Customize account_type field

[joomlaman]

I am using SugarCRM Community 5.2.0a .

How can I customize the account_type so that it accepts multiple values rather than a single value via a dropdown? It seems I must create a custom field via an override PHP file, but I am at a loss as to what the code should be, and where to put it, and which file(s) must be overridden so that the field is 'working as intended', i.e., the search is not broken, the display in list and edit is not broken, etc.

Thanks.

[daniel.passarini]

you have to set the field type to multienum
you can do this by creating/editing custom/Extensions/modules/Accounts/Ext/Vardefs/my_customization.php and overriding the field type ins this file.
Aftare that, Rebuild Extensions

[joomlaman]

I created the following file:

 <?php
   $dictionary['Accounts']['fields']['account_type']['type'] = 'multienum';
?>  

I dropped this file in:

/home/myserver/www/ops/custom/Extension/modules/Accounts/Ext/Vardefs

After rebuilding, it appears nothing happened. Is the location wrong, or the code wrong, or both?

EDIT
I do see the file rebuilt into
/home/myserver/www/ops/custom/modules/Accounts/Ext/Vardefs/vardefs.ext.php

So the code must be incorrect.

[daniel.passarini]

Hi joomlaman

only one detail.. change Accounts to Account

it's a common mistake

[joomlaman]

Thanks for your help. Now I have a new problem

The field is rendering fine with the old sample values, but if I go in and edit an account, and specify any amount of types, it saves the account_type field in the database as 'Array'.

In firebug, when I inspect the post:

account_type[] Analyst
account_type[] Customer
account_type_multiselect true
action Save

[joomlaman]

After some additional forum search I found the solution

http://www.sugarcrm.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36855

$dictionary['Account']['fields']['account_type']['isMultiSelect'] = true;

I don't understand why this works [I would think just making it multi enum is good enough], but it does.

[joomlaman]

Don't suppose anyone can explain why my "fix" worked? I would really like to learn, rather than just take guesses on everything. Thanks

[joomlaman]

Polite bump requesting any further explanation on why my 'fix' worked. Even a page reference in the documentation would be great for me. Thanks