Include Javascript files in CRM

This must be familiar to most of you: you're making quite some modifications to the onchange event of a picklist. To keep this readable, you do use tabs and breaks, but after saving this, all tabs and enters are gone. Therefore I like to put most code into .js files and include these files in the page. This would break the contract tough. Another possibility is the httpmodules, but they require quite some effort.

Now I was searching for some information regarding Javascript and I found some interesting codes. One of these could be used to solve the problem as described above! What about loading javascript files WITH javascript? It is possible by using this script:


var script = document.createElement('script');
script.type = 'text/javascript'; script.src = 'code.js';
document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(script);

When putting this code into the onchange event, this stays readable, does not cost much effort and you wont break the support contract!

Edit:
The script above could give troubles when a function call is made to the javascript file when it is not yet fully loaded. Thanks to Alex for providing this script:

function OnChange()
{
var script = document.createElement('script');
script.language = 'javascript';
script.src = 'MyFunctions.js';
document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(script);
var f = function()
{
if (event.srcElement.readyState == "loaded")
SomeFunction(); // some function from MyFunctions.js
}
script.attachEvent("onreadystatechange", f);
}
// function OnChange()


Update:
Just a bit better readable script:

var script = document.createElement('script');
script.language = 'javascript';
script.src = '/Custom/JavaScript/opportunityOnloadOnsave.js';
script.onreadystatechange = OnScriptReadyState;
document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(script);

function OnScriptReadyState()
{
if (event.srcElement.readyState == "complete")
{
//perform onload scripts
CustomOnLoad(); // some function from your custom js file
}
}



Introducing Microsoft CRM 3.0

Even though the public beta is not yet available, more and more information is being spread to the partners. Partners who can access https://partner.microsoft.com/ are able to view this information:

Microsoft CRM 3.0 Press Release
Microsoft announces the next version of its customer relationship management solution, Microsoft CRM 3.0. Microsoft CRM 3.0 will provide a complete suite of powerful marketing, sales, and service capabilities, all with a familiar and consistent user experience based on Microsoft Office and Microsoft Outlook.

Microsoft CRM 3.0 Fact Sheet
Learn about top features and functionality that will be coming in Microsoft CRM 3.0.

Microsoft CRM 3.0 Flash Demo
Download the Microsoft CRM 3.0 Flash demo and demo script to preview Microsoft CRM 3.0 in action.

Microsoft CRM 3.0 Upgrade Video
Watch this video to see how easy the upgrade from Microsoft CRM 1.2 will be. In fact, it's “kid stuff.”

Worldwide Partner Conference 2005 Presentation
This PowerPoint presentation summarizes the key messaging, timelines, and features of Microsoft CRM 3.0.

Update: Now including correct links :o)



Microsoft CRM Cisco IPCC Enterprise Connector

Take a look at this! Vladimir Lichman just emailed me about a new product for MS CRM 1.2: Microsoft CRM Cisco IPCC Enterprise Connector. This application enables small and medium-sized businesses or empowered branch offices to fully tap the potential of both Microsoft and Cisco to provide a complete CRM solution. Its advanced feature set includes:
- Legacy interface
- Screen pop on incoming call
- Screen pop from click to dial calls
- Click to dial
- Tracking time duration
- Easily create a new CRM record
- Automatically call record and atach it to the MS CRM contact record

Unfortunately I do not have an Cisco IPCC Enterprise here, but it definately is usefull for the lucky ones who do!

More info: http://www.ithit.com/eng/crm



"Please verify that you have enough Crystal licenses"

The error message "Please verify that you have enough Crystal licenses" is really awfull. This is some kind of general crystal error and probably does not have anything to do with licenses!

I've had this myself and with me a lot of other people on the newsgroups. If you are experiencing the same, then you should take a look at the following kb articles. There are 12 possible resolutions for this error which are described in these KB articles:
- 875086
- 862678.

You can access them via https://mbs.microsoft.com/knowledgebase/search.aspx or https://premier.microsoft.com

In case you cannot access these, they are also available via newsgroup postings:

875086
862678

Time for Crystal to be replaced by SQL Reporting Services :)

Update:
For researching purposes, you should try to open this file in IE: http://crmserver/Reports/crystallogon.csp.
You should see something like:


If there is a message regarding the MSCRMuser which cannot be found, then try to rebuild the Crystal APS database (kb 862678, see above).



Incompatible database version

It happened to me several times by now that I get error messages related to an incompatible database version. Examples of error messages are:

Error: Incorrect or incompatible database version. If you have applied any patches or hotfixes for Microsoft CRM, please apply them to this server as well.-2147467259 (0x80004005) Description: Unspecified Error.

and

The version of cdf database you are attempting to use does not match the version of your microsoft crm database.

These errors might prevent you from installing hotfixes, running the Data Migration Framework tools or even prevent the security service to start up. In this case there is something wrong with the version number of the database. This number is stored on several locations. All of these should be the same. The locations this number is stored are:

- CRM Database: "[clientname]_METABASE" Table "BuildVersion"
- CRM Database: "[clientname]_MSCRM" Table "BuildVersion"
- CRM Database: "cdf_mscrm" Table "cdf_BuildVersion"
- Registery key: HKLM SOFTWARE Microsoft MSCRM CRM_Server_Version
- Registery key: HKLM SOFTWARE Microsoft MSCRM Database Version
- Version of file c:\program files\microsoft crm\server\bin\crmsecurityservice.exe.

The error should be gone when you modify these to reflect all the same number. Before making any modifications to any of these settings, you should ofcourse make sure that you do have backups.



Microsoft seems to have started Start.com

Microsoft seems to have started Start.com. This site is a fully functional webbased rss reader. There is still the sign 'preview', but the links to start.com/1, start.com/2 and start.com/3 have disappeared. Start.com definately has the best look and feel compared to the competition of Google and Yahoo. Login to this website works with a .NET Passport. Take a look there and start reading the rss-feeds there :)