and displays just the sections within each tab. Form scripts aren’t loaded. Process controls, Bing Maps, web resources, quick view forms, footer fields, and IFRAMEs aren’t displayed. The notes control displays only notes, not posts or activities. Like CRM for tablets forms, the reading pane supports multiple forms but people can’t switch forms. The form used is the first form that the person has access to. For an example, see Multiple forms.
When viewing the reading pane, people can rearrange the sections as they like. Their changes will be preserved as they navigate between records.
See Also
Create and design forms
Use the form editor
Design considerations for main forms
Optimize form performance
Manage auto-save
Update your forms to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 or Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Fall '13
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