Question

In CRM 4.0, I would like (if possible) to open an external link directly from a view of several entities (for example ‘My accounts’). When this action is taken, a new browser window with a parameterized url should open into an external system. Ideally either a link on the record row, a toolbar button in the view or an action in the ‘More actions’ list. Is this possible?

I imagine this would be a javascript somewhere, but I am not sure about the extension point (ISV.config?) as there is no form loaded in the view. This is not related to associated views.

Answer 1

Its possible by modifying the ISV.config (XML). http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc150910.aspx

You’ll want to look at adding an entry your entity under the following xpaths (account example shown)

/ImportExportXml/Entities/Entity[name=’account’]/Grid/MenuBar/ActionMenu
or
/ImportExportXml/Entities/Entity[name=’account’]/Grid/MenuBar/Button

Example in SDK is:

<!-- The main Global Menu Bar located at the top of all root level areas -->
<MenuBar>
   <!-- Custom Menus that appear between the Goto Menu and the Help Menu -->
   <CustomMenus>
      <Menu>
        <Titles>
          <Title LCID="1033" Text="ISV" />
         </Titles>
         <MenuItem Url="http://www.microsoft.com" >
           <Titles>
             <Title LCID="1033" Text="New Window" />
           </Titles>
         </MenuItem>
      </Menu>
   </CustomMenus>
</MenuBar>

The MenuItem node supports a JavaScript attribute (make sure you XML encode your javascript).

Not sure what you want to parameterize to your url. If you use a modal dialog, the selected records in the grid are passed as dialogArguments on the window. Remember that IE has a maximum URL length if you were planning on passing many selected GUID’s by query string. Full MSDN example: Walkthrough: Capturing the GUID Values of Records Selected in a Grid