Customize fields displaying a value from more than one other field

[meitar]

Hi everyone, SugarCRM noob here (so please be gentle). I'm trying to grok Sugar's custom fields paradigm. Here's a simple example:

In SugarCRM 6.0, a Contact's name is display in a single field (called "Name" in the Studio's "DetailView" layout editor screen). In reality, this name seems to be a concatenation of "First Name" and "Last Name." In America, many people have a "Middle Name" as well. So I went ahead and added a "Middle Name" custom TextArea field created by cloning the "First Name" field.

Now I'd like the aggregate "Name" field in the Contact Detail layout to include the "Middle Name" field in between the First Name and Last Name if that field is non-empty.

How can this be accomplished? Can it be done solely using the SugarCRM studio or is there a code change that needs to happen. (I am not afraid of touching PHP code, as long as I can touch it in an upgrade-safe way.)

My current technology stack:

• SugarCRM 6.0 Community Edition
• PHP 5.2.14
• Apache 2.x

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

[andopes]

You need to create a logic_hook after_retrieve on Contacts module in order to concatenate the fields accordingly.


the logic_hook function may looks like that:

 function setFullName(&$focus, $event, $arguments) {
  $name = $focus->salutation . ' ' . $focus->first_name . ' ' . $focus->middle_name_c . ' ' . $focus->last_name;
  $focus->name = $name;
  $focus->full_name = $name;
} 
  

Obviously you need to create the logic_hook class and logic_hook file accordingly.

Kind regards

[erop]

It might be better to post this message in one of the other topics related to concatenated fields. But my main goal is probably related to mentioned here “logic_hook” technique which I also use in other custom modules. And I would like to decide what to choose in the situation.

So, I need extended Accounts 'name' field into 'full_account_name' that consists of fields 'billing_address_city', custom dropdown 'account_type_drnt_c' and existing 'name' (the last is now in active use by users). The main goal is to have “one-field” identifier for Account that could clearly define it in relating modules' DetailView, pop-us and so on.

Thus I created custom/Extension/modules/Accounts/Ext/Vardefs/full_account_name.php:

 <?php
$dictionary['Account']['fields']['full_account_name'] = array(
    'name' => 'full_account_name',
    'rname' => 'full_account_name',
    'vname' => 'LBL_FULL_ACCOUNT_NAME',
    'type' => 'name',
    'fields' => array(0 => 'billing_address_city', 1 => 'account_type_drnt_c', 2 => 'name',),
    'sort_on' => 'billing_address_city',
    'source' => 'non-db',
    'group' => 'billing_address_city',
    'len' => '255',
    'dbType' => 'varchar',
    'db_concat_fields' => array(0 => 'billing_address_city', 1 => 'account_type_drnt_c', 2 => 'name',),
    'importable' => 'false',
);
?>  

Then, of course, custom/Extension/modules/Accounts/Ext/Language/en_us.FullAccountName.php :

 <?php
$mod_strings['LBL_FULL_ACCOUNT_NAME'] = 'Full Account Name';
?>  

Admin->Repair->Rebuild Extensions.

In Studio I placed new field in DetailView and then expected its value displayed. But the field was empty in every record. I check custom/modules/Accounts/Ext/Vardefs/vardefs.ext.php – there was the field definition there.
File custom/modules/Accounts/metadata/detailviewdefs.php also has field definition in proper place:

 array (
            'name' => 'full_account_name',
            'label' => 'LBL_FULL_ACCOUNT_NAME',
         ), 
  

But 'full_account_name' field is still empty. Moreover when I placed the field in ListView it shows zero records. Removing new field from ListView gives normal view for all the records.
I dug Contacts module for similar code trying to find out what I missed. But found no differences between my code and standard Contacts 'full_name' approach. So I really appreciate if someone point me on my mistake.

The second question is about which of the techniques (logic hook or vardefs-concatenated fields) is more “Sugar-friendly” in the context of future possible bean manipulations. Which method is better to use in terms of future use cases in different situations?

Thank you!

P.S. I'm on Sugar CE 5.5.1

[sourjya]

You need to create a logic_hook after_retrieve on Contacts module in order to concatenate the fields accordingly.


the logic_hook function may looks like that:

 function setFullName(&$focus, $event, $arguments) {
  $name = $focus->salutation . ' ' . $focus->first_name . ' ' . $focus->middle_name_c . ' ' . $focus->last_name;
  $focus->name = $name;
  $focus->full_name = $name;
} 
  

Obviously you need to create the logic_hook class and logic_hook file accordingly.

Kind regards

Hello andopes,
I've implemented your code, but the results aren't showing up in the DetailView.

Here's my logic hook:

 $hook_array['after_retrieve'] = Array(); 
$hook_array['after_retrieve'][] = array(
        100, 
        'set_full_name', 
        'custom/modules/Leads/leads_custom_logic.php', 
        'LeadsCustomLogic', 
        'setFullName'
); 
  

And here's my function:

     function setFullName( &$focus, $event, $arguments ) {
        $name = $focus->salutation . ' ' . 
                $focus->first_name . ' ' .
                ( $focus->middle_name_c ? ( $focus->middle_name_c . ' ' ) : '' ) . 
                $focus->last_name;
        //echo $name;
        $focus->name = $name;
        $focus->full_name = $name;
        echo $focus->full_name;
    } 
  

The echo statement is showing the Full Name including the Middle Name. However, the Name display in the DetailView still keeps showing a concatenated result of Salutation + First Name + Last Name ONLY!

Do I need to modify anything else, elsewhere?

Thanks,
Sourjya

P.S. I also tried the process_record hook - but same results.

[davidboris]

Hello,

Try following code in view.detail.php inside display function

  $name = $this->bean->salutation . ' ' . 
                $this->bean->first_name . ' ' .
                ( $this->bean->middle_name_c ? ( $this->bean->middle_name_c . ' ' ) : '' ) . 
                $this->bean->last_name;
        $this->bean->full_name = $name; 
  

[sourjya]

Hello,

Try following code in view.detail.php inside display function

  $name = $this->bean->salutation . ' ' . 
                $this->bean->first_name . ' ' .
                ( $this->bean->middle_name_c ? ( $this->bean->middle_name_c . ' ' ) : '' ) . 
                $this->bean->last_name;
        $this->bean->full_name = $name; 
  

Davidboris: Thanks for your reply. However, I'm unable to find this file in any folder under custom/modules/Leads. Do I have to copy it over from anywhere else or do I have to mod the Sugar code itself... in which case it won't be upgrade safe. Is there an upgrade-safe way of doing this?

Thanks,
Sourjya

[davidboris]

Hello,

If the file doesn't exist in custom/modules/<MODULE_NAME>/views folder check in modules/<MODULE_NAME>/views and copy and paste the file into custom folder, which makes the change upgrade safe.

If you dont have the file in main modules, you can refer modules/Contacts/views/view.detail.php and follow the code for your module.

[sourjya]

Tried your option and copied the view.detail.php from modules/Contacts/views to custom/modules/Leads/views and modified to the following code:

 class LeadsViewDetail extends ViewDetail 
{
     /**
      * @see SugarView::display()
     *
      * We are overridding the display method to manipulate the portal information.
      * If portal is not enabled then don't show the portal fields.
      */
     public function display() 
     {
        $admin = new Administration();
        $admin->retrieveSettings();
        if(isset($admin->settings['portal_on']) && $admin->settings['portal_on']) {
           $this->ss->assign("PORTAL_ENABLED", true);
        }
        $name = $this->bean->salutation . ' ' . 
                $this->bean->first_name . ' ' .
                ( $this->bean->middle_name_c ? ( $this->bean->middle_name_c . ' ' ) : '' ) . 
                $this->bean->last_name;
        $this->bean->full_name = $name;  
        $this->bean->name = $name;
         parent::display();
     }
} 
  

But still the full name won't show up. If I insert the following statement in my LH function (setFullName):

 echo $bean->id, ' ', $bean->name, '<br />'; 
  

Here's the output I get:


As you can see, once the record has been pulled up and after_retrieve fires, the above statement shows the ID and Full Name (along with Middle Name) just fine.

But the breadcrumbs as well as the Name field in the DetailView still don't reflect the change!!

There's no reason NOT TO!

[davidboris]

Hello,

I used exactly your code and for me it worked for field, though it will not work for breadcrumbs.

[sourjya]

Hi David,
Which version of Sugar are you using? Mine's OS 6.0.0. I'm wondering if it's a version specific problem !!

Cheers,
Sourjya

UPDATE
It's working for me now in the Field block... but like you said, the Breadcrumbs still won't. Any ideas where the breadcrumb template lies?

Thanks for ALL THE HELP