Change an attribute from TextField to DropDown

[jbarzuna]

Hello,

I wanted to know which is the best way to convert a field (the Department field on the Contacts' module, for example) from being an open TextField to a DropDown with a predefined list.

I know I can create a new custom field and give it the same label and then change the layout to use the new custom field instead of the old one, but is this upgrade-safe? Will it break if I install new modules?

Thank you very much for your time,

[eggsurplus]

I'd suggest the custom field route as that is more upgrade safe than changing an existing field as that'll get overwritten in any update. Any custom changes in Studio in regards to adding fields will not get overwritten in a future update.

[jbarzuna]

I have been learning more and more on programming with the studio, however, it seems that if I have to replace every existing field in the database for custom fields in order to create the drop downs then I would end up with a database with twice as many fields, isn't there a way to just make a regular field a pull down field?
Regards,
Jose

[christianknoll]

create a file named department.enum.php (or any other name you want as long as it ends with .php) in directory custom/Extension/modules/Contacts/Ext/Vardefs with the following content:

<?php
$dictionary['Contact']['fields']['department']['type'] = 'enum';
$dictionary['Contact']['fields']['department']['options'] = 'your_dropdown_that_you_created_before';
?>

Repair Contacts and you are on your way. Thi is the wa better solution than creating custom fields. And it is 100% upgerade safe ... ;-) ...

christian.

Hello,

I wanted to know which is the best way to convert a field (the Department field on the Contacts' module, for example) from being an open TextField to a DropDown with a predefined list.

I know I can create a new custom field and give it the same label and then change the layout to use the new custom field instead of the old one, but is this upgrade-safe? Will it break if I install new modules?

Thank you very much for your time,

[yorkylad]

create a file named department.enum.php (or any other name you want as long as it ends with .php) in directory custom/Extension/modules/Contacts/Ext/Vardefs with the following content:

<?php
$dictionary['Contact']['fields']['department']['type'] = 'enum';
$dictionary['Contact']['fields']['department']['options'] = 'your_dropdown_that_you_created_before';
?>

Repair Contacts and you are on your way. Thi is the wa better solution than creating custom fields. And it is 100% upgerade safe ... ;-) ...

christian.

NIce idea, seems to work for title as well.

Tried this to change the primary_address_country, this doesn't work. Any ideas?

Yorky Lad

[crmbalah]

HI
go to include/SugarFields/Fields/Address /EditView.tpl customize the file.

[malcolmh]

HI
go to include/SugarFields/Fields/Address /EditView.tpl customize the file.

I am not sure how to do this request, but your proposed solution is not upgrade safe I think

[andopes]

I am not sure how to do this request, but your proposed solution is not upgrade safe I think

Actually it is not an upgrade safe approach.

According the Address Field template class:

     function getEditViewSmarty($parentFieldArray, $vardef, $displayParams, $tabindex) {
        $this->setup($parentFieldArray, $vardef, $displayParams, $tabindex);        
        global $app_strings;
        if(!isset($displayParams['key'])) {
           $GLOBALS['log']->debug($app_strings['ERR_ADDRESS_KEY_NOT_SPECIFIED']);    
           $this->ss->trigger_error($app_strings['ERR_ADDRESS_KEY_NOT_SPECIFIED']);
           return;
        }
        
        //Allow for overrides.  You can specify a Smarty template file location in the language file.
        if(isset($app_strings['SMARTY_ADDRESS_EDITVIEW'])) {
           $tplCode = $app_strings['SMARTY_ADDRESS_EDITVIEW'];
           return $this->fetch($tplCode);    
        }       
 
        global $current_language;
        if(isset($current_language) && file_exists('include/SugarFields/Fields/Address/' . $current_language . '.EditView.tpl')) {
          return $this->fetch('include/SugarFields/Fields/Address/' . $current_language . '.EditView.tpl');     
        } else {
          return $this->fetch('include/SugarFields/Fields/Address/EditView.tpl');
        } //if-else
       
    } 
  

If you create the file <$current_language>.EditView.tpl this one will be loaded instead of the default one.

Cheers

[jbarzuna]

Hello,

Thanks for your help, I will be testing your suggestions for a few days.

Best Regards,
José